New Medium Enterprises just announced that it will release over 100 HD titles on Versatile Multilayer Disc (VMD) in the United States later this year, which will include several Broadway shows.

The VMD is a next generation optical disc standard suitable for high definition content, using current red laser technology with storage capabilities up to 100 GB.

NME has also decided to accelerate its launch of different HD formats in the US to accommodate the computer market. To bring market entry plans to fruition, NME will open a full-fledged operation in the US. To head the operation, NME appointed Jeff Burrow, a long-time sales and marketing executive from DirecTV who is familiar with HD from a national retail, content, and hardware perspective.

Burrow, in the newly-created position of Executive Vice President, North America commented, “NME represents a major breakthrough in bringing high quality, true HD content to consumers at a very affordable price. The technology presents an elegant, yet seemingly simple solution to a complicated category and I am honored to be chosen for the role in bringing NME into the U.S. market.”

The NME US operation will be based in Dallas, Texas, and will engage in sales and marketing of VMD optical discs, VMD players, as well as content acquisition and aggregation.

Returning from a roadshow in the US, Mahesh Jayanarayan, NME’s CEO, was upbeat on the prospects in the US marketplace stating that “We believe the opportunity for NME to succeed here in the United States is growing quickly and we are determined to exploit that opportunity as timely and completely as possible.”

In separate developments, New Medium Enterprises has struck a preferential partnership with Plasmon for the mastering and stamping of the VMD technology.

Plasmon OMS in Caen, France, is one of the largest manufacturing and sales centers for all commercial mastering and stamping activities. These include services for prerecorded VMD, DVD and any recordable format (CD-R, DVD-R, CD-RW, DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM).

NME and Plasmon OMS have already been working together for a number of years during the early stages of VMD research & development. Some aspects of this partnership include (a) a mutual agreement to work with NME, its partners and to support and promote the VMD, (b) a faster master/stamper turnaround time and (c) the ability to easily increase master/stamper capacity as demand is currently growing.

Story filed 08.05.06