computer science

VideoNow

VideoNow is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand VideoNow rather than just read about it. In short: The VideoNow is a discontinued portable video player produced by Hasbro and released by their subsidiary Tiger Electronics in 2003 as part of Tiger's line of Now consumer products. The systems use discs called Personal Video Discs (PVDs), which can store about 30 minutes 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 o…

Key takeaways

VideoNow belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect VideoNow to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of VideoNow from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The VideoNow is a discontinued portable video player produced by Hasbro and released by their subsidiary Tiger Electronics in 2003 as part of Tiger's line of Now consumer products. The systems use discs called Personal Video Discs (PVDs), which can store about 30 minutes 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. 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 from Nickelodeon, including SpongeBob SquarePants and The Fairly OddParents. Later, content from Cartoon Network was also released, featuring titles such as Ed, Edd n Eddy and Dexter's Laboratory. Disney contributed more limited content, primarily episodes of America’s Funniest Home Videos, along with a single PVD each featuring a music video for Hannah Montana, The Cheetah Girls, and High 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 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. Hasbro made recordable PVDs available without the Media Wizard from their online store.

Models

Standard Models

VideoNow - The first model, released on July 17, 2003. Its non-backlit screen has a resolution of 80 × 80 non-square pixels and can display up to 16 shades of gray. It uses 85 mm (3.3 in) discs. VideoNow Color - The second model, released on July 15, 2004. 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. VideoNow Jr. - The third model, released by subsidiary Playskool on October 16, 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. 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 on August 15, 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, 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 of Quick Time Events, similar to Laserdisc-based arcade games such as the Advanced Microcomputer Systems developed- and Don Bluth animated- Dragon's Lair and Space 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.

Special editions Kool-Aid Red VideoNow (only available through Kool-Aid Kool Points) SpongeBob Exclusive Edition Video Now Color (for the release of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie)

Accessories VideoNow Light- a light accessory made for the original VideoNow to allow for viewing in dim lighting conditions. It requires a separate AA battery. Carrying Case- made to store the VideoNow and 5 PVDs in. There are 4 types, one each model. VideoNow-branded headphones were available with a standard 3.5 mm audio jack. VideoNow Media Wizard- a basic editing software used to make custom PVDs to play on a Color/fx, XP, and Jr. VCamNow- a VideoNow-branded camcorder that came with a copy of the Media Wizard.

Shows included on VideoNow (all versions)

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with VideoNow

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what VideoNow claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to VideoNow before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about VideoNow ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of VideoNow

In research: VideoNow appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses VideoNow in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: VideoNow is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2000s toys, Audiovisual introductions in 2003, Compact disc, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for VideoNow outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study VideoNow in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what VideoNow means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain VideoNow out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is VideoNow in simple terms?

Why does VideoNow matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study VideoNow?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on VideoNow.