[Update: more at eCoustics]

There’s a company that you’ve probably never heard about that’s producing a competitor to Blu-ray and HD-DVD, but that still uses red laser technology. The company is called New Medium Enterprises Inc. and the technology is called VMD, or Versatile Multilayer Disc. Right now a VMD can store 20GB of data on 4 layers, or later up to 100GB by adding additional layers at 5GB per layer (for a total of 20 layers). Plans are for 40GB in the 3rd quarter of 2005. New Medium in planning to demonstrate this technology in front of a bunch of investment and analyst type people, and plan to release content and players in the price range of current DVD offerings. The company plans to launch 20GB and 40GB discs and drives in the fourth quarter of 2005.

Link: Yahoo Finance - NME Unveils Bollywood Movie ‘Shabd’ in HD
Link: New Medium Enterprises Inc.