Cowon A3 get cursed?
Posted by aldwincapin16 on April 10, 2008
Photo by: CNET Networks Inc.
The Cowon A3 portable video player (PVP) offers outstanding audio and video format support; a sharp, colorful screen; the most attractive Cowon user interface we’ve seen; built-in video output; video and audio recording capabilities; and superb audio quality.
The Cowon A3 is cursed with a clumsy joystick interface; a highly reflective screen; no support for DRM-protected media; and archaic music sorting. It’s also a little on the chubby side.
The Cowon A3 portable video player is a fantastic value when judged on the merits of its file support and integrated video-recording capabilities. If you’ve got nimble fingers and an eclectic assortment of audio and video formats, the Cowon A3 should be at the top of your list.
In light of gadgets such as the iPod Touch that offer very limited format support, or a high-capacity PVP like the Archos 605 WiFi that offer only video recording and extended file support as expensive upgrades, it’s refreshing to see a portable video player such as the Cowon A3 that simply tries to offer its customers the most features with the best quality at a good price. You can almost feel Cowon tripping over themselves to try and give you everything you could want in a PVP, which is why it stings to think that something so seemingly insignificant as clumsy joystick control or ID3 tag sorting could make us look elsewhere. When it comes to using a product every day, however, you might not notice the A3’s unique support for WavPack audio or OGM video files, but you’ll certainly notice that the joystick occasionally misfires, and that the only way to unearth your favorite song is to dig through countless folders.
Despite its drawbacks, the Cowon A3’s prowess as a portable video player is not to be understated. If you’re looking for a PVP that can handle a wide array of formats with impressive audio and video quality, the Cowon A3 is a solid choice.
Device type: Digital AV recorder; Dimensions (WxDxH): 5.2 in x 0.9 in x 3.1 in; Display type: TFT 4 in – Color.
