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Originally Posted by pata2001 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
That means transcoding, which defeats the purpose of getting a Cowon player in the first place. If you have to transcode your videos (or do some fancy muxing-demuxing), than any PMP out there is fair game. Don't know about you, but I rather watch my videos instead of waiting for them to transcode. And who cares about iTunes? AAC is the standard audio codec paired with H.264 in most video downloads. The S9 is a nice and sleek device, but if the desire is to watch video, the O2/A3 are better.
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It's usually better to transcode your videos to fit the native resolution of the screen. Otherwise, the player will scale your videos and thus eat a bit more of your battery life. At some point you'll have to transcode some of your videos to play on the S9 especially if you have it in unsupported formats/codecs (like RM/RMVB). You also save room for more video/music files.
It's your opinion if you believe transcoding defeats the purpose of getting a Cowon. No player supports every format and codec, unless you plan on getting a MID tablet to serve as your PMP. I have no problems with transcoding. I learn more about formats, codecs, the process, etc.
The O2 and the A3 are also fairly massive PMPs. They're not the in-your-pocket friendly types (unless you have big cargo pockets). Size is a major factor for some, so if you can stand the O2/A3's size, go for it. Otherwise, if you find the S9 your taste, then fine.
I eventually picked the S9 over the O2 even though both were in the similar price range. Ultimately, the newer interface, capacitive touchscreen, OLED display tech, new firmware updates, and generally more community add-ons/customizations won me over. Not to mention the overall video playback battery life of 11 hours is quite a bit better than the 7 hours for the O2. The size and weight were also considerations. Smaller + lighter = less hand fatigue when I'm holding it for 8 hours watching videos and less weight is better for my pants pockets. Size is pretty self-explanatory.
The A2 is just way out of my price range, so that didn't even become a consideration for me.
The screen size is big enough for me to not miss some details in the background when watching a film or some other video. Compared to my D2, the subtitles are easier to read without me having to squint or move the screen closer to my face.