Optical media shrunk for mobile phones
DVD for handsets?
Optical media manufacturer Vmedia Research has launched a UMD-esque miniature disc that’s designed to allow everyone to watch films from a single source, whether its on their mobile phone or their home entertainment system.
Vmedia's discs already work on a Spice Corp handset
The single layer optical discs, which are encased in a plastic shell, measure 32mm in diameter. Each one holds up to 1GB of content and displays it at a resolution of 576p, which Vmedia said is possible through a combination of “blue laser technology”, H.264 video compression and AAC audio codec.
Specialist drives have been developed for the discs
Vmedia’s already partnered with handset manufacturer Spice Corp to develop a specially crafted handset capable of accepting the miniature discs. Although relatively little’s been said about the handset so far, it’s known that the discs slot into a drive developed in partnership with Panasonic and Vmedia.
Each disc, which will sell for about the same price as a DVD, will also be compatible with home entertainment systems. However, Register Hardware is sceptical about the media's ability to compete against the established DVD, Blu-ray and HD DVD camps. Nonetheless, Vmedia maintains that its optical discs are as simple to operate as inserting one into a disc bay and pressing play.
First generation drives are already shipping to handset manufacturers, with a second-generation 9.5mm diameter disc expected later this year. Dual-layers discs with a 2GB capacity are then expected to appear in 2009. Pricing information isn’t available yet.
COMMENTS
Discs?
And this is better than putting stuff on a SDHC card in what ways?
Hmm, seems like another way of trying to get people to buy stuff they already own...
Solution looking for a problem...
This has to be the daftest mobile idea ever - what's wrong with solid state storage (SD for example)?
Can't see that working
You can get a 1 gig SD card for 4 quid retail (microSD for the same), probably a lot less if you buy in bulk, and/or wait a few months.
Using one of these will use less power than an optical drive, won't need you to invest in or license a new format of reader, and be compatible with no end of existing hardware.
So why not stick the movie on a (if you insist, hack, spit) DRM protected memory card and have done with pre-obsolescented spinny disks?
*checks calendar*
Is it April 1st??!
This is a joke, surely? Has no-one told them that 1gb flash chips are now cheap as chips, or that downloads are the way now?
Good god, i hope no-one has *really* invested in this pile of pointless arse.
Stupid
This is just stupid when memory cards will use less power, will be more reliable and are already available in larger capacities and smaller physical sizes. It would be far better just to come up with a read only standard for a memory card formatted (for instance) in the same way as existing dvds.
