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Audio
The Wolverine ESP supports playback of MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, and CDA audio files. It also features a built in FM tuner that enables you to tune into FM radio stations. It does not have a built in antenna. Rather, it relies on the included earphones to act as the antenna. The joystick let's you tune into stations, and you can also save up to two groups of nine radio channels. In addition, you can play radio or music files in the background while you are viewing pictures. The Wolverine ESP also features the capability to record audio in situations such as lectures and meetings, as well as radio stations. Speakers are also built in for those times you wish to listen to audio without earphones.
| An FM tuner is built in. |
Video
The Wolverine ESP supports the playback of MPEG-1, MPEG 4, xVid, WMV9, AVI, and MOV video file formats. It can play up to three hours on a fully charged battery. In our testing we got close to three hours. The great thing about the Wolverine ESP in this regard is you can swap out the battery with a second Lithium ion unit that you can purchase at virtually any consumer electronics store. Video playback is based really on the source material. With some videos, there was an audio sync lag between the time someone on screen speaks and when the lips move. On others, there was no lag whatsoever. With the optional cradle and a firmware upgrade, you can record directly from a TV or DVD player, essentially turning the Wolverine ESP into a DVR. We tested this feature with a Sony miniDV camcorder and it works as advertised.
| The cradle enables you to record video to MPEG-4 format video from almost any device. |
The optional cradle ($79.99) comes with a composite cable connector. The camcorder also came with a composite out connector, so the connection was via the composite cables. It took a while for the Wolverine ESP to acquire the video signal, but once it did, it faithfully recorded the video from the tape. The Wolverine ESP enables you to schedule the time in which you want to record a TV show by the hour. Pretty cool for a multimedia device and the only handheld mobile device that I know of that can record TV as well as video from a video source. Video is recorded in the MPEG-4 format and is given a generic file name. To rename it, you'll have to download it to the computer, rename it, and then upload it back to the ESP.
First Impressions
The Wolverine ESP is in a unique category in that it will appeal to professional and prosumer photographers as well as those looking for a multimedia experience. Not only does it do more than the popular media players on the market, such as the iPod and PlayStation Portable, it does more with its photo storage capabilities, audio and video recording capabilities, and DVR features. Unlike the PSP, though, there is no wireless capability (yet), and it does not offer much in terms of games. But that is not what the Wolverine ESP is for. The interface is easily controlled with the simple joystick and the ESC/Menu buttons. Just three buttons give you access to all the features of the ESP. It supports the most widely used still image, audio and video file formats and offers good to very good video quality. We did have an audio sync issue with certain videos, but other videos played just fine, so that is probably an encoding issue.
The design of the Wolverine ESP is a huge improvement over the MVP device that we reviewed in the past. It is not a replacement though to the MVP. Another bonus is the user serviceable battery, and, Wolverine President Matt Mardini told us in a meeting at Wolverine Headquarters in Irvine, California, that the Wolverine ESP's hard drive can also be user upgraded, though it will void the standard one year warranty. Professional photographers in need of a quick solution to offload images from their memory cards and view them on a high resolution screen should take a look at the Wolverine ESP. It delivers ease of use in this regard, as well as delivers a whole host of other functions that make it one of the most robust portable media playback devices on the market. Pricing starts at $399.99 for the 80GB model and $499.99 for the 120GB model. Highly Recommended. For more information, visit www.wolverinedata.com
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