New Medium Enterprises Announces DVD Breakthrough

LONDON — The upcoming DVD format war might be a stalemate if New Medium Enterprises gets its way. The media technology company said today that it solved a technical production problem and can now produce cheap multiple-layer DVD discs containing both HD-DVD and Blu-ray formats.

“Current technologies to create multiple-layer discs mostly don’t work,” said NME Chief Technology Officer Eugene Levich. “We’ve created a technology for mass production of multiple layers that does not suffer from the well known problem of low yields.”

A low yield refers to the amount of discs that contain errors and are unusable for commercial purposes.

New Medium’s announcement comes after two Warner Bros. employees filed a patent application for a single disc to hold both HD-DVD and Blu-ray. The new device would also be able to play standard DVDs on the reverse side of the disc. A triple-standard disc would cost more to produce, but it would be cheaper than producing three copies of a given title.

“There’s no collision between Warner and us,” Levich said. “They patent the application, we are patenting the technology. These are complementary patents. I’m glad it’s happened. Warner opened our eyes, because it shows they really want to do this and create multi-format, multi-layer discs.”

NME estimates the production costs of a multi-layer DVD using its new technology will be approximately 9 cents, versus 6 cents for a standard single-layer disc.

With NME’s multiple-layer discs a reality, the heated arms race in the next-gen format war might be a moot battle. Hollywood studios have been choosing sides, with each supporting one of the two formats, or remaining ambivalent until the market determines a leader. High capacity DVDs are needed to store true hi-definition movies on one disc.

Putting a film on one disc in both formats eliminates consumer confusion and saves them money on multiple discs and DVD players. The studios save money as well because they don’t have to undergo costly manufacturing for competing formats.

Dutch DVD maker ODMS confirmed NME’s technical achievement and said it will have the first prototype production line based on NME’s technology up and running by early 2007.

NME also announced it has created a DVD player that is capable of reading up to 10 different layers on a single disc. Levich said he is interested in licensing that technology to mainstream consumer electronics companies.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Stalwart Defender: Jeffrey Douglas on 30 Years Fighting for Free Expression

“If you had told me in 1995 that I would be on the FSC board for 30 years, I would have laughed out loud,” says Jeffrey Douglas.

FSC Publishes Analysis of Federal Trade Commission Event Promoting AV

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published an analysis of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) event held this week that promoted age verification among other forms of speech regulation.

GirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking

Michael Pratt, former owner of the rogue website GirlsDoPorn, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Thursday to sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking charges, according to a report by City News Service.

Master Nico Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Master Nico has relaunched his official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Federal Judge Grants Partial Halt of Florida AV Law

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division, has granted a preliminary injunction against HB 3, the state's age verification law, as a lawsuit filed by two online trade associations challenging the law makes its way through the courts.

Aylo Releases Statement on Suspending Access to Pornhub in France

Technology and media company Aylo, which operates adult sites including Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube, has released a public statement regarding its decision to block access to its sites in France.

Pornhub Blocks Access in France in Response to SREN Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo has opted to block access to its sites in France rather than comply with age verification requirements under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

ASACP Highlights Study on Parental Controls

The Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP) is highlighting the results of a study on the underutilization of parental controls.

Sydney Screams Launches New Site Through Grooby's Blue.xxx

Sydney Screams has launched her new membership site, SydneyScreams.xxx, through Grooby's website management company Blue.xxx.

Mistress Mystii Is LoyalFans' 'Featured Creator' for June

LoyalFans has named Mistress Mystii as its Featured Creator for June.

Show More