TheVideoNow was a portable video player produced byHasbro and released by their subsidiaryTiger Electronics in 2003 as part of Tiger's line ofNow consumer products. The systems use discs calledPVDs (which stands forPersonal Video Disc), which can store about 30 minutes of video,[3] the length of an average TV show with commercials (a typical TV episode is about 20–23 minutes without them), so each PVD contains only one episode, with trailers at the end to use the leftover time on most PVDs. Video data is stored on the left audio channel with audio on the right channel, thus making it impossible to achieve stereo sound on the system, which only plays in black and white. The video plays at 15fps. Most of the available shows were fromNickelodeon, includingSpongeBob SquarePants andThe Fairly OddParents.[4] Later, content fromCartoon Network was also released, featuring titles such asEd, Edd n Eddy andDexter's Laboratory. Disney contributed more limited content, primarily episodes ofAmerica’s Funniest Home Videos, along with a single PVD each featuring a music video forHannah Montana,The Cheetah Girls, andHigh School Musical. A small number of movies were also released on the system, but due to the limited space on a PVD, said movies would have to be released on at least three discs, depending on the length of said film.
Hasbro also produced editing software for creating custom VideoNow Color PVDs called the VideoNow Media Wizard in 2005, which came with blank PVD media.A number of unofficial solutions are available for creating the oddly-formatted VideoNow files, including aplug-in for the popular video processing programVirtual Dub. The files can then be burned to a CD-R using standard CD burning software, and the disc cut down to the required size.
Hasbro made recordable PVDs available without the Media Wizard from their online store.[citation needed]
VideoNow - The first model, released in 2003. Its non-backlit screen has a resolution of 80 × 80non-square pixels and can display up to 16shades of gray.[4] It uses 85 mm (3.3 in) discs.[1]
A VideoNow Color without a disc inserted.
VideoNow Color - The second model, Released in 2004. A major revision of the original VideoNow model, its most notable improvement over the original model is the ability to play videos in full color; additionally, the screen is backlit, and its resolution has been increased to 240 × 160. Alongside the superior screen, the Color adds the ability to fast forward and rewind video; the first model only allowed for skipping between scenes. It is backwards compatible with the original model's PVDs, though the image is cropped to accommodate for the Color's wider resolution. It uses 107 mm (4.2 in) discs, which would become the standard size of PVDs throughout the line's lifespan.[5]
VideoNow Jr. - The third model, released by subsidiaryPlayskool in 2004. It is a variation of the VideoNow Color designed for preschoolers, with a more childish design, rubberized corners, bigger buttons for ease of use, and two eject hatches which have to be pulled at the same time to minimize the risk of opening the disc tray and touching the laser by accident. PVDs made under the VideoNow Jr. brand are also flexible in order to prevent them from breaking when bent.[1] Despite this, they are functionally identical to a VideoNow Color PVD; as such, they can be played on a VideoNow Color or XP, and the VideoNow Jr. player is compatible with VideoNow Color PVDs.
VideoNow XP - The fourth model, released in 2005. It uses a clamshell design, has a larger screen than the VideoNow Color, albeit at the same resolution, and was designed with basic gaming functionality,[1] featuring four separated directional buttons and two face buttons labeled "A" and "B". A few dedicated VideoNow XP games were made, though all of them were interactive movies with gameplay consisting entirely ofQuick Time Events, similar to Laserdisc-based arcade games such as theAdvanced Microcomputer Systems developed- andDon Bluth animated-Dragon's Lair andSpace Ace. Standard PVDs released during the XP's lifespan would also feature a simple trivia game with questions about the episode included, which could only be played on the XP. Should a PVD game be put into any other model, the content will play in the order it is stored on the disc.
VideoNow Color FX - The fifth and final model, released in 2006. It is virtually identical to the VideoNow Color in both functionality and form factor; the only difference between the two is that the Color FX uses translucent plastic as opposed to the opaque plastic used for the original Color model.
