1. Types

2. Accessories

3. Shows included on VideoNow XP

4. See also

5. References

6. External links

The VideoNow is a portable video player produced by Hasbro and released by their subsidiary Tiger Electronics in 2003. The systems use discs called PVDs (which stands for Personal Video Disc), which can store about 30 minutes (half an hour) of video, 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, including Nickelodeon 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 mono. The video plays at about 15 frames per second. Most of the shows were from Nickelodeon, such as SpongeBob SquarePants and The Fairly OddParents,^[2] and later they released shows from Cartoon Network, such as Ed, Edd n Eddy and Dexter's Laboratory. A small amount 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 a plug-in for the popular video processing program Virtual 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.

As the VideoNow Color does not accept standard 8 cm mini-CDs, some creative users have resorted to cutting down standard 12 cm CD-R discs, though not without problems. Hasbro made recordable PVDs available without the Media Wizard from their online store.

However, at least one video has been posted on YouTube showing how VideoNow Color players can be easily modified to accept standard-sized CDs with a bit of cutting and gluing.^[3] Full-sized CDs can hold roughly 42 minutes of total video, and play with no difference in the modified player.

Because VideoNow uses video discs, and that has very little if any skip protection, it is more prone to skipping if the VideoNow is touched, bumped, or shaken while playing a PVD.

Types

• VideoNow - The original version. Plays only black and white PVDs, and lacks a backlight,^[2] though a light (which is simply called the VideoNow Light) is available to make up for the lack of a backlight. The laser is, when the system is off, hidden from sight, most likely to discourage children from touching it, and moved to where it can read a disc when the system is turned on. If no disc was recognized, the laser would return. This was never done since, and a sticker saying "Never touch the lens" was put on the later models instead. Was made and released in 2003.
• VideoNow Color - The second version, the VideoNow Color is a major upgrade. It has, as the name suggests, color. It also has a backlight, Fast Forward and rewind (achieved by holding the Next and Previous Respectively), and backwards compatibility with the PVDs for the original, albeit noticeably cropped. This backwards compatibility (complete with cropping issue) was on every VideoNow afterwards. It's also worth noting that it has bigger PVDs than the original. Was released in 2004.
• VideoNow Jr. - The third version, this time released by Playskool around the same time of the release of the VideoNow Color in 2004. As the name suggests, it is a variation of the VideoNow Color and was designed for preschoolers. A notable feature is that the PVDs for this system are flexible. This was done to prevent small children from bending—and thus breaking—the discs, as it is aimed at them.
• VideoNow XP - The fourth version. Plays in color, backlit, has a larger screen and includes game playing capabilities and controls. However, the games were either quizzes or games similar to Dragon's Lair and Space Ace, suggesting that no actual gaming components, such as a CPU, essential to make other types of games (except the controls) were put into the system. Was made and released in 2005.
• VideoNow Color FX - It is simply a translucent variation of the VideoNow Color and was released in 2006. Other differences are all in the design, and include:
  • The previously silver circle where the screen and buttons (excluding the eject button) were now matches the color of the body of the unit.
  • Said buttons, also previously silver (again excluding the eject button), match the color of said body as well.
  • The logo was slightly changed, with Color being replaced with "Color FX".

Accessories

• VideoNow light: A light accessory made for the original VideoNow, as it didn't have a backlight or its own. As the only port on the VideoNow was the headphone jack, it requires a separate AA battery, along with the two AA batteries required for the VideoNow itself. Starting with the VideoNow Color, all VideoNow models had an internal backlight, making the creation of versions of the light for them unnecessary.
• Carrying case: A specialized case made to store VideoNow and 5 PVDs in. There are 4 types, one each model. It's worth mentioning that the carrying case for the Color has two variants, though the only difference is that the first has the VideoNow Color logo and the second had the VideoNow Color fx logo on it, since it was made for that model.
• Headphones: VideoNow-branded headphones with a standard 3.5mm audio jack.
• VideoNow Media Wizard: Basic editing software used to make custom PVDs to play on a Color/fx, XP, and Jr.
• VCamNow: VideoNow-branded camcorder that came with a copy of the Media Wizard.

Shows included on VideoNow XP

• 4Kids Entertainment Mix (Sonic X / The Cramp Twins / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
• All Grown Up (Truth or Consequences)
• America's Funniest Home Videos (Crazy Cats)
• Cartoon Network Mix Volume 1 (Ed, Edd n Eddy / Johnny Bravo / Codename: Kids Next Door)
• Cartoon Network Mix Volume 2 (Dexter's Laboratory / The Powerpuff Girls / Codename: Kids Next Door)
• Cheer! Show Your Spirit
• Codename: Kids Next Door (Operation: ROBBERS / Operation: UTOPIA)
• Danny Phantom (Parental Bonding)
• Drake and Josh (Dune Buggy)
• E! Hollywood Yearbook: Class of 2005
• Ed, Edd n Eddy (Will Work for Ed / Ed, Ed, and Away)
• Emma Roberts: Behind the Scenes with Emma Roberts
• Fear Factor (Halloween Episode)
• Hilary Duff: On the Road with Hilary Duff
• Jamie Lynn Spears: A Weekend with Jamie Lynn Spears
• Jesse McCartney: Backstage with Jesse McCartney
• My Life as a Teenage Robot (Return of the Raggedy Android / The Boy Who Cried Robot)
• Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (Teachers / Detention)
• Nick Mix Volume 7 (My Life as a Teenage Robot / Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius / The Fairly Oddparents)
• Nick Mix Volume 8 (The Amanda Show / Romeo! / The Brothers Garcia)
• Nick Mix Volume 9 (Romeo! / Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide / The Brothers Garcia)
• Nick Mix Volume 10 (Danny Phantom / Rocket Power / Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius)
• Nick Mix Volume 11 (Unfabulous / The Amanda Show / The Brothers Garcia)
• Nick Mix Volume 12 (My Life as a Teenage Robot / Rugrats / The Fairly Oddparents)
• Nick Mix Volume 13 (Chalkzone / Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius / The Fairly Oddparents)
• Nick Mix Volume 14 (SpongeBob SquarePants / Chalkzone / Rocker Power)
• Nick Mix Volume 15 (Drake and Josh / Unfabulous / Tania)
• Nick Mix Volume 16 (CatDog / SpongeBob SquarePants / Rocket Power)
• Romeo! (Write Me a Hit)
• Spongebob Squarepants (Jellyfishing / Plankton)
• Superstars of the NBA
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Bishop's Gambit)
• The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (When Pants Attack)
• The Amanda Show
• The Fairly Oddparents (Scary Oddparents)
• The Story of Star Wars
• Unfabulous (The Rep)
• Winx Club (Miss Magix)
• Yu-Gi-Oh! (The ESP Duelist, Parts 1 and 2)
• Zoey 101 (New Roomies)

See also

• VCamNow
• ChatNow
• Hasbro
• Tiger Electronics
• Game Boy Advance Video
• Juice Box

References

External links

• VideoThen, a freeware tool to create black and white discs
• PVDTools, an open source set of tools to read black and white disc rips
• [https://github.com/paulguy/minitools/blob/master/videonow_dec.c videonow_dec.c], another open source tool for reading black and white disc rips
• Source for Media Wizard blank PVDs{{Dead link|date=May 2016}}, Hasbro FAX-in order form for blank Media Wizard PVD's
• VideoHelp.com forum discussion of VDN video conversion tools, including VideoNowDude's Virtual Dub plugin.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060316112738/http://www.hasbro.com/videonow/default.cfm?page=checklist] Checklist of VideoNow XP titles to collect.

• Anita Anderberg Madsen
• Anita And Me
• Anita Andres Sleeman
• Anita Andrés Sleeman
• Anita Antoinette
• Anita Appleby
• Anita (Argentinian film)
• Anita Augsburg
• Anita Augspurg
• Anita B.
• Anita Balode
• Anita Balode-Stukane
• Anita Barnard
• Anita Belle Colton
• Anita Bergman
• Anita Bianchi
• Anita Blake:Comics
• Anita Blanch
• Anita Blaze
• Anita Bolster
• Anita Bonds
• AnitaB.org
• Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Award
• Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Awards
• Anita Borg Naffz