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VM Labs Inc. had developed a technology called NUON which transformed passive digital video products such as DVD players, digital satellite receivers and digital set-top boxes into complete interactive video game entertainment systems. The powerful NUON processor provided the raw horsepower to decode digital video and audio, while delivering advanced trick modes and an enhanced user interface. At the same time, the NUON operating system provided a powerful platform for interactive content, enhanced movies, 3D videogames and many other applications. The heart of NUON was the Aries 3 chip. The Aries 3 was based on a unique 128-bit, four-way-parallel very long instruction word processor architecture. In addition to the video and audio decoding and trick-play functions, the chip performs all system-management and CPU functions. More specifically, Aries 3 featured MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 program stream and video decode; MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 Layers 1 and 2 audio decode; 5.1-channel Dolby Digital audio decode; extended DVD trick modes; 32-voice wave table synthesizer; MP3 decode; an integrated Content Scrambling System descrambling module; video scaling, and 3D video gaming. A hardware block placed on-chip to assist MPEG video decoding was designed to free up the bulk of the VLIW device's programmable processing power: 3,024 MIPS at peak and 864 MIPS typical. OK...if your still with us, it was a powerful chip for its time.
The first NUON-enhanced DVD-Video software/movie title was Fox Home Video's Bedazzled, released on March 13, 2001. Samsung and Toshiba launched NUON DVD players soon after. Other studios and game publishers opted to wait until the installed base grew. Toshiba's first released NUON powered DVD player was the Toshiba SD-2300. Samsung followed up with their own Samsung Extiva N-2000. The concept of playing games on a DVD player was unique until the inevitable release of the Sony Playstation 2. Other next gen systems began to follow suit. Why get a DVD player that plays games when you could get a video game console that can play DVD? This began to hurt sales on NUON enhanced DVD players. The Playstation 2 and other systems offered a broader library of games, and were still far cheaper. VM Labs eventually ran into financial troubles and filed for bankruptcy in December 2001. By March 2002, the company's assets were purchased by Genesis Microchip, and a new division, NUON Semiconductor, was formed to market NUON chips under the Aries name. On July 24, 2002, Genesis Microchip laid off the entire NUON division, and NUON became history.
The library of NUON-enhanced discs
is not large but does include a handful of games as well as the movies.
A few of the released titles were Bedazzled, Dr. Dolittle 2
and
Planet of the Apes from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Also MGM Home Entertainment's special edition re-release of the
cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the Eighth
Dimension. Some NUON games can be seen below. |
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In late 1994, Richard Miller, the former VP of Technology at Atari from 1989 through 1994, created a company called VM Labs. Having gained extensive experience in hardware development (his team created the Atari Jaguar), Mr. Miller focused his company's energies on creating a new technology to renovate the passive experience delivered by DVD players and digital satellite receivers. In 2000 their efforts resulted in the release of the NUON, a powerful 128-bit processor that was to be embedded within these types of digital video products. This technology produced excellent results in processing complex 3D graphics and digital video that enabled the delivery of interactive content, enhanced DVD playback (smooth scanning and zoom features) and, the point of writing this review, video games. NUON technology was released in a handful of DVD players (the first being the Toshiba SD-2300, pictured in this review). The general purpose was not unlike previous attempts at being an all-in-one multimedia playing machine (Memorex VIS, Philips CD-i, Pioneer LaserActive, et al). VM Labs also followed suit by planning to license the technology to various manufacturers (like the 3DO Company did in 1993). The reason that NUON technology was only released in select DVD players and not as a stand alone video game console was based on pure statistics. At the time, only 30% of the general public had embraced video game technology in their homes while the DVD player market was booming and was projected to have 100% penetration within 5-10 years. This was sound business planning, except for one key fact that they failed to give proper attention to - the release of a video game console that also played DVDs - the Sony Playstation 2. Enthusiasts within the respective DVD and video game market are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but it is safe to say that there are many more video game devotees that also are DVD fans than vice versa (especially in 2000). The decision to market a DVD player that could play games ultimately proved to be incorrect - the DVD aficionado did not necessarily play video games nor cared about them. Sure, the smooth scrolling zoom and scan features that a NUON DVD player offered were cool, but would the public pay the extra $100 or so for these features? The answer to this question is rather obvious, but first let's take a look at the NUON in more detail. The NUON chip (which was previously known as Merlin and then Project X) was truly a powerful piece of hardware at the time. The technology is based on the Aries 3 chip. Please check out Dark Watcher's description of the technical details in his DW FACTS on this page.
This processing power described produced games graphically equivalent to early Playstation 2 games. A total of eight games were released for the system, the most notable being Iron Soldier 3 and Tempest 3000 (developed by Jeff Minter, renowned classic home computer and Atari programmer). Though the developers varied on these releases, the majority waited to see if NUON could grab a significant hold of the DVD player market share prior to investing into this technology. In the end, it did not and third party support (both from the hardware and software fields) quickly dissipated, adding to one of the final nails in the coffin. |
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The NUON essential failed due to incorrectly identifying the needs of the ever increasing DVD player buying market. DVD enthusiasts were just that - not necessarily video game driven buyers. VM Labs went bankrupt in 2001 and sold off the NUON technology to Genesis Microchip, which in turn retired further development of the NUON in July, 2002.
NUON-enabled systems can be acquired easily from eBay and other
like sources. A loose system is cheap - right around $20-$40 or so
(USD). There is not necessarily a highly desirable unit, though the
Toshiba SD-2300 and
Samsung Extiva N-2000 (first system released). For a hardware CIB
unit, expect to pay $75-$100 (USD). Some of the games for the system are
hard to come by and will run you a few bucks - most notably the
Next Tetris (only included in the Toshiba system) and Tempest
3000 (the best game). These will run you around $70 or so - the more
common games around $20-$30. This is a recommended purchase for the
hardware collector (video game or DVD), but not necessarily for the
general gamer. |
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Various picture\video media for this console. Click pictures to enlarge. |
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NUON Toshiba SD2300 - Front
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NUON General Review Video courtesy of Dark0ps. |
NUON Toshiba SD2300 - Back
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For the hardware enthusiasts out there - all the detail you\we love. |
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Games screen shots and\videos released for this system. Click pictures to enlarge. |
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Iron Soldier 3 Release Date: 2001 Developer: Eclipse Software Design Video courtesy of studio3do. |
NUON Game Collection
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Tempest 3000 Release Date: 2000 Developer: Llamasoft Video courtesy of studio3do. |
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Ballistic Release Date: 2000 Developer: Mitchell Corporation  |
Crayon Shin-Chan Release Date: 2001 (Korea) Developer: Okiyasu  |
FreeFall 3050 A.D. Release Date: 2000 Developer: Total Arkade Software  |
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Merlin Racing Release Date: 2000 Developer: Miracle Designs  |
Space Invaders XL Release Date: 2001 Developer: Taito  |
The Next Tetris Release Date: 2001 Developer: Hasbro Interactive  |
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Additional authorized releases for this console. Model information confirmed and all pictures of these models courtesy of the NUON-Dome. Click pictures to enlarge. |
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Extiva DVD-N2000 Release Date: 2000 Developer: Samsung 
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SD2300 Release Date: 2000 Developer: Toshiba 
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DVD-N501 Release Date: 2001 Developer: Samsung 
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DVD-N504 Release Date: 2001 (Europe) Developer: Samsung  |
Samsung NUON Controller
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DVD-N505 Release Date: 2001 (Europe) Developer: Samsung |
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DVD-N591 Release Date: 2001 (Korea) Developer: Samsung 
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DRC300N Release Date: 2002 Developer: RCA 
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DRC480N Release Date: 2003 Developer: RCA 
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Non-licensed releases (clones). |
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Highly recommended additional sites\resources for this system. |
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Copyright 2008-2009 The Video Game Console Library. This website
and the information contained within it is protected by copyright.
Reproduction of part or all of the |
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HANDS ON REVIEW by
DW FACTS by 
DW FACTS
HANDS ON REVIEW