New Hybrid DVD Format Could Enrage Blu-Ray, HD-DVD

Digital Journal — Just when you thought the high-definition DVD war was going to get heated, along comes a company looking to end the big battle. Britain-based New Medium Enterprises (NME) says it will produce inexpensive multi-layer discs that can support different, competing formats, all on one disk.

Since multiple DVD discs can quell the format war waged across the world, expect the Blu-ray and HD-DVD camps to come out swinging. They won’t be happy to learn that NME patented a technology that can place a film on one disc, using two various formats. Also, NME’s high-capacity discs only cost 50 percent more to make than a standard DVD disc — compare that number to multi-layer recordable DVD discs that cost three to five times as much to produce than a single-layer disc.

NME’s first prototype disc should be available in early 2007.

Since Hollywood studios have staked their positions at either the Blu-ray or HD-DVD side, NME’s announcement will surely rattle their cages. No longer will merely two formats compete for high-def customers — now a third option can lure attention away from the conflict soaking up media headlines.

And if NME succeeds where the others have failed, expect the rules of the home-theatre business to be completely rewritten.

Looks like Toshiba and Sony now have a new public NME.