Cowon's 5-inch P5 touchscreen media player brings the haptic happy sauce

Cowon just loosed raw PMP sex into the marketplace with its new P5 media player. We're talking 800 x 480 pixels spread across a 5-inch touchscreen display featuring Cowon's Widget+Haptic UI riding a 700MHz RMI Alchemy AU1250 processor. The P5 packs standard USB and USB-host jacks, T-DMB broadcast TV, FM radio, Bluetooth, TV-out (component, S-Video, and composite), stereo speakers, and up to 80GB of storage in a 138.8 x 88.5 x 20.0-mm slab of "Luxury Hairline Metal" (which sounds like brushed aluminum to us). It comes pre-installed with a Win CE Internet browser (a clumsy WiFi dongle can be added via the USB jack), MS Office document viewer, electronic dictionary, and support for AVI, ASF, WMV, MPG, OGM, DivX, Xvid, MPEG4, WMV9, MP3, WMA, AC3, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC and a few more media formats/codecs with a battery capable of about 9-hours of video or 14-hours of straight audio. No price announced but the P5 should hit Korean hands on the 29th of July in choice of black, red, or platinum.

Gallery: Cowon's 5-inch P5 touchscreen media player brings the haptic happy sauce

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[Via PMP Today and I4U]

[JayC @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:27AM]

they've just got to put the word "luxury" on every single feature.

[Juxtah @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:33AM]

Well considering they have the best audio quality around, extremely well built, good looking and support almost every format known to man. I think they've earned the right to be able to put luxury in front of everything.

[Tinu @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:24AM]

"Luxury Hairline Metal"? Hmmmm. No matter what they name it, Apple will still sue them as it looks like their software "Brushed Metal" look. Hehe j/k.

[Nimrod @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:40AM]

No support for wav. files, you gotta be kidding.

[tekdroid @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:01AM]

Nimrod @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:40AM
No support for wav. files, you gotta be kidding.
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http://product.cowon.com/product/COWONP5/standard/images/cowon_P5/page1_portable.jpg
Does this look like a guy that's worried about missing WAV? Surely not.

WAV support (and better yet, FLAC support) is in the bag.
http://product.cowon.com/product/COWONP5/standard/product_page_3.php

[Rhino @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:05PM]

That's the asia luxury

[OneLove @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:36PM]

gay Korean guy not included

[OneLove @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:37PM]

if i didn't already have a samsung q1 ultra I would buy.

[Craig @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:27AM]

No onboard WiFi? Sorry...the rest of it sounds pure sex, but I needs me the WiFi.

[E71 @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:00AM]

If it can't (easily) play 720p/1080p H264 MKVs (with AC3/DTS audio support) it ain't worth a second look.

[4honor @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:11AM]

Ha ha, my first two thoughts also... No integrated wifi and mkv support? I will wait.

[9bit @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:55AM]

If it's anything like Cowon's other offerings, the American version will have wifi instead of DMB.

[Juxtah @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:31AM]

Looks great, now if only they would come to the UK sooner. Cowon is one of the best producers of mp3 players around, and barely anyone over here stocks them :(

[newmiyamoto @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:32PM]

advancedmp3players.co.uk

They always seem to stock the newest cowon players (p5 isn't listed yet).

[Spanky @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:32AM]

No FLAC support? Pass.

[David @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:33AM]

Rio Karma pl0x

[bob @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:33AM]

it does support FLAC!

[tekdroid @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:47AM]

My thoughts exactly.
Until I hunted down the specs:
MP3, WMA, ASF, OGG, WAV, FLAC, APE, MPC, WV

Cowon does the FLAC and Ogg Vorbis goodness once again. Why you were low-ranked is beyond me.
http://flac.sourceforge.net

[Minilap @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:00AM]

come on Cowon, my cash is yours when you add the support for FLAC and wav.

[Minilap @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:03AM]

OK I see, I'm sold.

[tekdroid @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:05AM]

Minilap @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:00AM
come on Cowon, my cash is yours when you add the support for FLAC and wav.
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It's not missing. It just wasn't mentioned in this Engadget article

[tekdroid @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:08AM]

...i see I'm too late :p
All clear!

Note to Mr Ricker:
plz mention flac and wav next time!

[rudy @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:36AM]

This would be perfect it was able to do h264 and had built in wifi.

But since it can't i'll hold of on buying it.

Maybe cowon or archos will come out with a tegra based pmp eventually.

[jason @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:01AM]

NO wifi :O

Ah this is rubbish, mu archos is much better. No tv recording option either, hmmm.

Only 80gb, can it even do HD?

Load of rubbish!

[tekdroid @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:50AM]

last I checked, Archos doesn't do Ogg Vorbis and FLAC, tho.

[Wwhat @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:12AM]

Since archos devices require a $300? addon for tv recording, and this cowon can have USB devices attached, I guess you could just connect a USB capture card, assuming someone makes the drivers.
Incidentally I'm assuming you are joking anyway because who needs tv recording in a portable device, especially now that you can download anything of interest.

[ybd @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:33AM]

Also last time I checked, Archos makes PMPs that are ugly as hell and unstable as [insert euphemism here].

[Alec @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:21AM]

What good is HD in a five-inch screen?

[Catdogburger @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:38AM]

To use TV output (with component, eventually HDMI) to output in that resolution.

Remember, while your still on the DVD bandwagon (maybe not, I am just assuming with the comment you made) some of us jumped ship to go towards HD movies with HD DVD or Bluray, and would like to bring those movies with us without having to condense the quality.

[rudy @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:42AM]

it's not really about having HD, it's about having support for the codec. more and more stuff is coming out in h264/x264.

And I would like to have a player that can handle it without a problem.

[E71 @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:11PM]

Well, it's about both... what good is x264 MKV support if it's not powerful enough to handle higher resolution (720/1080) video.

Most of my video files these days are (720p/1080p) x264 MKV with either AC3 or DTS soundtracks. Like others, still waiting for something to use to watch them on the go.

[HOOPER @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:28AM]

I looooooooooooves the haptic happy sauce

[Kenta @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:33AM]

I wonder if anyone has tried to listen to Cowon. I do own A3. Yes, the player may not has WiFi or touch-screen which is a fashion now, but the quality alone of the sound, each details, each movement of the music which A3 or any Cowon's products deliver to your ear is astonishing.

If you are iPod guys, I am sorry. But you would forget any iPod if you try Cowon for real without bias.

The sound alone worth for me to buy P5 with extra features it comes with. ... I am on one !!!

[MBS @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:41AM]

I like some of the cowon products, but I have been less than impressed by these winCE creations. I would love to see the next version of the A-line be like the A3 with a touch screen.

[MensanMark @ Jul 25th 2008 4:34AM]

HEY! No fair having Cowon employees singing praises of their own products here! I mean, could that Korenglish have been more obvious?!?!?!?

[Redbeaver @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:37AM]

bloody hell, just like Alec said.. why do you want 700+ pixel video on a 5-inch screen?? give me good quality LCD with great backlight and superb sound, its a deal (given the price isnt outrageous)

no Wifi kinda suck tho if its an add-on u have to buy... but the rest sounds good.

[Jesse Dula @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:47AM]

MSRP: $750.00 USD

Knowing Cowon, this thing is going to be pricey.

[Scott @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:03AM]

What happened to their support for the FLAC format? I actually bought a device from COWON a couple years ago because they're one of the view that supported FLAC. Did they drop support for that file format? Hope not!

[mooman @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:26AM]

For the people who didn't go to Cowon's product page, the P5 can play the following audio formats:

MPEG 1/2/2.5 Layer3, WMA, OGG Vorbis, Wave, FLAC, MusePack, WavPack.

[gylman @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:35AM]

I'd buy this in a heartbeat.

And yes, 700 pixels on a 5" is very useful, visibly superior to 480 or 320.

How much does it weigh? I could not find that info.

[gylman @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:21PM]

Answer to my own question - 380 grams. A bit heavy, but not intolerably so.

This device has leaped to the top of my "hope to get" list.

[superjeff @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:36AM]

pack in a 3g phone and gps and im leaving my iphone

[Kate @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:05AM]

The "luxury hairline metal" makes me wonder if Dokken is the only kind of music file it will support.

[Pingmeister @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:16AM]

I have consistently chosen Archos over Cowon for my last several PMP purchases (604, 604 WiFi) but this form factor is just about the perfect size for me for watching movies while traveling. I am intrigued.

Any word on whether it has a replacable battery? Being able to swap batteries is what makes my 604 my usual companion on long trips.

[farfisa @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:46AM]

If it had built in WiFi, it'd be a PiMP.

[Wicker24 @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:18PM]

It looks alot like the Mio Moov GPS unit.

[Brian! @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:47PM]

Are the wind turbines a comment on what is required to keep the device charged on-the-go?

Now that I think about it, they are probably part of the accessory line.

[George @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:34PM]

Where is the support for apple lossless??? I use Apple TVs and iTunes to manage my music so I need AAL support. I don't know why they wouldn't include it. They have it on the Cowon A3 (which I currently use).

Come on Cowon! Throw us a bone here!

[a12ctic @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:29PM]

Why are use using apple lossless and iTunes? If you aren't a clueless iPod user I don't really seem the point, but maybe you could enlighten me?

[Pingmeister @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:01PM]

I don't use iTunes but it is a VERY convenient way to purchase and catalog music.

I am a bit more fanatical about portability but I still regularly recommend iTunes to folks just for the convenience.

I don't think it means you're clueless if that is what works for you.