Cowon O2 32 GB Video MP3 Player (White)

Other products by Cowon

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 2.8 x 6.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.
• ASIN: B001IWN9LQ
• Item model number: O2-32WH
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #28,879 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 17, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Cowon continues to master the personal media player with the O2. The player's sleek minimalism marries cutting-edge technology with simple, sophisticated details. The O2 is much more than an eye-catching MP3 player--it boasts support for more audio and video codecs than you can count on both hands, a brilliant 4.3-inch touchscreen, image and document viewing, voice recording, and plenty more. The O2 is a compact and versatile media player that'll keep you entertained no matter where, no matter when.

Sleek minimalism marrying cutting-edge technology with simple, sophisticated details. Click to enlarge.

Navigate with ease using the 4.3-inch touchscreen LCD. Click to enlarge.

Sample UI screens. Click to enlarge.

Also available in black and pink versions. Click to enlarge.

View a control diagram. Click to enlarge.

A quick glance at the O2 will make you want to pick it up--it's nearly all screen, with its 4.3-inch, 16.7-million color touchscreen TFT LCD. This makes for quality viewing and easy navigation. Surrounding the screen are various input/output options, the volume control, power switch, and speaker on the back.

You'll also notice a slot for SD cards, which lets you expand your 32 GB capacity on the fly. Of course what really counts is what you can pack into all that storage...

Enjoy Video in Nearly Any Popular Format or Codec
Anyone with an extensive collection of digitized audio and video knows that things are far from cut and dried. Depending on sources and preference, you might have a slew of different formats on your hard drive. With a lot of media players, you might spend hours just converting everything to the proper format for playback on your device--more waiting, less watching. Not so with the O2, which boasts native support for AVI, WMV, ASF, MP4, MATROSKA(MKV), OGM, MPG/MPEG, DAT, and MTV video formats.

And then, of course, don't forget the compression codecs. Everyone's got their favorite way to squish video down to a size that makes sense for portable players. The O2 can handle DivX 3.11/4/5/6, XviD, MPEG-4 SP/ASP, WMV 9/8/7, H.264, M-JPEG, and MPEG 1 video codecs, along with the following audio codecs for the accompanying soundtrack: MPEG1 Layer 1/2/3, WMA, AC3, OGG Vorbis, FLAC, BSAC, True Audio, WavPack, G.726, and PCM. Quite a list, but it's one that any media geek would be happy to hold in his or her hands.

Regardless of file format and codec, you'll enjoy up to 8 hours of continuous video on a single charge. Whether you're on a transatlantic flight, a subway commute, or just hanging out at some coffee shop, you have plenty of video time at your disposal.

Support for Your Digital Music Library
Just as with video, everyone has a unique approach to digitizing their music libraries. Some are happy with low-bitrate MP3s, and others insist on lossless compression formats like FLAC for a higher-quality audio experience. No matter your preference, chances are you'll be covered here as well--the O2 gives you up to 8 hours of continuous audio on one charge, and will play back MP3/2/1, WMA, ASF, AC3, FLAC, OGG, M4A, MATROSKA(MKA), TTA, APE, MPC, WV, and WAV audio files, with full support for the following audio codecs: MPEG1 Layer 1/2/3, WMA, AC3, OGG Vorbis, FLAC, BSAC, True Audio, WavPack, G.726, PCM.

Whatever you use to tag your files with artist info will show up on screen as well, with support for various meta tags, from all versions of ID3 to Vorbis comment or APE tag. LDB lyrics files also are supported for the lyrics-obsessed.

Getting the sound you like is no problem either. In addition to a 10-band graphic equalizer, the O2 features four "JetEffect" audio technologies to help you improve your sound:

• BBE is a sound effect that refines the sound quality.
• Mach3Bass provides deeper, tighter, and more musically accurate bass frequency.
• MP Enhance restores and enhances the harmonics lost through compression.
• 3D Surround provides the three-dimensional surround sound effect.

View Your Photos, Documents, and More
The O2 also happens to be a powerful photo-viewing device, and as with audio and video, it doesn't limit you to just a few formats. Share your favorite JPG, GIF, PNG, TIF, BMP, and even RAW images on the go, and personalize your device by setting your wallpaper to your favorite JPG, PNG, BMP, or TIF image.

The O2's text viewer lets you view pretty much any text file, and you can add support for all kinds of standard docs, whether it's PDF files or various Microsoft Office formats (DOC, PPT, XLS). And since the product supports true-type fonts, you can adjust the font size, character spacing, color, and properties to your preference.

Microphone In, AV Out
Use the built-in microphone to take voice memos, record lectures or meetings, sing melodies, or whatever tickles your voice-recording fancy.

The composite output (cable sold separately) lets you enjoy your O2 content on most TVs, whether NTSC or PAL video.

What's in the Box
Cowon O2 32 GB Video MP3 Player (White), Earphones, AC adapter, USB 2.0 Cable, Manual, Stylus/Mini Holder, CD, Quickguide

Product Description

4.3-Inch Wide LCD, 16 million color, res. 480x272, ultra portable; Play all your digital entertainment: movies, TV shows, photos and music; Touch sensitive interface; Voice recorder with internal microphone, built-in stereo speakers, and TV-out supporting composite connections; Maximum 8 hours of video playback and maximum 18 hours of audio playback.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The portable video player I've been waiting for, November 9, 2008

By	Curtis Yee "crycyr73" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I got this on 11-5-8.

This is the first time I've ever reviewed anything online and this is my first portable video player. I'd always thought about getting one, but the ones with the features I wanted were way too expensive. If they were going to cost 600-700 to get everything I wanted, I might as well get a mini laptop that had good codec support, full internet browsing, etc. I actually did end up doing that, buying a U810. I got it for 700 and it was very good for "portable" video and connecting to wifi hot spots. Eventually, it wasn't so practical and portable for video purposes. It's slow to load because it's a fully functional pc and most of the time I just wanted to get straight to watching video. Also, weighing over a pound, it gets to the wrist after 20-30 minutes. So, after reading as many previews and reviews I could find, I had some second thoughts, but eventually took the plunge. The main thing that drew me was the fact that you didn't need to convert your video files.

I'll dive right into the cons.

If you love mkv files, do NOT buy this player.
I tested one and it rendered terribly. It plays as advertised, but it just reminded me of VLC mkv rendering. Awful.
Some others just won't play. "Can't play file" is what it said. Perhaps it may have been the encodings, but I still wouldn't recommend it.

Mp4 videos are pretty bad as well. Again, the files play, but lag and frame drops will disappoint you. Also, one didn't even play the video, just the audio.

720p or 1280x720 videos (AVI) also play, but the video lag hurts.

I didn't even touch the earphones they provided. Just an aside, after using Shure e500s and my current ER*4Ps, I have never gone back to regular earphones. I highly recommend doing some research and investing in some quality earphones.

Not much of a con for me, but the video resolution may not be up to par for some of you. It's 480x272. Videos look very nice. Crispness and clarity are subjective anyhow. If you're accustomed to your HD 1080p, it might look a lot worse in comparison. Just something to think about.

Some people may not like the touchscreen as the main user interface.


Now, if I haven't scared you off yet, here are the pros.

AVIs around 480p or less, wide or regular, play just fine.
This is the bulk of the video files I have.

Good music support. Lossless fans can play their flac files without worry.
Sound is very good. I'm no audiophile, but I play one in RL. At least, I have better earphones than most people. Music wasn't the main reason to get this thing for me, but I don't have to carry my zen stone around anymore.

Perhaps my favorite thing about the O2 is the recent files folder.
It keeps track of the files you've recently played and includes the percentage progress of the file. Choosing a file from the list jumps back to where you left off in the file. Beautiful.

The mini stand and "stylus" combo is nifty. It's rectangular and folds out with ridges for the O2 to sit on. One of the corners is pointed (with an arrow) and used as the "stylus." Not much of a stand since it's so small, but it's nice if you don't like touching the screen with your finger.


List of the other little extras and features:

Document Viewer - TXT files. Other documents need to be converted. Text is clear and readable. I guess it's useful for reviewing some notes and stuff.

Photo Viewer - It's okay. High resolution pictures look quite blurred even with 200% zoom. If you have a need to carry around photos to show people, I guess it's nice.

User Programs - There's a calculator with scientific mode and a notepad to scribble short notes. Multiple notes can be saved. There's supposed to be an SDK, but I cannot find it.

AV OUT - Untested. You need to buy a separately sold cable.

SD Card Slot - Untested. Expand your library of media files.

Built-in Speaker - It's on the back. I guess the reason is to make it as compact as possible with the largest screen. It sounds okay with your hand cupped in the back so it echos back toward you, but the main reason to get this is to listen through headphones/earphones anyway.

Voice Recording - Works. There's a built-in mic. Don't see myself using this much.

Timer - Untested. It apparently sets a timer for a file to play or a recording to start. Don't see myself using this much either.


Noteworthy:

I upgraded the firmware immediately after opening and charging it. The current version as of this review is v1.11 and can be downloaded from their website. It's fairly straightforward. JFGI.

Battery life - A good rule of thumb is probably divide the maximum hours it states by 2 to get average usage time. It states 8 hours of video / 18 hours audio on their website. I'd say about 4 hours realistic average video usage. I'd estimate I got about 4 hours of video with lcd brightness set at 3 (MAX is 8). I used the music player in between as well so I can't give an accurate time. If you're likely to watch videos all day, it's probably a good idea to carry around the charger. I believe with my usage I'd need to charge it every other day. Keeping it charged everyday might not be a bad idea. You don't want it to die in the middle of a long train ride. This happened the other day. Once the low battery warning comes up, it shuts off in about a minute. Can't even turn it back on for music.

It actually remembers where I left off even after the battery died. When I turned it on after 4.5 hour charge, as stated, it continued where my video left off.

When going from a video file to music file, it seems to auto-adjust the volume level. It's interesting.

Using the user programs stops the music or video file that was playing.

User interface is pretty good. Can be changed to simplified mode. Only the volume buttons and the power/hold switch are not touchscreen. UI isn't perfect. For example, it sometimes lags a bit when responding to a tap. Not terrible, but it might turn some people off.

USB drive - Drag and drop. Put files in their respective folders.

Most of the files I have are AVI and 480p or less. These require no conversion/transcoding and play fine. For other files, I do not really care for and have not really tested since I do not have many, if any, of the other types, but I'm certain the files listed on their website play. How well they play, well...I've mentioned the main types people use and the resolutions. I'm sure you can imagine how they'll play. If worse comes to worst you just need to convert the file. There are many free programs out there. MediaCoder, for example, is a good one. Also, I have read some reviews with a complaint that it doesn't play DRM files. Why one would subject themselves to that, I do not know. Lastly, the 720p problem is understandable. Even my regular laptop has some lag issues with some 720p files.


All in all, the O2 is the type of portable video player I've been waiting for. I can watch more videos quickly and easily. Of course, it's not perfect. It's far from it. But even with its imperfections, I do not regret buying it. It has replaced my zen stone and u810. It boots up in about 10 seconds, so I don't have to wait long to watch a video. It's light, small, and portable, fitting nicely in most pockets. It requires little to no file conversion. It's just a great, decently priced AVI player.

Hopefully, this helps some of you decide whether or not the O2 is for you.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Does a fantastic job at what it's supposed to do, but not much else, November 15, 2008

By	NergiZed (Gettysburg, PA) - See all my reviews

Got the O2 on 11/14/08

My previous MP4 was the Cowon D2 and that was a very well-rounded MP4. However, time has passed and now I wanted something better. O2 seemed to fill in nicely, it surpasses all the functionality of the D2 by a mile (and this is expected). Overall, I would suggest this to anyone who wants a nice do-it-all hassle-free and elegant video player, who could care less about other gimmicks and features. Now, onto the specifics.

It does music fairly well; I've tested all the formats that I had and ,not surprisingly, it could take them all, as the D2 before it could as well. (I had MP3, Flak, Wav, ogg, and bunch of others). The equalizer and other music enhancers are still there and still do a great job at making your music sound better.

One of the main reasons I got the O2 was for it's vast format and resolution compatibilities, and for the most part, they work. Now most of the files I play on the O2 aren't HD (and honestly, why would you play HD files on a Portable video player). The various files that I used to have to convert for my D2 now play fine on my O2.

Speaking of video, the screen is brilliant; the lighting is smooth, and there's very little contrast loss when tilted. The screen brightness is also equally impressive; Max brightness is almost painful to look at.

As you know, the O2 has a touchscreen interface, which means your player can have a bigger screen, but also means that you'll have to touch it (hopefully using the stylus). I was very fond of the touch screen interface of the D2; it had a gesture-based navigation, and it was very easy to use; Up or down to scroll, left or right to go into out out of folders, also acts as 'play'. While playing a file, tapping your screen in the middle was pause/play and tapping on the sides was next an back. This elegant navigation has been replaced with tapping the buttons in a menu. Whereas previously tapping or swiping anywhere on the screen was an action of some sort, the Os's functions are all confined to the bottom portion of the screen, which doesn't fully utilize the touch screen.

One of the things I like about it's interface is the 'recent files' feature; it remembers a bunch of the recent files you've looked at and where you've stopped. So it's easy to resume movies, even if you're watching multiple movies.

There's no real trouble with the touch screen itself; if you use the stylus, it'll be fine. The stylus is oddly designed, but also very functional. It doubles as a stand that can support what seems to be either a 30 degree tilt or a 60 degree tilt. I thought that I wouldn't use it, but I've found that I've started to use it quite frequently. Just being able to place it on a table at an optimum viewing angle, freeing your hands to eat, do work or what have you; it's great.

This thing also has a speaker. It's not amazing in terms of speakers, but it's quite impressive for it's size. Fairly useful if your watching something with a friend. As long as your not in a tightly packed room with everything chatting up a storm, the volume that this speaker can emit is just fine.

One Great feature of this player is that there's no software required on the computer. You wanna put something in it; all you have to do is drag-and-drop. You could even use it as a hard drive if you wanted too.

The space available is a nice amount; but the SD slot just makes it seem so much spacious. I use a bunch of micro SDs with a SD adapter which I can swap in and out on the fly and considering you can get a 4G micro SD for under $20, getting more space shouldn't be a problem.

The design is simple but elegant, there's really not that much to talk about there. You can charge the device by either plugging it into your computer or straight into the grid (actually plugging it into the power charges way faster).There's also a mic; it's of decent quality, but you should probably turn to something else if you're really doing audio work.

There are also some other features, like a text reader and a picture viewer; both work, but could be better.

All in all, if your looking for something that can play videos and music very well and can basically play any reasonable format (it can slowly chug through the HD or play bits and pieces of weird formats), plays basically every single type of music file on the face of the planet, easy to use and upload files, has well-designed hard-ware and interface, but doesn't have many other features )it has no online features, and doesn't even has a radio), than look no further than this.

Oh yeah, it's cheap too/ :D

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cool MP3 player without wi-fi, November 3, 2008

By	Jay Karia "Jay" (MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are looking out for music on the move with wi-fi only then this is not the player for you.....however if you are a music buff who wants less complications of installing softwares and prefers your player to support a wide range of formats to play anything from anywhere after downloading then this is the one for you....You cannot compare it with iPod since it does not compare to iPod in looks nor does it have internet connectivity or wifi bundled with it......however it is much omnre powerful when it comes to downloading videos right of say a portal like youtube and playing it out directly without the need of any conversion....again the player is cheaper than the 32 gig iPOD and gives terrific value for money...comes with a installation CD for installing the software on your laptop, has a AV out facility ( you need to seprately buy the cable for $8) and you can watch all your stuff on your TV if you want...has a USB plug in which is quite common and comes with a charger and a adapter (this is really cool since if you are a traveller like me you would need it hands down)...the earbuds are ok kinds, the regular ones..and that's about it....it plays your videos, reads your documents and pdf files, shows your pics, plays your audio files (a large support for format is notable), records voice etc. etc. etc......does not play FM radio though....but with a 32 gig hard drive you already have enough on it...overall a great value for money product