We've been big fans of Archos's series of portable media players in the past, so were itching to try out the new Archos5 Internet Media Tablet to see what new features it brings to the table.

The most immediate change is in the design. Archos has ditched the controls that accompanied its most recent touchscreen device and you'll now find that the front is taken up almost entirely by the 4.8-inch touchscreen display. It still uses optional plug-ins to increase functionality but key features such as Web browsing and format support are now supplied as standard, though it's worth noting that H.264, DVD and MPEG-2 compatibility still require you to purchase two of the three additional plug-ins available. The third is 'coming soon' and will offer support for HD video formats up to 720p.

The decision to market the product in this way has both positive and negative implications for the consumer. On one hand Archos has built many of the features that most people would deem essential into the device by default, but on the flipside it is considerably more expensive and some people will still find themselves paying more if the relevant functionality is required.

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As well as the touchscreen-only design the Archos5 is slimmer and more stylish than previous versions and both the display and audio quality - which were impressive anyway in the past - seem to have been improved even further. Watching movies or viewing photos through the device really is a rewarding experience. We were stunned by the clarity, vibrancy and sharpness of pictures and video content on the Archos5. There's also a nice degree of control over all types of media including slideshow creation, aspect ratio adjustment, playlists and graphic equalisers to manage the way audio, video and photos are viewed.

The touchscreen interface is responsive in offering you access to all of these features but we would have liked to have seen more control over the appearance and layout of the menus. There's no ability to adjust font size, which can make large collections difficult to browse, and no way to customise the controls on the interface to the ones you use more often.

Features such as downloadable content from the Archos media club for movies, music, games and news and information on the various add-ons available, which include a helmet camera, TV snap-on for watching freeview channels directly and a remote FM tuner, may not be everyone's cup of tea so would be preferable to hide these from view.

Additional features, including the ability to view PDFs, run flash applications, browse and manage files and add widgets for things like the weather, currency conversion and news, make the Archos5 the most feature-packed PMP on the market in its own right, but one accessory in particular enables some important additional functionality.

The Archos5 has built-in WiFi, which allows you to not only browse the Internet through the built-in software but also stream content from a home computer. You'll need to enable Windows Media Player's media sharing tools to do this, but in doing so you can access any of the files in your library directly from the device.

This function really comes into its own when you pick up the aforementioned DVR station accessory, which sits between your TV and receiver box (such as Sky+ or Freeview) to allow you to operate the player via your TV. Watching video or listening to music over a wireless network is extremely effective, with responsive controls, short buffer-times and excellent quality provided you use the HDMI-out port which is a new feature of the new series DVR station.

You'll also find the ability to record TV programmes directly to the internal hard drive, and can even download a complete programme schedule and create timed recordings exactly as you would with a regular PVR.

If you'll get enough use from the massive array of features on offer from the Archos5 then there's no doubt that it's the most effective and versatile device of its type on the market. Image quality is outstanding, the touchscreen is beautifully responsive and you do get an impressive degree of media control, format support and Web browsing in the box. Upgrading the Archos5 with the necessary plug-ins or enabling key features such as the PVR functionality with the DVR station can involve considerable extra expense, though, and in raising the price of the basic 60GB unit the company may have restricted it to more serious users. But in terms of a no-compromise solution, it's difficult to think of a product that has more potential.