New Medium Enterprises has been trying to get its VMD platform for
high def optical discs out the door since
late 2004, but we haven't heard much solid. In the grand tradition of vaporous, cut-rate consumer electronics, NME's publishing some puffy PR with terms like "The New Definition of High Definition" and "True High Definition". What are they offering? Well, supposedly a budget player's in the works that will play 1080i/p video for €179 ($250), upscale DVDs, and offers 45Mbps video (codecs go unmentioned) and 7.1 surround, region-free media, and a totally blockbuster lineup of Bollywood and Hollywood titles, including Mel Gibson classic "Apocalypto," and "Passion of the Christ". Color us totally impressed. No, really.
posted Aug 30th 2007 7:06PM
Already in on the Blu-Ray bandwagon...My head hurts.
I just want a media front-end that plays a variety of formats at resolutions up to 1080p w/ AC3 or better, can play music, lets you view pictures in 1080p and does it all over a network. If it streams internet radio, youtube and others, all the better.
If they could bundle in that kind of functionality with this player, I'd be waiting in line for it when it came out. Hell, I would probably even buy a VMD disc or two to play with.
Wait.. I take it VMD is another HD format of disc?
Wow.. Lil late to the game are they...
I already have a HD-DVD player and a Blu-ray player (Xbox 360 and PS3), I really don't need another HD format player unless it is poised to be the future of HD movies.
VMD, sounds - like an std... The disks would probably be pretty expensive to manufacture - esp on a red laser based media - which in the process would up the cost to the EU....w/ the fact that it sounds like very little studio support and hardly any recognizability to the name...i'm not so sure about this one - show me a catalog of disks that outweighs hd-dvd or blu-ray and some quality hardware from a reputable source...and maybe i'd think about it - i dunno...i think they're losing before they even get started - esp in a game that's in quadruple overtime already.
Last time I checked, HD sales are only about 1% of the player market, so it's still very early days. I love a good ol' David and Goliath story. Blu has confused the market, I like technology that takes to practical route regarding formats. The more I look at this format, the more it makes sense, red laser, lots of sorage and no problem getting 24fps with a 45mbps bit rate. Besides, I can't afford a decent Blu-ray on a Target salary!!!
I have been following this new format for about a year now and many people in the U.S. are missing why this format was created and why it's being introduced into the market now. When a new product is released into the market many only think of how this item will affect them and those around them. People often fail to account for the markets outside of their surrounding areas that may find or use this new product more so because of various reasons. HD VMD was created first and foremost as a low cost, high performing alternative to the vastly expensive HD DVD and Blu-Ray players on the market right now, targeting countries such as Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa just to name a few. When this player is launched they would love to sell as many units in the United States as they can, but fact is the U.S. is very low on its totem pole on selling units because they are more intent on selling this player to countries where even DVD today is a luxury and having a HD DVD or Blu-Ray player in a home is almost non-existent. HD VMD will focus on bring HD content from a plethora of Asian and Southeast Asian (Bollywood films) distributors primarily to countries such as China and India (and the countries that surround it), two countries with the most people on the planet who love movies and entertainment but don't have bundles of money sitting around at home. People in the U.S. don't understand how big say a Bollywood movie is when it's released, even though it might be released in its original Hindi language these type of films are enjoyed all over the world by tens of millions of people in more countries that I can even think of thanks to the advent of subtitles and alternate language tracks. A family in India can't afford a $300 to $1000 dollar HD or Blu-Ray player with movies averaging around $25-$35 a pop, but a $150 HD VMD player with movies ranging from $10-$20 a pop is more likely to attract this type of audience. In China, India, and the Middle East a format known as VCD (Video Compact Discs) are still king and players usually range between $75 to $150 U.S. if you get a decent one. I bought my family a brand new Samsung 5 disc VCD player in Pakistan for around $125 U.S. in July 2005 (I know it's probably went down in price since then). The average American has never heard of VCD, but as many know this format is probably the number one format for watching movies in lower economic countries such as Asia and India. VCD's picture quality is atrocious for the most part, but it didn't become king in Asia and India because it looked good, no it became king because it was cheap to make, distribute, and export. But content is what rules the world, if you are able to provide cheap players/content with HD picture and sound then there IS a market for it. If HD VMD can off high quality players at VCD player prices then this market is huge and it won't be formats that will be deciding the HD war, it will be people who support more affordable and readily available media for their HD players. Regardless if this format makes a dent or even fails in the HD wars in the U.S.; its vast appeal abroad will surely make this player the number one choice for providing HD content in homes around the world where HD DVD players are not as sought after as they are in the U.S. I will be pre-ordering my player in the next few weeks and will be looking forward to getting it around the end of October or beginning of November because I'm a huge Asian and Bollywood film fan. I'm going to assume that HD-DVD won't be supporting those film genres anytime soon and Sony marginally supported Asian and Bollywood titles on DVD in the states and I would bet money it would be the same for Blu-Ray if the opportunity arises.
So, according to your comment the HD VMD is aimed at Europe because here DVD is a luxury?
Oh, and VCDs are not totally unknown in the US and Europe because some time ago pirated movies were often shared as VCD. The quality is equal to cheap VHS.
So lemmie get this straight. They can't afford the 300 dollar HD DVD player but they need HD to play on their 2000 HD TV?
Wait, so what you're saying is...actually to be honest I really cbf reading your comment.
When do you see India abandoning the godforsaken VCD and adopting a format with a higher resolution like DVD? I'm also a fan of Indian movies, albeit of a more obscure genre, and most of these films are only available on VCD. While the rest of the world is embracing Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, India's market is saturated by substandard products that have a lower resolution than the analog VHS!
I think, what he is trying to say is, it's the affordability that wins this Format War. And he feels HD-VMD is an ideal candidate. Do you know only the 3 major languages of India (not even Asia and not even entire India) comprisingly produce around 600-700 movies per year! So, I would say, total of India would be producing around say around 1500 movies per year! Then, take China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Malaysia. Dare to find the count! We have not yet added Europe here.
The entire north america may take few years to reach the per-year count of Asian films. And also, the film fanatics are a very huge number in these continents than anywhere else. 2/3rd of the world stays just only in China and India. The chepaest and the most affordable means of entertainment for both these countries is Movies. So, if they embrace this new format, I bet, if ever this HD-DVD and Blue-Ray will win this war!
And to one of the posts, who questions about the affordability for a 2000$ HD TV, I think, its choice here. What I mean is 2000$ for a say 42 inch one. 1000$ for a say 36inch version. In Asia, I can safely bet, the average TV screen size would be around 22 (or may be 26) inches only!
By the time, this VMD reaches their film industry, the prices of such TV's would be around say 400$. Pretty decent huh!
Sams club 218$ for a 27inch CRT 1080p tv; so much for the 2000$ HDTV