NME fleshes out 40GB HD VMD discs, hardware, still prepping for launch
By Ryan Block 
posted Aug 30th 2007 7:06PM
posted Aug 30th 2007 7:06PM
posted Aug 30th 2007 7:06PM
The percentage of sales people that recommend Samsung HDTVs.
Salespeople are also becoming less likely to recommend LCD sets over plasma sets, which goes against the industry trend.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
Screw HD DVD and Blu-ray! THIS is clearly the way to go!
It looks like an iPod! Finally, someone is offering a cool product here, I like the attitude here, red laser 1080p! Its about time for something new to look at, the Hi-Def market is full of the same old usual suspects churning out heavy-looking electronics equipment... the HD VMD price is right... all we need from this camp is film content now...
Everything your palpitating heart wants to know is in this press release, along with such memorable lines as "posing a serious challenge to Blu-ray and HD DVD".
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/08-30-2007/0004654300&EDATE=
Hey, This is different. Does anyone know if Toshiba or Blu ray do a 3 Layer disc?
you knows whats funny this re-laser hd format is better then hd dvd lower price for 1080p player 45mbit bandwith and 40 gig storage
I think by the way their site says it, they are doing this by just adding layers to the DVD format, but that has problems because more layers makes a higher reject rate. 45MBps is doable, that's about 4.5x the speed of the base DVD.
Still, I just don't see this being a commercial success. Already they are barely beating Toshiba's pricing and they don't have the 270+ titles that each of the HD formats have so far.
Non Regional Player and DVD upscaler? At that price, they're either crazy or on to something. I think I'll buy that one.
I rather this and HD DVD, cuz they both are afforable prices. I dislike and not interest in Blu-ray at all cuz of idiotic greedy company... yep, SONY! So, this looks very interest and price range including the software codes look great. I'm in, as for HD DVD and HD VMD.
As a consumer I tired of big companies dictating how we live and what we watch and buy. I am all for small companies that try to give the consumer a real solution. The idea that HD VMD is using existing red laser will not only make their solution affordable to Mr. and Mrs. Smith but it will also make it affordable HD format for independent film makers specially in countries other than US. I love ethnic movies and I would love to be able to see them in HD.
DRM = AACS
Lame.
The video codecs were mentioned in the linked PR piece. Their web site seems to use the same trick that Constellation 3D did to make it seem like they had an optical disc, the photos looked exactly like the clear plastic end pieces for CD-R spindles!
The site of their only claimed US distributor doesn't even acknowledge the existence of HD VMD.
Anyway, until they have something to show for it, I think I'll just predict that this will do about half as well as WMV-HD.
I wouldn't write this format off just yet, if their players is coming in at that price the next models will probably be even cheaper... the fact that Mr & Mrs Smith won't have to throw out all their kids Baby Einstein DVD's makes the whole affair very civilized. First glance says multi-layering looks like a practical compression/coding solution, that's probably why their bit rates in playback are so quick. Not sure yet, but HDVMD ticks more of my boxes that Blu-ray does. If Blu-ray fails Sony wouldn't even flinch, it's like a weekend in Vegas for them. De ja'vu... BETAMAX(if you are old enough to remember)!
"the fact that Mr & Mrs Smith won't have to throw out all their kids Baby Einstein DVD's makes the whole affair very civilized."
Huh? Name me one Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player that doesn't play DVDs.
Practically, this Red Laser technology looks like something better and I can see it probably coming down more in price... Maybe Mr & Mrs Smith don't have 700 bucks to blow on a new Blu ray machine, in that case Im talkin bout price and backwards compatibility. That spells winner in these kind of races...
That still doesn't explain why you say "backward compatibility", it's either FUD or a lie. All HD-DVD players play DVDs by standard, you won't find one that doesn't unless it's broken. All Blu-Ray players available for sale play DVDs too. Neither type of player would sell without DVD playback.
Blu-Ray isn't the only standard either, HD-DVD players list at just a bit more (with 5 free movies) and there's plenty of potential to go down in price, and already has nearly 300 titles that can be bought now.
I can't find the player or the titles for VMD-HD. As such, I'll consider it a vaporware format.
Its still 2 early to write off a third format. In the playback market what counts in the end is image quality, FPS... thats down to compression codes and bit rate. Toshiba has been getting hammered in reviews cause it cant handle 24fps. Blu takes me about 4.5 minutes to load up!! Dis looks like a david-goliath story and i like their innovation. Im always suspicious of pepes who automatically beat up new formats... whats their real agenda by doing dis?? Will see what da experts say about HD VMD when they start reviewing it here.
Toshiba in 2005 announced that they had a 3 layer disc but it is no where to be found. I have not seen this disc or heard anything about it since then. on the other hand nme has shown their 3 layer disc and multi-layer player at IFA 2007. I am not sure about blu-ray though.
Just what the market place needs,... NOT !
What is the point of this product, it is very similar in spec to HD DVD without the support.
Why not put their weight behind HD DVD , maybe they could have joined HD DVD and could have become a joint venture to take on blu ray or vice a versa, instead we have more confusion, a more fractured market place and an even smaller piece of pie for everyone, ridiculous.