As mobile phones take on more features previously reserved for laptop and desktop computers, to this point, they've been limited in digital media mainly to flash memory like MicroSD cards. Well, Vmedia is poised to change that with a mini-CD that's only 32mm (about an inch) in diameter. This will allow you to carry movies in your pocket.

That said, you can already carry movies in your pocket by putting a file on a card and popping it into your phone, and flash tends to have faster read times than an optical disc (Optical discs are usually slower than hard drives, and hard drives are usually slower than flash drives, which is why the iPhone and iPod Touch have flash drives in them instead of hard drives like the iPod Classic.), and since these little discs would be easy to lose as they slip through your fingers on the train or through the hole in your pocket, this just doesn't seem like a good idea, but I guess we'll wait and see.

Full press release follows:

Vmedia Research™ Unveils Miniature Optical Discs and Drives for Mobile Entertainment

Technology Brings Big Screen Entertainment to Mobile Consumer Devices

Mobile World Congress 2008

BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vmedia Research, Inc. today unveiled its mobile entertainment media technology at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in conjunction with the announcement of the world’s first Vmedia movie phone by Spice Corp. Ltd. Vmedia™ is an innovative miniature optical disc format designed to bring the quality of a big screen experience and the simplicity of home entertainment to mobile consumer electronics.

“Consumers today are mobile and people want the same entertainment choices they have at home available for their mobile phones and portable media players,” said Steve Volk, CEO and founder of Vmedia Research. “Vmedia gives consumers what they want – the hottest new movies and TV shows on a mobile entertainment media that is easy to use, easy to buy and delivers a quality personal entertainment experience.”

A Vmedia disc is a new removable optical media for mobile devices that puts the latest movies and TV series into consumers’ pockets for personal viewing any time, anywhere. Entertainment on Vmedia is equivalent in quality to DVD, it sells for the same price and has the same release dates, but Vmedia gives consumers the advantage of a single media that will play on both mobile and home entertainment systems. Vmedia discs are played in Vmedia optical drives – the world’s smallest blue laser optical drives. Consumers everywhere are familiar with the benefits and use of optical discs. Vmedia discs are simple to use – just insert the disc and click “play.” There are no restrictions on the number of devices or screens on which Vmedia discs can be viewed. And with 576p image quality consumers can enjoy Vmedia entertainment on every screen in the house from mobile phones to the big screen TVs in their living rooms.

How Vmedia Works

A Vmedia optical disc is only 32mm in diameter and is protected from the mobile environment by a slim cartridge. Despite their tiny size, Vmedia discs are able to hold complete feature-length movies at 576p resolution by combining blue laser technology with advanced video (H.264) and audio codecs (AAC).

Vmedia is a molded polycarbonate optical disc designed for economical high volume manufacturing using processes similar to DVD replication. The first generation single-layer Vmedia disc has 1GB of capacity which will hold the typical feature-length film plus extra features such as out-takes, mobile phone wallpapers and ringtones. Vmedia disc capacity will increase to 2GB on dual layer discs which the company expects to ship in 2009. A recordable Vmedia disc is under development for future release.

Playback of Vmedia discs in mobile devices is possible due to the advanced blue laser optical technology and miniaturization in the design of the Vmedia optical drive. In order to speed integration for mobile device OEMs and ODMs, the Vmedia optical drive is packaged as a complete, easy-to-integrate component. Designed to withstand the rigors of today’s mobile applications, Vmedia optical drives are resistant to shock and vibration, and feature low power consumption. The first generation Vmedia optical drive is currently shipping to mobile device manufacturers. A second generation slim drive with a reduced height of 9.5mm will be shipping in the latter half of 2008.

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