We were at the Copacabana in 2002 and had a great vacation.
Our room was in Bldg 6, the one closest to the pool/beach, on the top floor. We were in the third room from the beach end of the building (sorry can't remember the room #).
Here's a panoramic picture taken from the balcony:
<img src="http://www.pbase.com/pgammon/image/23103234/original.jpg">
And here is a picture of the ocean view from the balcony (with lots and lots of zoom):
<img src="http://www.pbase.com/pgammon/image/23103236/medium.jpg">
We enjoyed this room location because it put us approximately halfway between the beach and the lobby.
Hope this helps.