Review: Eco Media Player Revolution

You can't fault Trevor Baylis for being too modest with his product names. Take the original, updated it to piano black, bumped the storage from 2 to 4GB and spruced up the video playback. I'd call that an Evolution, not a bloody barricades and guillotines Revolution.

But I digress. I've been lucky enough to spend the weekend playing with the Revolution, and this is the web's first review. The Revolution is a pocket media player which potentially never need be plugged into the mains, provided you power it by winding a built-in crank. It has a features list longer than my sore cranking arm.

Things can only get better
The most obvious improvements over its predecessor are the cosmetic ones. The case is now piano black rather than black rubber, and the crank handle now has a cute brushed silver effect. Let's ignore the fact that piano black is already as out of date as the Cheeky Girls. The Revolution looks nicer than the first Eco Media Player (EMP).

The most obvious disappointment is the interface. It's almost identical to the old one, which was poor. My main gripes: it forgets its last menu position after it's powered off; one button doubles up for two actions depending on whether you tap or hold; and you can only adjust the volume if you're on the 'now playing' screen. On the plus side, it does display a cute 'Crank It Up!' message of encouragement when you start winding the crank.

Like the first EMP, the Revolution is chunky. But while the depth will annoy some, it's really essential so you can grip the player firmly when winding it up. Cranking, like most wind-up gadgets, is a noisy affair. It's loud enough that you wouldn't want to wind it on the 7.15 from Brighton and other public spaces.

Reel improvement
Video playback is vastly improved on the original. The resolution and screen quality is no 4G Nano, but it's okay for short videos. Sound quality is fine, so long as you upgrade from the duff-sounding earphones that come in the box. File transfer is via drag and drop, which is easy enough.

One very welcome change is the move from a 2.5mm line-in socket to a standard 3.5mm one. That makes it a hell of a lot easier to record vinyl and plug in microphones. Talking of which, it's worth mentioning it has a passable voice recorder too.

The storage jump from 2 to 4GB is also a good thing, but it does seem stingy. The 8GB iPod Nano costs just £110, while the 4GB Revolution is £130 at Ethical Superstore. That feels pricey despite all the extra features.

And the rest? Well, everything else -- like its ability to charge a mobile phone -- is essentially the same as the original, so I recommend reading our review of the Eco Media Player for the full lowdown.

In short…
The Revolution is really an evolution. It's better-looking, has better video and a more user-friendly line-in socket than the first EMP. I think it's a good companion for anyone who spends a long time away from mains sockets, like campers and travellers. Commuters should just get a slim, trouser-friendly iPod.

If you're smitten with the wind-up player concept, my honest recommendation in these credit-crunched times is to pick up the original Eco Media Player. It's been cut in price to £90, which is decent value.

Even if the original's measly 2GB storage is an issue, you could add a £25 6GB SD card and still have £20 spare change to splash on a fine pair of hiking socks.

Click through the following pages for a photo tour of the Revolution.

30/09/08 edit: Changed third sentence in fourth paragraph. It originally read "it forgets what it was last playing when you switch it on" and now reads "it forgets its last menu position after it's powered off". SmartPlanet apologise for any confusion.