Game Boy Advance Video
Encyclopedia
Game Boy Advance Video is a format for putting video onto Game Boy Advance
cartridges. The video is played using the game system's screen
and sound hardware. These video cartridges are from Majesco Sales, but the Pokémon video cartridges were published by Nintendo
. The video cartridges are colored white for easy identification and are sold as Game Boy Advance Video Paks. Videos contained within GBA Video Paks are of the same 240x160 resolution
as GBA games.
animated series like: Brandy & Mr. Whiskers, Kim Possible
, Lilo & Stitch: The Series
, and The Proud Family
. Then in November 2005, Majesco started to sell GBA video paks with full length movies like Shrek 2
and Shark Tale
. A special GBA Video Pak features the movies Shrek
and Shark Tale combined in one cartridge, this Video Pak costs US$
29.99 as of April 2007. As of April 2007, the retail price of original GBA Video Paks lowered to US$9.95.
, Game Boy Advance SP
, Game Boy Micro
, Nintendo DS
and Nintendo DS Lite
, as the owners of copyright in the television shows have requested that Majesco prevent people from using the GameCube's Game Boy Player
accessory to record the shows onto VHS
or DVD
(Unlike Sony
's PlayStation 2
and Microsoft
's Xbox
video game console, the GameCube cannot output Macrovision
gain-control copy distortion signals). The Paks check for the Game Boy Player, using the same logo authentication method used by GBA games that support controller rumble, and freeze with the message "Not designed for Game Boy Player" if they detect the Game Boy Player.
) and the length of the video content (feature length movies), video is heavily compressed, with visual artifacts marring nearly every frame. The image quality has the appearance similar to early Cinepak
compression, and the "quilting" and color bleeding effect found in other compressed video formats is also present. Also, in cases where the episode is available both as a 45-minute two parter or a 22-minute edited version, the 22-minute version is used.
Some reviewers have criticized GBA Video as being inferior to DVDs of the shows in several ways. However, defenders of the format note that GBA Video was never meant to be a serious competitor to the DVD format, and since the videos are generally targeted at young children, their lower video quality may be considered adequate.
Magazine, as part of its players poll sweepstakes, in which five grand prize winners would receive a GBA SP and twenty GBA Video Paks. Most GBA Video Paks cost US$9.95 and feature 40 to 45 minutes of video content. Movie GBA Video Paks cost US$19.99 and feature a 90 minute movie.
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
cartridges. The video is played using the game system's screen
Display device
A display device is an output device for presentation of information in visual or tactile form...
and sound hardware. These video cartridges are from Majesco Sales, but the Pokémon video cartridges were published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. The video cartridges are colored white for easy identification and are sold as Game Boy Advance Video Paks. Videos contained within GBA Video Paks are of the same 240x160 resolution
Display resolution
The display resolution of a digital television or display device is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. It can be an ambiguous term especially as the displayed resolution is controlled by all different factors in cathode ray tube , flat panel or projection...
as GBA games.
History
GBA Video Paks became available in North America in May 2004. In June 2004, Majesco had expanded its GBA Video categories. In November 2004, Majesco started to sell GBA Video Paks featuring Disney ChannelDisney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
animated series like: Brandy & Mr. Whiskers, Kim Possible
Kim Possible
Kim Possible is an American animated television series about a teenage crime fighter who has the task of dealing with worldwide, family, and school issues every day. The show is action-oriented, but also has a light-hearted atmosphere and often lampoons the conventions and clichés of the...
, Lilo & Stitch: The Series
Lilo & Stitch: The Series
Lilo & Stitch: The Series is the animated television spinoff of the feature film, Lilo & Stitch and the follow-up to Stitch! The Movie.-Plot:...
, and The Proud Family
The Proud Family
The Proud Family is an American animated television series that premiered on Disney Channel from September 15, 2001 to August 19, 2005.-Production:...
. Then in November 2005, Majesco started to sell GBA video paks with full length movies like Shrek 2
Shrek 2
Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek...
and Shark Tale
Shark Tale
Shark Tale is a 2004 American computer-animated comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation. In the story, a young fish named Oscar falsely claims to have killed the son of a shark mob boss to win favour with the mob boss' enemies and advance his own community standing...
. A special GBA Video Pak features the movies Shrek
Shrek
Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
and Shark Tale combined in one cartridge, this Video Pak costs US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
29.99 as of April 2007. As of April 2007, the retail price of original GBA Video Paks lowered to US$9.95.
Copy prevention
GBA Video Paks are viewable only on Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, Game Boy Advance SP
Game Boy Advance SP
The , released in February 2003, is an upgraded version of Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. The "SP" in Game Boy Advance SP stands for Special. The SP was marketed at US$99.99 at launch. In September 2004, Nintendo lowered the price to US$79.99...
, Game Boy Micro
Game Boy Micro
is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in September 2005 in the market. The system is the last console of the Game Boy line...
, Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
and Nintendo DS Lite
Nintendo DS Lite
The is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It is a slimmer, brighter, and more lightweight redesign of the Nintendo DS, designed to be aesthetically sleeker, while taking styling cues from the Game Boy Advance SP, and to appeal to broader commercial audiences...
, as the owners of copyright in the television shows have requested that Majesco prevent people from using the GameCube's Game Boy Player
Game Boy Player
The is a device made by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube which enables Game Boy , Game Boy Color, or Game Boy Advance cartridges to be played on a television. It connects via the high speed parallel port at the bottom of the GameCube and requires use of a boot disc to access the hardware...
accessory to record the shows onto VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
or DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
(Unlike Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
video game console, the GameCube cannot output Macrovision
Macrovision
Rovi Corporation is a globally operating, US-based company that provides guidance technology, entertainment data, copy protection, industry standard networking and media management technology for digital entertainment devices and services...
gain-control copy distortion signals). The Paks check for the Game Boy Player, using the same logo authentication method used by GBA games that support controller rumble, and freeze with the message "Not designed for Game Boy Player" if they detect the Game Boy Player.
Criticism
Because of the low capacity of GBA cartridges (ranging from 4 to 32 MBMegabyte
The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000...
) and the length of the video content (feature length movies), video is heavily compressed, with visual artifacts marring nearly every frame. The image quality has the appearance similar to early Cinepak
Cinepak
Cinepak is a video codec developed by Peter Barrett at SuperMac Technologies, and released in 1991 with the Video Spigot, and then in 1992 as part of Apple Computer's QuickTime video suite. It was designed to encode 320x240 resolution video at 1x CD-ROM transfer rates. The codec was ported to the...
compression, and the "quilting" and color bleeding effect found in other compressed video formats is also present. Also, in cases where the episode is available both as a 45-minute two parter or a 22-minute edited version, the 22-minute version is used.
Some reviewers have criticized GBA Video as being inferior to DVDs of the shows in several ways. However, defenders of the format note that GBA Video was never meant to be a serious competitor to the DVD format, and since the videos are generally targeted at young children, their lower video quality may be considered adequate.
Other information
GBA Video Paks were the feature prize in Vol. 183 of Nintendo PowerNintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
Magazine, as part of its players poll sweepstakes, in which five grand prize winners would receive a GBA SP and twenty GBA Video Paks. Most GBA Video Paks cost US$9.95 and feature 40 to 45 minutes of video content. Movie GBA Video Paks cost US$19.99 and feature a 90 minute movie.