Cowon A2 30 GB Portable Multimedia Player

• 30 GB multimedia jukebox plays and records music and video; 4-inch widescreen LCD
• Compatibility with wide range of audio, video, still image, and text file formats
• Record video from camcorder, TV sources; programmable PVR function for television programming
• FM tuner with record capability and voice recorder; line-in recording to MP3
• Internal rechargeable battery; compatible with Windows operating systems

The A2 provides the perfect traveling device to enjoy music, videos, photos and FM radio. The text feature is limited for use until it can use more common reader software. The user friendly nature, sound quality, screen quality and overall versatility is at the leading edge. I have 500 photos, 2000 songs, 10 full length movies and I still have over 30% of the drive to use.

Some have argued that the battery should be replaceable. This is not a major problem since few offer such a feature, and when you have the battery life of 15 hours one does not have to replace the battery to keep using under normal activity. People have to complain about something. It does not have a video camera like the Archos AV500, but who really needs that for the typical use of this type of entertainment product. One should look at the ease of use, the range of capabilities, the quality of how it works. Another reviewer said they had problems. I have not with either the A2 or the XL5 by iAudio. All electronic devices are going to have a few lemons. Complaints have been made of the customer service, but since I have not needed them it is hard to rate them. Their website has an excellent international chat room that provides much of the knowledge of issues and applications, as well as accessories available. The A2 has a greater international following due to longer marketing in Europe and Asia.

Their firmware updates every few weeks addressing many of the issues raised by customers. The A2 now has greater features than the AV500 at a much lower price. One problem is the newest features such as DMB (Digital Mutlimedia Broadcasting) is not able to be used in the US with our antiquated technology.

The earphones are only mediocre. Consistent with trying to break from the lemming pack, try the Ultrasone headphones (iCans or HFI700, I have both)from Germany. They provide a sound quality that the A2 can support with open, accurate and balanced frequency response.

The biggest weakness is that iAudio (Cowon) does not effectively market their products so more people can become familiar with their products.

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I have had the Cowon A2 for about 3 months now and absolutely love it. To keep things concise and purposeful;

Pros:

-Amazing audio quality playback

-Unique and excellent audio enhancements with 5-band equalizer

-Supports more codecs than any PMP available in the U.S.

-AC3 audio codec support!! (only PMP available in the U.S. which

supports this so far and ALL of my digital movies use AC3 audio)

-Sharp, crisp screen with 12 brightness level adjustment

-Recording function works well with high quality video (early

issues of poor quality video fixed with newer firmware)

-TV out function very handy and simple with just 1 A/V cable

-Astonishing battery life (I consistently return approximately 8

hours for video and 15 hours for audio at volume level 20/40

and screen brightness 7/12)

-Well built, leather-like carrying case included

-EXCELLENT technical support with CONSTANT firmware updates

Cons:

-Needs enhanced WMV support

-GUI could be more intuitive, but it's not terrible

-TV recording function could be more intuitive

-Mediocre voice recording

-FM radio useless without headphones/earbuds (act as an antenna)

Overall, I love the Cowon A2 and purchased the product over its main competitors the Archos AV500 and Creative Zen Vision because of the A2's excellent value, feature set, and beautiful screen.

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My daughter just saw my A2 for the first time, (she's 22) and BEGGED my to buy her one. So much for first impressions. The unit is small and sleek and easily transported in a pocket or purse. But let's begin with the manual. It's flawed, to say the least. It doesn't explain all the functions and fails to address several issues.

For example, it shows an item called a DMB and a tv logo. But this is for a Korean who wants to access a tv signal in Seoul. Since I'm in Arizona, that's a problem. The main function button allows things like fast forwarding of videos, yet this is not even mentioned. The manual type is very small and hard to read. The illustrations, likewise. But the player is pretty intuitive to use and playing with it for a while allows you to figure out most of the functions.

Now for the best parts. The screen is crisp and clear. Downloading from a DVD player or the tv is easy. I can also copy a DVD to my computer and download using the USB to the A2. And I have a Mac, which they says won't work with the software. W-R-O-N-G! It works just fine with my iMac G4 without any special softwware. Downloading does take a while, but so what? You can move items into folders and rename them at will. I dumped the Korean subway maps that are included as photos and popped in my own photographs in the jpg format.

I also have a tip: download the manual in PDF from their website, convert it to a txt file, and move it into the text folder. Then you'll have it on the screen if needed. I figure you can load about 28 2-hour DVD movies and 500 mp3's, which are also a breeze to load. And still I have room for 100's of photos. The sound through the earphones is good and better with better earphones. I can't wait to take it on airplane trips to avoid the in-flight movies and pick from dozens of my own, played on MY schedule.

A final word. It would have gotten 5 stars if not for the poor manual and tech support guy, who told me it wouldn't work on Macs and not to even try. I did a lot of research before choosing the A2 for it's size, price and features. I wasn't disappointed and if I ever am, a know a certain girl that will love to inherit it.

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This is the best PMP in the 4" market for video playback bar none. This is the only one with an LCD of 16.7M colors & low latency. And it shows. I can also play any file (with latest, 1.81 firmware), from mpeg-1/2/4 to xvid and divx and WMV. And the included software is also great if you want to encode for example a larger mpeg to a smaller compressed xvid. I compared this to the Archos AV500, Zen Vision, Ipod Video, Epson and a couple of others. This one is the best for video playing, by far. And I get about 9.5 hours on a single charge! If you want something for commutes or for when you're on the exercise bike to WATCH videos this is it. It also is fantastic as a radio and mp3 player, although these aren't the primary reasons I bought it. Hope this helps!

In looking for the best media player, I had a very short trial of the Video iPod. The screen was way too small. Then I thought I had found a great player in the Archos 604 WiFi. Much better, since I like to watch movies, but I decided to give this one a try. After a few days, the Archos is going back to the store. Here's why:

Screen: The Archos screen is good, but not nearly as bright at the highest setting. There's an anti-glare coating on the screen, which makes images much lower in contrast than the Cowon. The Cowon screen must be seen to be believed. It's better than my television. The shiny surface of the screen can be a bit of a problem in bright light (seeing reflections), but that doesn't come up very often.

Sound: The Archos has decent sound, but it's not loud enough. Turn the volume all the way up, and it's just barely acceptable (for me). On a plane, forget it. The Cowon sound blows away the Archos... there are many settings for sound enhancement, quality is noticably better, and the volume goes much higher.

Video: What bugged the heck out of me was that Archos wanted me to pay $20 for decoders for common video formats. The Cowon plays everything I throw at it, for free. And it comes with a cable that allows me to play videos to a TV. On the Archos... yep, it costs extra.

Recording: If you want to record on the Archos, get set to pay extra for the necessary bulky accessory. With the included cable on the Cowon A2, you can record off the TV... even set it to turn on and record something on your favorite channel, then turn itself off, just like a DVR. Amazing!

I must say that this is THE most impressive electronic purchase I've ever made. Passes the time at my kids' sports practices, and cool for lunch breaks at work. When I travel, the battery lasts long enough for a cross-country flight. The Archos died in a few short hours.