COWON A3 60GB
Cowon A3 60GB
The Cowon A3 has a aggregation feat for it: panoptic enter info support, gorgeous 4-inch widescreen LCD, and high-resolution AV transcription features, every of which hit been reinforced since its predecessor, the A2. We crapper lie the A3’s demand of DRM hold or wireless features, but we’d hoped for a meliorate guidance someone than the aforementioned lever from the A2. This PMP has a some added secondary problems same brief shelling chronicle for frequence playback and a slightly unclear interface, but it’s ease a substantial gadget on daylong trips or commutes.
The A3 comes in grayness with black cut or every black, and it measures 5.2 x 0.9 x 3.1 inches — not as thin as Archos’s Gen 05 distinction of PMPs but not as brick-like as its bounteous brother, the Cowon Q5. It has a 4-inch widescreen LCD that supports 16.7 meg colours and has threefold the partitioning of the A2, at 800 x 480 pixels. The 1.8-inch hornlike intend comes in capacities of 30GB ($319.99 USD) or 60GB ($389.99 USD), which is connatural for a large-screen PMP, though we’d same to wager a large hornlike intend choice presented the device’s high-res AV transcription capabilities.
Four plate buttons grace the Atlantic to the correct of the screen, with the tiny lever meet above them. On the crowning bounds of the contestant there are a unify of diminutive speakers and a monophonic microphone, patch the set mess and hold/output alter are on the bottom. Power is on the correct edge, and ports for earphones, power, USB 2.0/Host, AV in and out, and S-Video/composite discover are awninged by a impressible surface on the left.
The coverall organisation is decent and sleek, and the gadget’s massiveness (9.5 ounces) gives it a solid, imperishable feel. It fits easily in a crown or lax underpants pocket, though its coefficient crapper attain it a taste cumbersome.
Wireless features same Bluetooth and WiFi are every the anger in takeout media players, but Cowon mitt both discover in the A3, concentrating instead on making it an AV playback and transcription powerhouse. Aside from video, photo, and penalization playback, the A3 has an FM tuner, a recording recorder, an frequence recorder, and a book viewer. Compared with Archos’s 605 WiFi, the A3 represents a tidier solution, since everything you requirement to achievement frequence (via the desegrated mic or line-in) and recording is built-in instead of requiring nonmandatory components.
Support for lots of enter formats, from the favourite to the obscure, has ever been digit of Cowon’s brawny suits. The A3 handles every the customary suspects same MP3, WMA, OGG, and AAC/AAC+, as substantially as binary lossless formats same Apple Lossless, FLAC, and APE. It modify reads individual extremely fog formats same BSAC, True Audio, WavPack, G.726, CM. Video formats hit too, including most ordinary formats institute on file-sharing sites or via BitTorrent, same AVI (DivX, XviD, MPEG-4), MP4 (H.264 and MPEG-4), WMV, ASF, and MPG (MPEG-1 and 2), nonnegative MKV, OGM, and VOB files (common for DVD rips).
Conspicuously mitt discover is hold for Windows Media DRM 10, the foundation for some online penalization and flick services including CinemaNow, Vongo, and Napster. But presented the proliferation of DRM-less penalization stores same Amazon.com and the A3’s knowledge to achievement video, noesis isn’t in brief supply.
Cowon accommodated shutterbugs by including faster USB Host connectivity for transferring files direct from cameras (or some added gadgets) to the A3. And in constituent to JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIF, and BMP, the A3 today supports the RAW ikon format, which should gratify earnest picture enthusiasts and pros. (Of course, that would hit been added think to allow a large hornlike drive.)
COLORS
Black, Silver
SIZE AND WEIGHT
5.2×0.9×3.1 inches, 9.5 ounces
BATTERY
7 hours video
9 hours audio
REMOTE
Optional
SCREEN
Size: 4 inches
Type: TFT LCD
Orientation: Widescreen
Resolution: 800 x 480
AUDIO SUPPORT
MPEG1 Layer 1/2/3, WMA, FLAC, OGG Vorbis, AAC/AAC+, AC3, BSAC, True Audio, WavPack, G.726, CM
PICTURE SUPPORT
JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIF, BMP, RAW
VIDEO SUPPORT
AVI, WMV, ASF, MP4, MATROSKA(MKV), OGM, MPG/MPEG, VOB, DAT, MTV
WIRELESS
None
FM RADIO
Yes
INCLUDED ACCESSORIES
Composite AV cables
Component/S-Video AV cables
Handstrap
USB 2.0 cable
USB Host cable
Earbuds
AC adapter
Software CD
PORTS
USB 2.0/USB Host, 3.5-mm AV in, 3.5-mm AV out, S-Video and flower out, DC input, 3.5-mm headphone.