The long-awaited A3 has quite simply the widest range of features available in any Portable Media Player on sale today! It's a welcome return to Hard Drive based players for Cowon, whose reputation has been made with a succession of class-leading products like the X5 and A2. While the current D2 continues this legacy, some customers require the larger capacities afforded by Hard Drives and that's where the A3 comes in.
The A3 uses the new Texas Instruments "Da Vinci" Chipset, giving fantastic responsiveness and speed, with the class leading reproduction we expect from Cowon.
Video
The A3 is compatible with the widest range of file formats in any player. It's 800X480 4 inch pixel screen offers pin-sharp images and crisp motion for video. It's also capable of 7 hours of video playback - remarkable for a screen this size, let alone one of this quality.
Huge codec support Plays back 1280x720 HD media without transcoding!
The key feature of PMPs is to play back compressed videos. Cowon A3 is capable of decoding the next generation encoding format, H.264, as well as almost any other video codec currently available. It can even play back the high quality 1280x720 HD resolution without any decoding, providing the best media experience without hassle.
The A3 is available in 30, 60GB & 80GB formats - giving you ample space for movies (up to 100 full-length movies can be stored on the 60GB on average) You can also display still images in a variety of formats (JPG, GIF, PNG, TIF, BMP) up to 15 Mega Pixel original size.
Cowon A3 is powered by the high performance DaVinci chipset containing DaVinci Dual Core Processor with special AV DSP core
DaVinci is a next generation chipset from Texas Instruments with superior video playback capabilities. The revolutionary DaVinci chipset is a dual core CPU with integrated DM6441 DSP, enabling excellent video playback at 1280x720 HD resolution, even in a portable player. Cowon A3 will open the door to the new world of portable media through it's DaVinci's processing power and support for the most comprehensive range of codecs.
Audio
This is Cowon's traditional strength and they have not let us down with the A3. As an all-in-one media player, you simply won't find another product with the quality and versatility of this one.
Comprehensive Audio Codec Support
For the first time in an embedded device, audio codecs such as MusePack, True Audio & WavPack are supported by the Cowon A3. The technology of Cowon, acknowledged by audiophiles all over the world, brings you the most comprehensive audio playback support for your enjoyment. (MPEG1 Layer 1/2/3, WMA, FLAC, OGG Vorbis, OGG FLAC, Apple Lossless, AAC/AAC+, AC3, True Audio, Monkey Audio, MusePack, WavPack, G.726, PCM)
All of that is worthless if it sounds poor, but don't worry about that! With a powerful 32mW per channel output and probably the best sound quality available on a portable player available today, it's going to impress!
We've not even mentioned the FM Radio yet! Built into the player, it's a top feature and the audio quality and reception is superb. You can also record the radio for listening back in the future.
Interfacing
Another common issue with Portable Media Players like the A3 is it's connecivity with other devices. Great video capability is let down if it takes hours of video conversion, or expensive extras to get the video on the player. Not the case with the A3. First off, it connects to your PC with a simple generic USB lead (no expensive replacement cost when you lose or damage it) and the PC will recognise the player as an external hard drive - simple drag & drop operation.
Also, it's infuriating how much time you can waste ripping DVDs if your PC isn't ultra-fast - the A3 gives you the simplest way to get footage into the device; by plugging in the source. you can simply plug in any video output (Digibox, DVD player, Video player, games console, etc) and record into the player simply and easily. The player compresses as it records, giving you great quality without filling the hard drive up too quickly.
USB Host - The A3 also has the ability to be used as a USB host device, allowing you to plug in a variety of devices, such as (UMS) MP3 players, digital cameras and external storage drives, which you can navigate with your A3 and copy files straight onto your A3's hard drive.
High Quality TV Output support for an awesome home theatre experience. High Definition picture quality can be better appreciated with a high quality TV-out to a digital TV set.
High definition videos can only be achieved with the high quality video connection to a digital TV. In addition to the composite and s-video output, a component output from the Cowon A3 provides high quality video for a truly high definition viewing experience.
You've got movies on your A3 that you'd like to show on a full-size TV? Not a problem, just plug it in! It outputs in Composite video, Component video and S-video - you'll even find the correct cables in the box for each option.
Indulge in the highest picture quality
16 million colours at 800x480 resolution with no visible lines for the first time in PMP, the 0.108mm pixel pitch enables enjoyment of media in their clearest and finest forms.
The best picture quality is achieved by the high resolution pixels. The picture quality is clear to the most minute pixel core! The 10 million colour 800x480 LCD with 0.108mm pixel provides the finest picture quality among the PMPs.
10 Band EQ for the ultimate sound experience! The professional level of audio quality through 10 Band EQ
Cowon digital sound is loved by our customers all over the world. Professional quality audio master tools are now available on the Cowon A3 with its 10 band EQ. Enhance your viewing experience with clear and powerful sound.
Overview
To sum it up, the Cowon A3 is without a doubt the most comprehensively featured Media Player on the market today. There's almost nothing it won't play, although along with this versatility you'll get the best quality reproduction possible. The A2 was a cult hit amongst those in the know and we feel the A3 deserves to break through to the mainstream with it's list of unique features and peerless quality.
7 Hour video playback battery life (10 hour audio)
USB Host functionality
FM Radio (and recorder)
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Just Awesome! Having owned one for a few weeks now, I feel obliged to add my own thoughts on this wonderful bit of hardware. Having pondered for a while over which PMP to buy (the choice being between the A3 or Archos' 605wi-fi) I finally took the plunge and opted for the Cowon. I arrived at my decision based on two things, firstly the reliability of the A3 and secondly the fact that it will play just about any file without wasting my time and effort converting stuff that already plays on my PC.
What I actually got... more info
Top quality player I bought the Creative Zen originally but gave it to my partner after she kept saying how nice it would be to watch movies wherever you wanted. It gave me the chance to investigate the A3. Whilst the Zen is a very good player (with a more panoramic, less reflective and slightly wider screen) it cannot compete with the Cowon A3 screen, which boasts 16 million colours and a much higher resolution. On the Zen, you tend to get dithering, particularly on blacks. The Cowon also copes with so many formats that I... more info
Outstanding quality PMP I got one of those as a Christmas gift and boy was I glad I got it!
Excellent in every way. Any format you can think of this machine can play, but the best part is that you do not need any software to transfer files. Using windows explorer you just drag and drop existing music or video files from your PC/Mac. Sound quality is excellent. The only negative I have noticed is that on divx movies the volume on some is low but I put it down to divx conversion settings, so audio normalizing when converting... more info
Expensive, but exceptional Rocking in at almost double the price of the most expensive iPod, this most recent portable media player from Cowon would seem to have an almost impossible task if it is to win hearts, minds and customers away from Apple's all-conquering mp3 player. Its strength, however, comes from the fact that it deliberately avoids taking Apple on at a game they've got pretty much stitched up, and offers features and functionality that make the iPod look like nothing more than a beautifully presented toy for... more info
