Versatile Multilayer Disc

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Versatile Multilayer Disc
Media type High-density optical disc
Encoding MPEG-2 and VC-1
Capacity Standard: 20 GB (4 layer), 5 GB per layer
Developed by New Medium Enterprises
Usage High-definition video

Versatile Multilayer Disc (VMD or HD VMD) is a high-capacity red laser optical disc technology designed by New Medium Enterprises, Inc.. VMD is intended to compete with the blue laser HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats and has an initial capacity of up to 30GB per side.

At CeBIT in March 2006, NME demonstrated a prototype VMD player and announced that they were expecting to launch the format in the third quarter of 2006. At the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association trade show in September 2007, NME exhibited two players set for release in October 2007. There will be 20 US titles available at launch time, including many from Icon Productions, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, New Line Cinema, Lionsgate and Weinstein Co.. They have also signed a deal with Bollywood production company Eros Group who intend to release 50 Bollywood features on the format.

The two initial players to be released are the ML622S and the ML777S. The ML622S will cost approximately $150 USD. The ML777S costs currently (2008-01) USD 200 and includes USB ports (for connection to external storage devices) and a media-card reader.[1]

A story in the New York Times on 10 March 2008 has NME pushing the format as low cost, because red laser technology is less expensive. NME CEO Michael Jay Solomon sees the advantages as the low cost of producing HD VMD master discs, and he says “We can sell players for $90 and make a profit.” However, New Medium’s price strategy will fail, said Andy Parsons, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association, because it relies on a false assumption: Blu-ray technology will always be more expensive. “When you mass produce blue lasers in large quantities, hardware costs will absolutely come down,” Mr. Parsons said. “I’m sure we’ll eventually be able to charge $90 for a Blu-ray player.” [2]

Contents

[edit] Technical specifications

[edit] Disc format

The format uses approximately 5 GB per layer [3], which is similar to standard DVDs. Standard VMDs can use 4 layers, for 20 GB of storage. The rarer 8 and 10 layered discs store 40GB to 50GB, respectively. [4] The manufacturer list up to 20 layers on a disc being possible in the future. [3]

The Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats use blue-violet lasers, rather than VMD's red laser, which means they can store more information per layer. However, those formats have so far only utilized 1 and 2-layered versions. In January 2007, Toshiba announced development on a triple layer HD DVD (TL51) that would have had a capacity of 51GB. Hitachi announced a 4 and 6 layer version of Blu-ray as well, capable of 100 GB and 200 GB respectively. Therefore, a standard 4-layer VMD stores 20 GB which is comparable to a 1-layered HD DVD (15 GB) and 1-layer Blu-ray Disc (25 GB).

[edit] Content format

The HD VMD format is capable of HD resolutions up to 1080p which is comparable with Blu-ray and HD DVD. Video is encoded in MPEG-2 and VC-1 formats at a maximum bitrate of 40 Megabits per second. This falls between the maximum bitrates of HD DVD (36 Mbit/s) and Blu-ray (48 Mbit/s). There is the possibility that VMD discs may be encoded with the H.264 format in the future.[1]

The HD VMD format supports up to 7.1-channel Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS audio output, though it will not offer Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound codecs.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "HD VMD to Battle Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD", PC World, September 8, 2007. 
  2. ^ Another DVD Format, but This One Says It’s Cheaper - New York Times
  3. ^ a b NME - New Medium Enterprises - HD VMD, High Definition Players and Movies
  4. ^ NME fleshes out 40GB HD VMD discs, hardware, still prepping for launch - Engadget

[edit] External links