Third HD disc format announced

To much wailing an gnashing of teeth, a new proprietary HD disc format has been announced. HD VMD (High Definition Versatile Multilayer Disc) intended to be cheaper to manufacture, author and watch.

The format is being developed away from the big movie studios and technology manufacturers and is being aimed at markets outside the US, and in many ways reminds me of the way VCD set itself up as a cheaper alternative to DVD. VCD is ubiquitous in the Middle East and Asia. HD VMD may well take off in similar markets. Therefore talk of another format to compete with HD-DVD and Blu-ray may be a little of the mark.

Would be interesting if it also became as easy to author as VCD was in the early days as ompared to DVD.