Cowon O2 To Be Released in Korea on October 13th

Dominic · 10-09-2008, 04:02

Early this morning while prowling the vast tubing and network of sewer piping that is the Internet I stumbled upon an interesting little bit of information, which lead me to compose the title above. It would seem that Cowon are preparing to release their latest PMP, the O2, on October 13th. What lead me to believe this you ask? well Cowon themselves announced it on their Korean website. Just to remind us of what's to be expected from the O2 the specs are below

Features:

4.3" Touchscreen
SDHC Card Slot
8-32gb Flash Memory
Built-in Speaker
TV Out
Mammoth Codec Support (below)
10 band Custom Eq
Battery: 18hrs Audio / 8hrs Video
Dimensions: 119 x 73 x 18mm

Format Support:
Video: Divx 3.11/4/5/6, Xvid, Mpeg-4 SP/ASP, WMV 7/8/9, H.264, Mpeg 1, MJepg.
Audio:Mpeg Layer 1/2/3, WMA, AC3, AAC, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, OGG FLAC, Apple Lossless, True Audio, Monkey Audio, MusePack, WavPack, G.726, PCM.

Prices will vary depending on additional options/storage capacity but range between 249,000 and 399,000 Korean Won (€124/$170 - €200/$270) of course prices on domestic markets will not reflect the Korean market.

Cowon Korea

DaremoS · 10-09-2008, 07:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dominic

Early this morning while prowling the vast tubing and network of sewer piping that is the Internet I stumbled upon an interesting little bit of information, ...
...
Prices will vary depending on additional options/storage capacity but range between 249,000 and 399,000 Korean Won (€124/$170 - €200/$270) of course prices on domestic markets will not reflect the Korean market.

This is a great new... I mean the price... is less expensive than expected.

Based on other post here I was scared that the price were as A3, but what you mention is fully affordable.

Unfortunately until now this O2 won't have FM radio... I just wish it's an error of official publications... anyway based on your news about the price this could be the player to be used together with D2.

I've read in other publications that screen of O2 is also AMOLED... this could transform O2 in a very desirable player... despite it doesn't have FM

Dominic · 10-09-2008, 07:53

You should note this part: "of course prices on domestic markets will not reflect the Korean market."

Expect EU prices to be substantially higher and American prices be a little bit higher...

Also, no AMOLED screen, it'll be using a 16.7m colour LCD

DaremoS · 10-09-2008, 08:26

There is a relation between A3 prices (initially 319,000 and 419,000 Korean Won) and O2 (range between 249,000 and 399,000 Korean Won)... I hope that relation will be reflected in local prices.

Concerning FM radio... O2 have DMB, which is a FM radio if I am not wrong, then O2 will have FM and early German Cowon didn't have this parameters when they publish about O2... but it surely will have FM radio for other countries.

Insta · 10-09-2008, 08:36

In any case, within 4 days (if everything goes according to schedule) pretty much all our questions about the o2 should be answered as video reviews and such begin to crop up

Dominic · 10-09-2008, 08:36

Just a minor correction, DMB isn't FM radio, it's wireless digital tv. We've also seen some quoted O2 prices from various EU webshops that range between €290-€365 (which to me seems too small of a gap between lowest and highest) but at the end of the day we'll just have to sit tight nd wait for the accurate info to spill out. I'm going to keep my hopes for pricing low though, but fingers crossed

blackriders · 10-09-2008, 15:38

so it will be priced to be competitive against the touch.

i'll still wait for some reiews, don't want to buy it and it not play certain formats.

Zimetric · 10-09-2008, 18:11

So can anyone take a good guess about when it will be released on US or international markets?

And that price sounds too good!

Insta · 10-09-2008, 18:18

I'm willing to bet sometime around or before early December (for both players), so they can nab some cash from the x-mas season shopping.

GuilT1 · 10-09-2008, 23:26

There is an overview of the O2 on cowonamerica, no tech specs, but it looks like it will be here in the states real soon.

Kingdomfalls · 10-10-2008, 10:48

So, for the O2, is the price for the 16/32 or the 8/16 ( Or, maybe, the 4/8) GB versions? Because I would definitely buy the 32 for that price...

Dominic · 10-10-2008, 11:02

the lowest price is for the most basic 8gb version, the highest price is for the 32gb version with DMB.

BUT

Like i've said, don't take these prices to be the price in your domestic market as it could cost more....these prices are for the Korean market.

davidw89 · 10-11-2008, 09:05

Can it play uncompressed .avi and .mkv that you download from torrent site?

DaremoS · 10-11-2008, 11:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidw89

Can it play uncompressed .avi and .mkv that you download from torrent site?

According with what was announced it can play AVI uncompressed up to 1280x720 HD.
Concerning Matroska (.MKV) I've read that it will play but in official announcements it doesn't appear.

Dominic · 10-11-2008, 13:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidw89

Can it play uncompressed .avi and .mkv that you download from torrent site?

That sentence contradicts itself

and until the O2 is released no one can answer that question. Based on specs it will play any xvid (.avi files from torrent sites are usually in this format) however i'm not sure about mkv.

10-09-2008, 07:53	#3
Dominic ~~Title~~ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 3,720	You should note this part: "of course prices on domestic markets will not reflect the Korean market." Expect EU prices to be substantially higher and American prices be a little bit higher... Also, no AMOLED screen, it'll be using a 16.7m colour LCD __________________ Gone! Just like that! Last edited by Dominic; 10-09-2008 at 07:57.

10-09-2008, 08:26	#4
DaremoS Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Santiago, CHILE Posts: 884	There is a relation between A3 prices (initially 319,000 and 419,000 Korean Won) and O2 (range between 249,000 and 399,000 Korean Won)... I hope that relation will be reflected in local prices. Concerning FM radio... O2 have DMB, which is a FM radio if I am not wrong, then O2 will have FM and early German Cowon didn't have this parameters when they publish about O2... but it surely will have FM radio for other countries. __________________ I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it. ---- Voltaire, the guy who sells newspapers

10-09-2008, 08:36	#5
Insta Techie Join Date: May 2008 Location: United States Posts: 689	In any case, within 4 days (if everything goes according to schedule) pretty much all our questions about the o2 should be answered as video reviews and such begin to crop up __________________ Cowon D2 4GB 16 GB SDHC Flash UI-- Vintage Theme- Doodlez Sum cheap Koss buds ;x

10-09-2008, 08:36	#6
Dominic ~~Title~~ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 3,720	Just a minor correction, DMB isn't FM radio, it's wireless digital tv. We've also seen some quoted O2 prices from various EU webshops that range between €290-€365 (which to me seems too small of a gap between lowest and highest) but at the end of the day we'll just have to sit tight nd wait for the accurate info to spill out. I'm going to keep my hopes for pricing low though, but fingers crossed __________________ Gone! Just like that!

10-09-2008, 18:18	#9
Insta Techie Join Date: May 2008 Location: United States Posts: 689	I'm willing to bet sometime around or before early December (for both players), so they can nab some cash from the x-mas season shopping. __________________ Cowon D2 4GB 16 GB SDHC Flash UI-- Vintage Theme- Doodlez Sum cheap Koss buds ;x

10-09-2008, 15:38	#7
blackriders Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 267	so it will be priced to be competitive against the touch. i'll still wait for some reiews, don't want to buy it and it not play certain formats.

10-09-2008, 18:11	#8
Zimetric New Zealand O2 User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: New Plymouth, New Zealand. Posts: 14	So can anyone take a good guess about when it will be released on US or international markets? And that price sounds too good!

10-09-2008, 23:26	#10
GuilT1 Junior Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 20	There is an overview of the O2 on cowonamerica, no tech specs, but it looks like it will be here in the states real soon.

10-10-2008, 10:48	#11
Kingdomfalls Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: The Far End of Canada Posts: 17	So, for the O2, is the price for the 16/32 or the 8/16 ( Or, maybe, the 4/8) GB versions? Because I would definitely buy the 32 for that price...

10-10-2008, 11:02	#12
Dominic ~~Title~~ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 3,720	the lowest price is for the most basic 8gb version, the highest price is for the 32gb version with DMB. BUT Like i've said, don't take these prices to be the price in your domestic market as it could cost more....these prices are for the Korean market. __________________ Gone! Just like that!

10-11-2008, 09:05	#13
davidw89 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 229	Can it play uncompressed .avi and .mkv that you download from torrent site?

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