Cowon rolls out N3 media player, GPS, TV hybrid

Cowon today finished its device upgrades for 2007 with the launch of the N3. An upgrade to the N2, the N3 is built to be used either at home or in the car as a multi-purpose tool: though it includes a GPS unit with full navigation tools, the device also uses its 7-inch screen for playing back music and video. A picture-in-picture feature allows users to watch a smaller video window while keeping track of the route ahead, Cowon says. At 800x480, the display is sharp enough to play DivX, MPEG 1/4, Windows Media, and XviD movies at greater than DVD resolution. It also includes a DMB tuner for digital over-the-air broadcasts and will even accept input from a portable DVD player or rear-view camera through a video-in jack.

The N3 will also play audio in several formats, including rarer standards such as APE, FLAC, and OGG; it will also display photos in RAW format from some cameras, Cowon claims. Multiple SD card slots keep map data loaded while allowing room for other content. The Korean firm has not disclosed pricing but intends to bring the device to its native soil in early January. Cowon has not yet released any of its GPS mappers in the US and would need both to include US maps as well as strip out the DMB tuner, which is incompatible with mobile digital TV in the country. [via I4U]