Wolverine ESP 5250 (250GB)

Manufacturer: Wolverine Data Part number: 5250

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$529.95 - $549.99 at 2 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
3.5 stars Very good
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More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Product series; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: The Wolverine ESP may not be a fancy portable video player/recorder, but it gets the job done, particularly for digital photo enthusiasts.

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PREMIER SOURCE of cutting edge electronics since 1973.	Rate this store See store profile	In stock Price After $70.00 auth dealer rebate from Wolverine	Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price	$529.95 Shop now as of 10/07/2008
Savings, Selection & Service since 1971	Rate this store See store profile	In stock Free Shipping	$549.99 Shop now as of 10/07/2008
Very Good CNET Review - Dell Laptop Dell Inspiron 1525 An Exceptional wireless, movie, multi-media experience.

PREMIER SOURCE of cutting edge electronics since 1973.

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Very Good CNET Review - Dell Laptop

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An Exceptional wireless, movie, multi-media experience.

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CNET editors' review

Wolverine ESP 5250 (250GB)

price range: $529.95 - $549.99

Reviewed by: James Kim
Reviewed on: 09/25/2006

The good: The practical Wolverine ESP is available in up to 120GB; plays back music, video, and photo files and includes built-in memory card slots; includes an FM tuner and audio- and video-recording capabilities; plays a wide variety of unprotected formats; supports RAW photo images; removable battery; UMS and MTP modes; good GB-per-dollar value.

The bad: The Wolverine ESP is not DRM compatible; it has a somewhat mundane interface; not a wide-screen display; a tad bulky; must purchase cradle to record line-in audio or video.

The bottom line: The Wolverine ESP may not be a fancy portable video player/recorder, but it gets the job done, particularly for digital photo enthusiasts.

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Irvine, California-based Wolverine Data (creators of the memorable MVP) will soon be launching a portable video player (PVP) with up to 120GB. The Wolverine ESP joins a rapidly growing list of portable devices that can play back video and audio and display digital images, though this PVP is much more photo friendly than most. The ESP, which comes only in megasizes of 80GB ($399), 100GB ($449), or 120GB ($499), may not be an Archos 604, but it's a solid device with its own charms. I got to play with the product before its official October 3 launch. Note: Prices on Web site are higher than retail.

At 5.3 by 2.8 by 0.9 inches and 10.2 ounces, the Wolverine ESP is not supersleek and is far from sexy. It has much more of a utilitarian vibe than most media players due to its unassuming gray plastic exterior, 4:3 screen, and mundane user interface. Still, the unit's definitely pocketable and extremely durable, and importantly, it's intuitive. Plus it holds up to 120GB of data.

The Wolverine ESP (80GB) next to the Creative Zen Vision (30GB). The Creative's a better performer and sexier, but the ESP has some of its own charms.

To the right of the 3.6-inch 4:3 TFT display (320x240 pixels) is a nice five-way joystick. Above the joystick is a mediocre mono speaker, and under the joystick fall the tactile Menu, Escape, and Volume buttons. These controllers coupled with the simple GUI make the ESP one of the more straightforward devices I've used in a while. The only other buttons to pay attention to are the power and hold slider located on the right spine. The left side of the ESP is rounded and padded with a softer plastic (though still a little slippery); the ESP is designed for righties.

Photo-friendly PVP
You will notice two flip-open panels on top of the device: one is a CompactFlash Type I/II slot, the other an SD/MMC/MS slot. Stick a memory card in, and the ESP will ask to back up photos or the entire card. Transfer times are decent-- I backed up my CompactFlash card with 76 JPEGs and AVIs (about 55MB) in well under a minute. These files are placed into a new folder in the main menu's Backup option, and they are easy to access and view (either in list mode or thumbnail mode, with two rows of four thumbnails). Incidentally, the ESP's USB 2.0 transfer rates are speedy (55MB in about 10 seconds).

The ESP is also a seven-in-one media card reader.

The Wolverine ESP is a shutterbugs' PVP.

Of course, there are some MP3 players (such as the Toshiba Gigabeat S and the Cowon X5) that can move photos over directly from a digital camera, while others such as the Creative Zen Vision:W have a CompactFlash slot. Furthermore, there are PVPs including the Archos 04 series that make excellent photo viewers. But none of the mentioned can play back RAW files like the ESP. The ESP also displays full EXIF data, and photos look bright and sharp onscreen (though we've seen better resolution). You can easily zoom in and rotate.

The ESP is packin'
The ESP can also handle many other media types, including MP3,unprotected WMA and AAC, and WAV audio files, Motion JPEG, MPEG-1, MPEG-4 (up to 720x480 at 25fps, 640x480 at 30fps), WMV9, and XviD video. As long as they're not DRM-protected, most of your files will play back without a hitch, and playback quality on the bright display is very good. Other files will most likely be converted in Windows Media Player. Conveniently, the ESP can be switched from MTP (PictBridge/Media Player) to UMS hard disk mode.

While the ESP GUI lacks the sizzle of those of the Archos 604 or Cowon A2, it's not a total bore. The main menu features low-color bit icons for Pictures, Music, Video, Backup, Audio Recorder, Video Recorder, Radio, and Game. Additionally, player settings, the Browse Hard Drive feature, and any inserted media cards will show up on page two of the options. All browsing is done folder-tree style, and all items (including the main menu) can be viewed in either icon or list mode. Conveniently, you can copy and paste any file into any folder. The background can be customized with any photo. The music playback screen doesn't show album art, but it does display pertinent file info and a sweet spectrum analyzer. You also get one on-the-go playlist, the unit is compatible with standard M3U playlists, and you get seven good equalizer presets and a custom setting that includes 3D enhancement. The ESP can feel very much like an MP3 player, and yes, it sounds pretty good.

The decent FM radio is recordable (AAC) and features a neat retro interface. You also get 18 presets in two groups, and stations are autoscannable. The ESP is a voice recorder out of the box (performance is good at the highest AAC recording setting), but to get line-in audio and video recording, you'll need to spring for the $69 dock. The good news is that the audio-recording interface features a real-time graphical sound-wave monitor (cool!). Video recording (MPEG-4, 352x240 at 30fps) can be scheduled (up to eight events), and content can even be recorded onto media cards. There is no TiVo-like programming or even channel selection, though. Recorded video looks good, and the accompanying AAC audio is solid.

Battery life is rated for 3 to 3.5 hours of video playback and 8 to 10 hours of audio. CNET Labs was able to muster about 13 hours of MP3 playback, definitely better than the mediocre rating. I'll update this review with results of video playback draining. Good news here is that the lithium-ion rechargeable battery is removable and is actually a pretty affordable standard model ($30; Sanyo UR-18650F). The ESP ships with an OK case, earbuds, audio and video cables, a USB cable, a small wall-wart power adapter, a CD, and a user's guide. As mentioned, the recommended docking cradle is $69. Additional accessories such as a remote control are available here.

The Wolverine ESP with its bundled accessories. The docking cradle, required for audio and video line-in recording, is an optional accessory.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with the unit's file compatibility, features, and playback performance, though I'd personally still opt for the fancier Archos 404 or 604, or if I really wanted the extra storage, the $599 160GB Archos 504. But still, if you're a digital shutterbug and don't mind the non-wide-screen display and the lack of DRM support, the ESP is a very good choice, especially at $399 for the 80GB version (the 80GB Archos 504 is $499, the same price as the 120GB ESP).

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Wolverine Data
Part number: 5250
Description: The Wolverine ESP was created for you to enjoy the freedom of multimedia portability anywhere, anytime. Featuring a 3.6" razor sharp LCD and enormous storage capacity to store and play all your digital photos, music and videos in the palm of your hand. Now you can take thousands of photos with a single Memory Card. A single press of a button and all your photos and digital camera video data effortlessly copied from the built in 7-in-1 Card Reader into a portable, self powered gigabytes of mass storage unit. With the contents of the memory card now safely stored, your card is now ready to be reused - and you never had to go near a computer. Because the Wolverine ESP is battery operated you can literally save your data anywhere in the world. It’s perfect for photographers, trips, sharing data during meetings, any situation involving a memory card.

General
Device Type Digital AV recorder
Key Features Video capture from external source, Digital audio player, Voice recorder, External HDD function, Digital video player, Digital audio recorder, FM tuner, Digital photo viewer
Width 5.3 in
Depth 0.9 in
Height 2.8 in
Weight 10.2 oz
PC Interfaces Hi-Speed USB
Features FM recording, Text viewer
Packaged quantity 1
Display
Display Type TFT 3.6 in - Color
Display Form Factor Built-in
TV Standards Supported PAL, NTSC
Memory / Storage
Flash Memory Cards Supported MultiMediaCard, SDHC Memory Card, Memory Stick Pro, Microdrive, Memory Stick, CompactFlash Card, SD Memory Card, XD-Picture Card
HDD Capacity 250 GB
HDD Form Factor Built-in
Still Images
Supported Still Images Formats JPEG, BMP, TIFF, RAW
Photo Playback Modes Zoom out, Rotate, Auto slide show, Zoom in
Digital Audio
Supported audio formats WMA, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, MP3, AAC
Audio output Built-in speaker
Microphone Built-in microphone
Radio
FM station preset qty 18
Video
Video Playback Formats XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, WMV
Video Capture Supported Yes, via AV cradle

Connectivity
Connections Audio / video output, Audio line-in, Hi-Speed USB, Headphones - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
Power Adapter
Type Power adapter
Battery
Rechargeable Battery Rechargeable
Battery Enclosure Type Internal
Technology Lithium ion
Battery Lithium ion Rechargeable Internal
Battery Life Details 4 hour(s), 13 hour(s)
Capacity 2300 mAh
Miscellaneous
Included Accessories USB cable, Carrying case, AV cable
System Requirements
Operating System MS Windows ME, MS Windows Vista, MS Windows XP, MS Windows 2000 SP3 or later, Apple Mac OS X 10.0.1 or later
Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year

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Product series

Wolverine ESP 5080 (80GB)

$319.99 - $429.99

Manufacturer: Wolverine Data

Specs: Digital AV recorder, 5.3 in x 0.9 in x 2.8 in, TFT 3.6 in - Color, AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, WMV, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, 10.2 oz
Wolverine ESP 5120 (120GB)

$399.00 - $529.99

Manufacturer: Wolverine Data

Specs: Digital AV recorder, 5.3 in x 0.9 in x 2.8 in, TFT 3.6 in - Color, AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, WMV, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, 10.2 oz
Wolverine ESP 5100 (100GB)

Manufacturer: Wolverine Data

Specs: Digital AV recorder, 5.3 in x 0.9 in x 2.8 in, TFT 3.6 in - Color, AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, WMV, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, 10.2 oz
Wolverine ESP 5160 (160GB)

$449.88 - $489.95

Manufacturer: Wolverine Data

Specs: Digital AV recorder, 5.3 in x 0.9 in x 2.8 in, TFT 3.6 in - Color, AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, WMV, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, 10.2 oz
Wolverine ESP 5250 (250GB)

$529.95 - $549.99

Manufacturer: Wolverine Data

Specs: Digital AV recorder, 5.3 in x 0.9 in x 2.8 in, TFT 3.6 in - Color, AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, WMV, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, 10.2 oz

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