Meet the Third Contender in the Format War: VMD

[Ilya]

NME Enters U.S. Market - Will Release Over 100 HD Titles This Fall; Company Hires Executive VP to Manage U.S. Market Expansion

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2006--New Medium Enterprises (OTCBB:NMEN) (NME) today announced that it will release over 100 HD titles on Versatile Mulitilayer Disc (VMD) in the United States later this year, which will include several Broadway shows. The VMD is a next generation optical disc standard suitable for high definition content, using current red laser technology with storage capabilities up to 100 GB.


Returning from a road show in the U.S., Mahesh Jayanarayan, NME's CEO, was extremely upbeat on the prospects in the U.S. marketplace stating that "We believe the opportunity for NME to succeed here in the United States is growing quickly and we are determined to exploit that opportunity as timely and completely as possible."

NME has also decided to accelerate its launch of different HD formats in the U.S. to accommodate the computer market. To bring market entry plans to fruition, NME will open a full fledged operation in the U.S. To head the operation, NME appointed Jeff Burrow, a long time sales and marketing executive from DirecTV who is familiar with HD from a national retail, content, and hardware perspective.

Burrow, in the newly added position of Executive Vice President, North America commented, "NME represents a major breakthrough in bringing high quality, true HD content to consumers at a very affordable price. The technology presents an elegant, yet seemingly simple solution to a complicated category and I am honored to be chosen for the role in bringing NME into the U.S. market."

Jayanarayan added, "Jeff is a very talented and experienced person for whom we are extremely thrilled to have on board. The U.S. is no doubt our biggest market and we are confident that he will exploit its full potential for us."

The NME US operation will be based in Dallas, Texas and will engage in sales and marketing of VMD optical discs, VMD players, as well as, content acquisition and aggregation.

About New Medium Enterprises, Inc. (NME):

New Medium Enterprises provides the world's first low-cost true High Definition solution utilizing today's red laser DVD Technology and its industrial infrastructure. The VMD platform is ideal for 1920X1080i/p High Definition up to 40 Mb/s bitrate playback using its 20 GB - 40 GB red laser optical discs. VMD players & burners, stand alone and computer embedded are inherently backward compatible with DVD and CD. This is the only low-cost high-end offering to the discerning consumer comparable to contemporary DVD market prices.

For additional information about NME, please consult the Company's website at www.nmeinc.com.

 

[Ilya]

By the way, the price of this HD player as quoted at CeBIT, is $150!

 

[jgantert]

Man, thats cheap! I guess the "red laser" is they key. haha

I wonder what movies will be coming out for it?

-John

 

[colofan]

No major studios listed on the web site...a doomed format. They even mentioned that it is for video formatted material. Just what we need is yet another non-compatible media.

 

[Ilya]

Agreement with VDL-ODMS to Design and Build Proprietary HD-VMD Multilayer Optical Disc Replication Lines for Mass Production

LONDON, May 10,2006

New Medium Enterprises Inc. (OTCBB:NMEN), today entered into a binding agreement with VDL-ODMS an optical replication plant design and manufacturing company to design and build NME's production lines for multilayer discs of the future.

VDL-ODMS, headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is a global supplier of optical media replication equipment and processes. Part of the VDL Groep B.V., ODMS offers high performance solutions, based on a clear understanding of market needs and long experience in optical media technology.

The agreement includes the building of a multipurpose machine that will mass replicate the Company's multilayer optical discs, known as Versatile Multilayer Discs (VMD), as well as the usual DVD. In the future, similar machines will also manufacture multilayer discs for blue laser applications. These machines will combine the DVD processes and production modules of ODMS with new processes and modules stemming from novel technology developed by NME. The design will remain the sole ownership of NME. VDL-ODMS will promote and sell the VMD's proprietary lines to other parties globally on a licensing basis.

Dr. Eugene Levich, CTO of NME was delighted to join efforts with ODMS. He commented, "We are privileged to work with ODMS as a technology partner. Our scientific knowledge combined with their industry and technological expertise and experience, we feel confident that we will have the VMD replication lines of the highest caliber installed to churn out our high capacity discs."

Gabriel Walravens, CEO of VDL-ODMS stated, "NME showed us a great high storage technology and our initial findings lead us to believe that the VMD product will have big potential in the market and could be a low-cost solution to the media industry pursuing HD. We are happy to work with NME's scientific team and we are excited at the prospect of building the VMD lines."

 

[vurbano]

WOW!!!!!! R.I.P. HD DVD and Blu ray.

 

[vurbano]

NME Deal Aims At VMD Production


By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 5/9/2006 1:02:00 PM

London, England — New Medium Enterprises said it has entered into a binding agreement with VDL-ODMS, an optical replication plant design and manufacturing company, to design and build NME’s production lines for “multilayer discs of the future.”

New Medium Enterprises has developed what it calls “a low-cost, true high-definition solution utilizing red-laser DVD technology and its industrial infrastructure.”

The platform, called Versatile Multilayer Discs (VMD), employs a multi-layer optical technology to fit high-definition data onto a DVD-sized optical disc.

The VMD platform will support 1,920 by 1,080i/p HD content at a 40Mbps bit rate for playback using its 20GB to 40GB red-laser optical discs.

VMD players and burners — both stand-alone and installed in PCs — are backward compatible with DVDs and CDs.
New Medium said that VMD “is the only low-cost, high-end offering to the discerning consumer comparable to contemporary DVD market prices.”

VDL-ODMS, headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, is a supplier of optical media replication equipment and processes.

The agreement includes the building of a multipurpose machine that will mass replicate VMDs and DVDs, New Medium said.
In the future, similar machines will also manufacture multilayer discs for blue-laser applications.

These machines will combine the DVD processes and production modules of ODMS with new processes and modules stemming from novel technology developed by NME.The design will remain the sole ownership of NME.VDL-ODMS will promote and sell the VMD’s proprietary lines to other parties globally on a licensing basis.

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6333211.html?text=nme