Diverse media support, poor DVD

To start with, a small clarification, this unit is not a DVD recorder. It comes with Nero Recode which allows you to convert non-copyright DVDs to Nero digital files to store on your PC. The important thing to note here is non-copyright; don't expect to RIP your own purchased DVD's if they have copyright protection.

The good points:

It supports a decent number of video formats, including Xvid, Divx, WMV and Digital Nero. I have had no problems playing most of my videos. I also had no issues playing MP3's or displaying JPEG's.

It's easy to set up and personally I have had no issues with networking speed but I'm using the Ethernet port at 100MB rather than wireless.

It just plugs and plays using its own rather basic sharing software (see bad points), but I have successfully accessed content on my PC using several other media sharing services.

You can update the firmware online, let's hope that some improvements come soon.

The Bad points:

The interface is a basic text list as mentioned in another review; it really needs some work from Linksys.

The media sharing software that is shipped with the unit only sorts your content by folders, and you need to be logged onto the PC with it running to access the files. I'm now using TwonkeyMedia to access my files, it's far superior, and I don't need to log on to the PC as it runs as a service.

Fast forwarding some videos past 8x speed can lock the unit and it needs to be reset to recover. Those that do fast forward at the maximum of 32x need a few seconds whilst the video is buffered.

When playing DVD's, the player doesn't remember where the disc has gotten up to when you stop it, requiring a bit of chapter jumping to get back it where you were.

Overall:

It's potentially a very good player, but Linksys need to write some new firmware for it to really improve the interface. It's also much better when used with other Media Sharing software. It has an HDMI interface and digital audio connectors for 5.1 support, but I have yet to try these.

This is a unit for the more technically competent, who aren't too fused about the interface and want a unit with more media support and thats cheaper than the AppleTV box.

Excellent PMP

I bought the Cowon A3 a few days ago and I can safely say it does everything it says on the box.

Pros.
Plays everything - I tried several Divx Movies, some downloaded TV shows, a few MPEGS, a VOB file from a DVD and it played them flawlessly.
Easy to USE - Easy to use Menu system
Plenty of space - I bought the 80GB version
Beautiful screen - Sharp clear screen and picture. Movies really good, even when you watch a bad quality one it looks good on the A3
Multiple charge options - You can charge by mains or via USB (note: USB charge takes longer but very useful)

Cons.
Joystick not great - You use a navigation stick for most things and it feels a little fragile, would have been a nice touch if they had touch screen.
Usual PMP speakers - Speakers aren't great but no better or worse then other Portable Media Players on the market.

Conclusion.
The Cons are unimportant as you can't play games so joystick shouldn't be over used or pressed too hard and speakers are like other PMP's, use headphones or buy external speakers. Apart from that it does everything and much more.

Going to purchase DVB adaptor and try some digital TV and report back, also I will test the battery to see if it does last the 7 hours it is meant to.

My advice, if you love movies on the go, this is a really good buy.

Works for me...

...And would have been perfect were it not for the tedious menu & track selection system (forced I assume due to the limited display space).

Using playlists or listening to albums in their entirety would alleviate this somewhat.

So, having proven the principle (setup was simple for me at least), I'll be looking for a similar device when I replace this but with a more comprehensive user interface (and one I don't have to squint at to see!).

Nice piece of kit

Bought this player with sreen protector, leather case and DVR station together from Amazon, and the parcel arrived next day, very impressive speed. The whole kit looks very nice to me. The 16GB Transcend SDHC card is still on the way though I orderred on the same day as the player, but not surprised about the delay because it's not from Amazon. That's why I am alway sticking to Amazon rather than other sellers.

The only annoying thing to me is there is no plugin pre-installed and I can't even browse the internet with a device named as wifi. I have to pay nearly 50 quids to get all up and running which is a bit nasty. but fortunately, I found some sources to get cheaper plugins even include RMVB support.

I like the 4GB version as it's lighter, less noisy, more vibration proof than the HDD one, you can buy 16GB SD at only 20 quid today, you might be able to buy 32GB at the same price tomorrow.

Overall speaking, I am very satisfied with the player so far.

Temperamental beast

Dont buy unless you have a lot of patience and money to waste!! Often hangs on bootup and requires a number of resets for it to boot (its done this from day 1, but steadily getting worse).

Now its stopped detecting any SD card (tried 4) and reports a card error every time. Very disappointing because what it claims to do would be great if it worked properly!!

Sending it back under warranty and see if their customer service is any better!!

great product...

Really great product 4 sale here seen a few portable dvd players, and this seems even better than normal.
Havent yet found a disk it wont play and to top it all ya got 300 games on a disk 2 which is great the games are like old nintendo nes games etc brings back alot of memories thanx again great product.
The only draw back as a taxi driver with 1 of these is actually pausing it and ernin money.....cheers guys

CDJ1000"BEST OF THE BEST" at the moment!

I first encountered these babies whilst DJing at M.O.S, didn't have much time to get au fait that night, even so worked well with rock solid build and fantastically stable, just what a DJ looks for. Sound quality not bad at all, I'm sure that will improve with pioneer's next instalment of the range. I have played with since that night and yes, they are"THE BEST OF THE BEST" today at least, that's why they are industry standard.

What a disappointment...

The first 5 minutes after this case arrived were spent literally"manhandling" it into a shape that my Archos 604 would actually fit into. The corners were completely bent out of shape, so much that I couldn't actually fit the device inside.

It looks and feels extremely cheap; even for £[...], it's VERY cheap. It's made of a really stiff, plastic looking material (probably PVC) which means it's not very pliable.

The other annoying thing is that the"convenient stand" isn't really that convenient. When the flap that covers the device's screen is flipped over to allow the case to stand on it's own, the device ends up being completely vertical, which isn't a"convenient" viewing angle. Also, it's nothing like the images, which show the stand being used and the case having the device at more like a 45 degree angle.

One more thing...the description (and it even says this on the packaging) describes"Protection with access to audio and video connections"...this just isn't true. Yeah, the headphone socket is accessible when the device is in the case (but if it weren't, then what would be the point, right?) but there aren't any holes on the bottom of the case, so all the"video"/docking connections are inaccessible.

All in all, I'm sure this will adequately protect my Archos 604 (more so than the cotton pouch that is included) but it looks so poorly and cheaply made that I'm wondering how long it will be before I'll have to replace it...and when that time comes, I definitely won't be buying another of these cases!

Zen Vision:M

i was also unsure whether to go for a Zen or an Ipod, and im glad i chose the Zen!

with the Zen u can use Windows Media Player 10 to transfer song, videos and pictures all at once!

Although the Zen doesn't come with mains charger, it does come with a USB charger, plus If u also own a PSP, the PSP's charger will charge the Zen!

the only problem i have with the Zen, is filling it!

Fantastic!

Had this a year now - absolutely fantastic. Great sound quality, excellent wireless connection - great controls and a fantastic interface. Hard to believe how good this actually is.

Mine came without the firmware upgrade, so had to knock off the WPA on the router, do an upgrade then turn it back on. Not exactly rocket science, but can see why this would be a problem for those unfamiliar.

Seriously, this is a great piece of kit and worth every penny.