HD-VMD Players Get U.S. Launch

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

Previously I wrote about the HD-VMD format, a third high-def DVD format, but one that uses a red laser rather than the blue laser of HD-DVD and Blu-ray. Quietly (so quietly that NME, the manufacturer, had to email me to tell me) they have launched in the U.S., and in particular they are now on Amazon.com (though not shipping from Amazon.com — only directly from NME — so don’t count on Amazon Prime).

Currently HD-VMD can store 15 to 20 GB on a single layer, and plans are to increase that number to 30GB. The major advantage of HD-VMD, from the company’s perspective, is the red laser means a lower cost to produce content. HD-VMD discs cost only slightly more than DVD, at a little more than $1 per disc, while HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs run $2 - $3 per disc.

We Say: What’s the gotcha? Currently no U.S. studios have signed up to support it. Without such support, the new format may be stillborn.