MGA Entertainment is adding a working miniature television system to its Miniverse collectible line. The Miniverse Real TV Player and Video Tapes are available now through shop.mgae.com, with additional retail availability scheduled for later this month, the company says.
The starter set includes a tiny retro red TV, an exclusive videotape and a display case. Users insert a tape into the TV and press play to watch a 30-second clip from a show or film. MGA says more than 30 Real TV Video Tapes are available to discover, featuring NBCUniversal properties including Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Back to the Future, Casper, The Good Place, The Office and Saved by the Bell, among others.
Collectors can expand the setup with mystery capsules sold separately. Each capsule contains three mini videotapes that fit the TV, plus a mini keychain and a case for carrying a favorite tape. The line is designed for children ages 8 and up.
Josh Hackbarth, chief marketing officer at MGA Entertainment, said the screen may be tiny but the idea is not. He said the line turns familiar movies and shows into a collection that fans can physically operate. Choosing a tape, inserting it and watching an iconic scene, he said, connects with renewed interest in physical media and blends nostalgia with real functionality. MGA describes the product as playful, innovative and unexpected.