Cowon's V5W PMP: a V5 with 100 percent more WiFi

What do you get when you marry a V5 with WiFi? Why, a V5W, of course! Cowon's sexy V5 portable media player -- a device we (mostly) loved on back in March -- has just gained the primary feature that we argued should've been included from the start. It looks as if all of the other specifications have remained the same, meaning that you're still looking at a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, Windows CE 6.0 underneath, 16/32/64GB of internal storage, USB 2.0 connectivity, HDMI / composite video output, a solid list of supported file formats and the best audio quality this side of the Mississippi Indian Ocean. Pricing remains a mystery for now, but we suspect it'll list for around the same as the original (which still needs a price drop, frankly).

[juanvaldez Posted Jul 9th 2010 8:29AM]

@engadget, when you take a device w/o wifi and give it 100% more wifi it still is without wifi.

[professorplum Posted Jul 9th 2010 8:30AM]

It had half a wifi previously.

[TechBlogger Posted Jul 9th 2010 8:31AM]

@juanvaldez Juanvaldez for the win.

[juanvaldez Posted Jul 9th 2010 8:35AM]

@professorplum wi-fi 없어요. Also, please notice the write-up.

http://product.cowon.com/product/COWONV5/product_page_1.php
http://product.cowon.com/product/COWONV5/product_page_5.php

[juanvaldez Posted Jul 9th 2010 8:45AM]

@juanvaldez @engadget Pricing:

16GB 399,000 won
32GB 459,000 won
64GB 599,000 won

top two sources on Naver search confirm:


http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http://stellist.tistory.com/1199&sl=ko&tl=en&swap=1
http://blog.naver.com/maverrick?Redirect=Log&logNo=120110790040

[iRaNDrOiD Posted Jul 9th 2010 8:54AM]

@professorplum
Was it a 1st generation ipod touch/iphone?

[juanvaldez Posted Jul 9th 2010 8:55AM]

@juanvaldez Regarding pricing:

These are the same prices as the ipod touch 3rd Gen goes for, additionally, it has features that are important to SK consumers that the iPod doesn't have like DMB & better offline dictionary support. You can bring up app store, and I think that does make it more valuable than the V5W, however, everyday consumers are blocked from having games on their device without switching their country (easy enough, but I always hear how Android is too complicated for anyone but nerds and this is similar enough, IMHO).

My point is, pricing is market driven, you're looking at these from western, lower sales tax and greater international competition mindset...even if there are more domesticly produced PMPs from iRiver, Cowon and others, the market isn't quite as "open", and therefore, competitive here.

[juanvaldez Posted Jul 9th 2010 9:14AM]

@juanvaldez my bad in thinking that Engadget was looking at these from an import perspective (they often do on Korean PMPs that don't make it stateside)...I didn't realize these were being sold in the states.

[TechBlogger Posted Jul 9th 2010 8:30AM]

Pricing is a mystery you say? I just read the story and I'm still mystified.

[jellotime91 Posted Jul 9th 2010 8:31AM]

wait, they shipped this device without WiFi???

Who the hell do they think they are, Microsoft!?

[DaHarder Posted Jul 9th 2010 12:36PM]

@jellotime91

Huh? MS' ZUNE series has featured WiFi radios since day one (2006)... long before Apple (or anyone else).

[jellotime91 Posted Jul 9th 2010 12:38PM]

@DaHarder
Yes, but look at the form factor of this device. It screams browsing and internet capabilities, yet it originally shipped with no wifi.. I find that unbelievable.

Microsoft doesn't run a music store, so they don't care if you share your music with others. Apple does, so there is no point in putting wifi into non-iPod touch or iPhone models.

[jellotime91 Posted Jul 9th 2010 12:39PM]

@DaHarder
And sorry, I was referring to how the Xbox 360 lacked WiFi until days ago... A pretty glaring omission for a mostly online-based gaming console..

[DaHarder Posted Jul 9th 2010 12:48PM]

@jellotime91

Microsoft 'doesn't run a music store'... Really?

Ever heard of the ZUNE Marketplace, with (arguably) the world's finest music subscription service, The ZUNE PASS ?

Hint: Please do a bit of research on the ZUNE before making such 'claims'.

[jellotime91 Posted Jul 9th 2010 12:49PM]

@DaHarder
Sorry, Microsoft doesn't run a SUCCESSFUL music store... MY bad.

[DaHarder Posted Jul 9th 2010 1:52PM]

@jellotime91

Please... Just Give Up Already

[skyblaze Posted Jul 9th 2010 8:51AM]

I have a 32gb black one... I love it but I wish the screen were a bit better... I had been watching the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and since those are somewhat dark movies there were times where the view was really impaired... some AMOLED (like that newer J3 model) would have been much appreciated

As far as Wifi goes I don't really miss it at all... in this day and age if you're tech savvy enough to drop for one of these instead of an iPod (it's the codec support that matters, folks) more likely than not you already have one or two other devices (and i'm betting it's your phone) that you do most of your portable browsing on anyways... my Nexus does my internets just fine

[Flaystus Posted Jul 9th 2010 10:15AM]

@skyblaze

If it can do it here is why I want wifi on a PMP. Want to map my server drive which contains VAST amounts of video.

[Haro Posted Jul 9th 2010 8:55AM]

I'd kill for one of these running Android. Are there any PMPs that run Android out there?

[juanvaldez Posted Jul 9th 2010 9:01AM]

@Haro In June, Engadget reported on the Samsung Yepp yp-mb2 running Android, it's coming out in August. I think it's the 2nd device from the left, that's the Korean Galaxy S to it's left.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/04/yepp-samsungs-working-on-another-pmp-but-this-ones-a-four/

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http://itnews.inews24.com/php/news_view.php%3Fg_serial%3D500797%26g_menu%3D020800&sl=ko&tl=en

[dark star Posted Jul 9th 2010 9:04AM]

@Haro
there are tons! check out this thread for deals under $150.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2081822

however, i dont know any android pmp from brand names like sony, hp, and dell. not sure what they are waiting for!

[delicatessen lama Posted Jul 9th 2010 11:12PM]

@Haro :: I was worried some nasty people might flame you. Thank god you're safe. Search for 'Android PMP' at the top of the page. Swap PMP for 'tablet' because some PMP's are small tablets (like the iPad but smaller). Some companies refer to tablets as slates. I think every android pmp that is out is touchscreen, too bad if you want buttons, it wouldn't really work anyway. Good luck with your search.

Hopefully someone has a video of this Cowon PMP being used, coz I think I want one.

[Ed T Posted Jul 9th 2010 9:50AM]

Because everyone loves to buy stuff that will be totally obsolete in six months.

[malibumac Posted Jul 9th 2010 10:20AM]

But does it have full 802.11 a/b/g/n? Because if it only has b/g then its only 50%

[DaHarder Posted Jul 9th 2010 12:38PM]

@malibumac

Actually... If only b/g are featured out of a possible b/g/n combination, the percentage would be 66.67 %.

[DaHarder Posted Jul 9th 2010 12:33PM]

I truly respect Cowon PMPs for their sound quality, but almost every other aspect of their wares (GUI, features, etc) is simply sub-par/outdated.

[butcherchop Posted Jul 10th 2010 3:04PM]

They lost me at Windows CE 6.5.

[dzygadlo Posted Jul 11th 2010 7:25PM]

Do we have a proposed release date?