Irvine, Calif. — The new 160GB version of Wolverine Data’s ESP portable media player (PMP) is possibly one of only two models with 160GB of storage capacity and one of the few that displays capacity-hogging RAW digital-imaging files used by professional and serious amateur photographers, said president Matt Mardini.
It’s also one of the industry’s few models that records prerecorded DVDs and VHS tapes movies and acts as a DVR.
At least one other company, Archos, offers a 160GB PMP.
Wolverine’s 160GB ESP, retailing for less than $600, features a 3.6-inch LCD, seven-in-one memory-card reader, and an optional adapter for four other card formats. With optional $79 cradle, it records video in MPEG-4 in real time from the composite-analog output of a TV, VCR, or DVD player. The PMP itself features built-in timer for time-shifted TV recording.
Like Wolverine’s 80GB and 120GB versions of ESP, the 160GB ESP is capable of recording prerecorded DVD and VHS movies via analog inputs. All three also store RAW images, and all three connect to stereo systems and TVs to play back stored audio and video, with or without the optional cradle.
The 10.2-ounce, 5.3-inch by 2.8-inch by 0.9-inch device also features an FM tuner, audio encoder and playback of audio files in MP3, protected WMA, AAC, WAV, OGG and CD-audio. Video playback is in the motion JPEG, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, XviD and unprotected WMV 9 formats. It doesn’t support playback of authorized video downloads transferred from a PC.
It’s available through brick-and-mortar and online retailers, including J&R, B&H, camera stores, Meier’s, Target.com, Amazon.com and Costco.com.
