Nuon
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- For the Dutch company for supply of gas, water and electricity see Nuon (company)
Nuon is a technology that adds additional features to a DVD player. In addition to viewing DVDs, one can play 3D video games, use enhanced DVD navigation tools, gain access to some DVD-ROM features that would normally be only available via a personal computer, play CDs while the Nuon graphics processor generates synchronised graphics on your monitor, and more. There are plans to provide Internet access capability in the next generation of Nuon-equipped DVD players.
The games offered were simplistic and few. The graphics capabilities place Nuon games somewhere between Nintendo 64- and PlayStation-level graphics. The graphics were outdated when it was released as the Dreamcast had been released several months earlier, and gamers were already looking forward to the PlayStation 2 to be released the next year.
In North America, Nuon was used in two Samsung DVD-N501 & DVD-N2000 models, they also released several models in other parts of the world which are DVD-N504 (Europe), DVD N505 (Europe) & DVD-N591 (Korea) and a Toshiba DVD player & 2 RCA which are the DRC300N & DRC480N. The Nuon was also used in Motorola's Streamaster 5000 "Digital DNA" set-top box. However the format has appeared to have died off. As of November 2004, there are no Nuon enabled DVD players shipping and no new Nuon software titles.
NUON was created by VM Labs who filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2001. The rights to the NUON technology was purchased in 2002 by Genesis Microchip.
During late 2001, VM Labs released a homebrew SDK which allowed people to be able to program apps/games for their NUON system. Unfortuntely, only the Samsung DVD-N501/DVDN504/DVDN505 and RCA DRC300N/DRC480N can load homebrew games. The Samsung DVDN-2000 and the Toshiba cannot play homebrew games. On the other hand, the RCA DRC300N and RCA DRC480N cannot play commercial NUON games.
Peripherals for Nuon-enhanced DVD players included the following:
- Logitech Gamepad
- Pro-elite controller
- Stealth controller
- Warrior Digital-D pad
- extension cable to extend the length of a controller
- a port replicator to move the Nuon ports to anywhere desired