NOW
NOW was a discontinued Hasbro consumer-electronics brand centered on portable multimedia products for children and preteens.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
NOW was a consumer-electronics brand operated by Hasbro through its Tiger Electronics division. It was created around a family of portable multimedia products aimed primarily at children and preteens, combining video playback, music recording, communication, gaming, and personal video recording in compact handheld devices. The brand's best-known product was VideoNow, a portable player introduced in 2003 that used proprietary Personal Video Discs, or PVDs, to deliver television programs and other short-form video away from a television set. VideoNow formed the commercial and strategic center of the NOW range. The original player used a black-and-white display, while later versions added color, child-focused designs, interactive functions, and translucent styling. Content was distributed on small discs with limited capacity, generally accommodating approximately one short television episode together with promotional material. The format was used particularly for licensed children's programming, including shows associated with Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. A smaller number of releases came from other entertainment companies, and longer films required multiple discs because of the medium's constrained storage capacity. Following the initial VideoNow launch, Tiger Electronics broadened the NOW name into several adjacent categories. PlayItNow combined portable digital-audio recording with simple electronic-game functionality and included licensed Atari titles. ChatNow was designed to resemble a simplified mobile phone for young users, but communicated over the Family Radio Service radio band rather than a cellular network. Its features included direct user-to-user calling through assigned buddy numbers, limited text messaging, a basic digital camera, and optional accessories. TVNow, which evolved from a product initially known as VuGo, extended the brand into portable digital-video recording. It allowed users to transfer programs from home entertainment equipment and watch them on a handheld device, while also supporting MP3 playback and removable storage. The broader NOW strategy reflected the early- to mid-2000s consumer-electronics market, when manufacturers marketed dedicated portable devices for particular media functions. Rather than offering a general-purpose computer or smartphone, the products were built around tightly defined use cases and child-oriented entertainment properties. Their appeal depended on licensed content, affordable hardware, and the novelty of taking television, music, games, or communications outside the home. The approach also involved proprietary media formats and specialized accessories, including blank media and editing tools for VideoNow users. The brand did not remain in the market long term. After the VideoNow line passed through several generations and related products were introduced, Tiger Electronics discontinued the NOW branding by late 2007. VideoNow Color FX and TVNow were among the products that had left retail shelves by that point. NOW is therefore best understood as a discontinued Hasbro/Tiger Electronics product brand from the transitional period before multifunction mobile devices and digital distribution displaced many dedicated children's media players.
History
NOW was developed by Hasbro's Tiger Electronics division as a group of dedicated portable electronics for younger consumers. Its emergence belongs to the early 2000s, when portable entertainment hardware was expanding but before smartphones and broad mobile broadband had consolidated video, music, games, and messaging into one general-purpose device. Tiger positioned NOW products as accessible, highly focused alternatives for children and preteens: a child could carry television episodes, record music, play simple games, or communicate with friends without using a conventional computer or mobile phone. The first and most successful product was VideoNow, introduced in October 2003. The system used small Personal Video Discs, a proprietary optical format derived from compact-disc technology. Video was encoded across the disc's audio channels and played at a low frame rate, allowing a limited amount of content on each disc. In practical terms, a typical release could hold roughly one television episode and additional promotional material. This capacity shaped the content strategy: short children's programs were more suitable than full-length films, and movies generally required several discs. VideoNow's content library relied heavily on licensed children's entertainment. Nickelodeon programming was prominent, including SpongeBob SquarePants and The Fairly OddParents. Later releases also drew from Cartoon Network properties such as Ed, Edd n Eddy and Dexter's Laboratory. Disney contributed a smaller selection, including episodes of America's Funniest Home Videos and a Hannah Montana music video. The use of recognizable television brands helped compensate for the limitations of the playback format and made the device part of a broader toy-and-media merchandising strategy. Tiger followed the original black-and-white player with VideoNow Color in 2004. In 2005 it introduced VideoNow Jr. for preschool users under the Playskool name and VideoNow XP, which used a design influenced by handheld game systems and added interactive features. In 2006, VideoNow Color FX became the fifth and final player in the original VideoNow sequence, using a more translucent appearance. Tiger also supported the system with VideoNow Media Wizard software and blank media that enabled users to create custom VideoNow Color discs. VCamNow, a branded camcorder supplied with the editing software, extended the concept from licensed playback toward user-created video. The NOW name was also applied to products outside the VideoNow family. PlayItNow, launched in 2004, functioned as a portable digital music recorder and a simple game system. It included an auxiliary input for recording audio and licensed Atari games such as Pong, Circus Atari, Adventure, Battlezone, and Lunar Lander. ChatNow targeted preteens with a product shaped more like a mobile phone than a conventional walkie-talkie. It used Family Radio Service UHF radio, assigned users numeric buddy identifiers, supported limited text messaging, and included a basic black-and-white digital camera. The product was sold in pairs and was offered in flip-phone and slide-out configurations. TVNow was the final major extension of the brand. It was originally released as VuGo in 2005 and marketed as TVNow from 2006 through 2007. Unlike VideoNow, which depended on prerecorded proprietary discs, TVNow allowed users to connect the device to equipment such as a DVD player, cable box, satellite receiver, VCR, or television and record programs for later portable viewing. Its built-in memory could hold approximately one hour of video, with an SD-card slot for additional storage, and the device also supported MP3 files. By late 2007 the NOW brand had been withdrawn from retail distribution. The discontinuation closed a short-lived experiment in dedicated, child-oriented multimedia hardware. Its history illustrates both the appeal and limitations of that product model: licensed content and specialized hardware created recognizable product ecosystems, but proprietary formats, limited storage, and rapid changes in portable digital technology made the products difficult to sustain over time.
- 2007
Brand discontinued
[1]The NOW product family was discontinued by late 2007 as its remaining products left retail shelves.
- 2006
VideoNow Color FX and TVNow marketed
[1]The final original VideoNow player and the rebranded TVNow handheld recorder represented the brand's later-generation products.
- 2005
VideoNow Jr., VideoNow XP, and related products introduced
[1]Tiger added preschool and interactive VideoNow variants, while ChatNow and the original VuGo portable recorder broadened the NOW concept.
- 2004
VideoNow Color and PlayItNow added
[1]The product family expanded with a color VideoNow player and PlayItNow, a portable music recorder that also included simple licensed games.
- 2003
VideoNow introduced
[1]Tiger Electronics launched the first VideoNow portable video player with a black-and-white display and proprietary Personal Video Disc media.
Products and positioning
Child- and preteen-oriented portable entertainment and communication electronics, built around dedicated devices, licensed content, and proprietary media formats.
Portable video player · 2003
VideoNow
VideoNow was the core NOW product line and a portable video system for children. Introduced in 2003, it used proprietary Personal Video Discs containing short-form video, generally one television episode plus promotional material. The first player had a black-and-white display, followed by color and redesigned versions. Its library emphasized licensed children's programs from Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, with a smaller number of releases from Disney and other sources. Several generations were produced, including VideoNow Color, VideoNow Jr., VideoNow XP, and VideoNow Color FX.
Portable music recorder and game device · 2004
PlayItNow
PlayItNow was a portable digital music recorder introduced in 2004. An auxiliary input allowed users to record audio for later listening, while the device also operated as a basic electronic game system. Bundled licensed Atari titles included games such as Pong, Circus Atari, Adventure, Battlezone, and Lunar Lander. The product extended the NOW brand from video playback into portable music and casual gaming.
Child-oriented radio communication device
ChatNow
ChatNow was a preteen communication product designed to resemble a basic mobile phone while using Family Radio Service UHF radio rather than cellular service. Units used numeric buddy identifiers for directed communication, offered limited text messaging and buddy-list functions, and included a small digital camera capable of storing black-and-white photographs. The devices were sold in pairs in flip-phone and slide-out forms, with accessories including cases and an antenna for FM-radio reception.
Portable digital video recorder · 2006
TVNow
TVNow was a handheld digital video recorder marketed from 2006 to 2007 after an earlier release under the VuGo name. It connected to home entertainment equipment, including DVD players, cable boxes, satellite receivers, VCRs, and televisions, so users could record programs for portable playback. The device had built-in memory capable of holding about one hour of video, an SD-card slot for expanded storage, and MP3 playback support.
Video-editing software and camcorder · 2005
VideoNow Media Wizard and VCamNow
VideoNow Media Wizard was editing software released in 2005 for creating custom VideoNow Color discs from blank PVD media. VCamNow, a related VideoNow-branded camcorder, supplied a source for user-created recordings and was packaged with the editing software. Together they expanded the system beyond prerecorded licensed programming into limited personal video creation.
Brand decisions
2007
Discontinue the NOW brandOtherBackground
The brand's later products, including VideoNow Color FX and TVNow, had left store shelves by late 2007.
Action taken
Hasbro and Tiger Electronics ended retail support for the NOW product family.
Aftermath
NOW became a discontinued electronics brand.
2006
Shift toward recordable portable videoGeneration changeBackground
The proprietary prerecorded-disc model limited the amount and type of content available on VideoNow.
Action taken
Tiger marketed TVNow, derived from VuGo, as a portable recorder that could capture programs from household video equipment and store them for mobile playback.
Aftermath
TVNow became the last major product marketed under the NOW name before the brand was withdrawn.
2004
Broaden NOW beyond video playbackStrategyBackground
After VideoNow's introduction, Tiger tested whether the NOW name could cover several kinds of portable child-oriented electronics.
Action taken
The company added PlayItNow for music and games and continued developing communication and video variants.
Aftermath
The brand became a portfolio of specialized products rather than a single-device line, but the expansion did not establish a lasting brand.
2003
Launch a dedicated portable video platform for childrenProduct launchBackground
Tiger Electronics entered portable children's video with a device designed around proprietary discs and licensed television content.
Action taken
The company introduced VideoNow and built a content ecosystem around Personal Video Discs.
Aftermath
VideoNow became the most prominent product line associated with the NOW brand and was followed by multiple hardware generations.
Recent events
- 2023
USTDA supports Now Telecom standalone 5G project[2]
Other
Following grant funding secured in December 2022, the United States Trade and Development Agency and Now Telecom signed an agreement in January 2023 concerning a nationwide standalone 5G mobile and fixed-wireless network in the Philippines.
- 2022
Now Corp plans investment in Newsnet[2]
M&A
Now Corp announced plans to acquire a substantial equity interest in News and Entertainment Network Corporation, described as a 20 percent affiliate stake, as part of an effort to expand and consolidate its core businesses.
- 2020
Now Corp announces Nokia partnership for 5G services[2]
Other
The company announced a partnership with Nokia on December 1, 2020, to support the rollout of Now Telecom’s 5G broadband services.
- 2019
Now Corp partners with SK Telecom on 5G broadband rollout[2]
Other
Now Corporation entered a partnership with South Korean telecommunications company SK Telecom concerning the rollout of Now Telecom’s 5G broadband services in the Philippines.
- 2007
NOW brand discontinued[1]
Other
The NOW brand was discontinued by late 2007, after products including VideoNow Color FX and TVNow had disappeared from store shelves.
- 2006
TVNow became the brand's final portable video product[1]
Product launch
TVNow was marketed as a handheld digital video recorder capable of recording content from home entertainment equipment and playing it back on the go.
- 2004
NOW brand expanded into music, communication, and recording devices[1]
Product generation
After the initial VideoNow launch, Tiger broadened the brand with PlayItNow, ChatNow, and additional VideoNow formats, extending the concept beyond portable video playback.
- 2003
VideoNow portable video player introduced[1]
Product launch
Tiger Electronics introduced the first VideoNow player, a black-and-white portable device designed for children to watch short-form video on proprietary Personal Video Discs.
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