UMD = DVD ?

[Kraken]

I was just thinking that maybe a UMD is actually just a slightly smaller dual layer DVD in a shell. Both operate on the same wavelength (660nm) and the storage capacity is actually consistant with dvd. Remember the last time a "proprietary" format was used on the gamecube, it ended up being just a dvd. Could be the same here though an even heavier case mod would be needed. Worth inverstigating I suppose, especcially since the filesystem is standard.

[BobTheMonkey]

Maybe some type of HiMD is used? V1.0 of HiMD is 1g so dual layer maybe?

[haux]

I was wondering the same thing about the UMD after the paradox releases so i checked the patent out, it was filed in nov of 2003

the umd u.s patent application number: 20050073923

if someone were to modify the spinner of a dvd reader/writer to a smaller diameter and moved the laser mech inward there would still be the matter of the disk being encrypted,,,as in the optical drives firmwares incapable of reading it. but as far as the media itself goes,,,its a glorified dvd in plastic

[MasterQ]

i doubt UMDs are the same as HiMD. UMDs are single sided (evident by only one hole on the bottom of the disc for reading), and they hold almost twice as much as a double-sided (evident by opening the slider on it, it has a hole on both sides for reading) HiMD. HiMD seems to be a multi-layered NetMD (also double sided).

[facegarden]

Originally Posted by haux I was wondering the same thing about the UMD after the paradox releases so i checked the patent out, it was filed in nov of 2003 the umd u.s patent application number: 20050073923 if someone were to modify the spinner of a dvd reader/writer to a smaller diameter and moved the laser mech inward there would still be the matter of the disk being encrypted,,,as in the optical drives firmwares incapable of reading it. but as far as the media itself goes,,,its a glorified dvd in plastic

I couldn't find the patent info on the US patent office website, are you sure that's the right number? I'd love to read over that application.
-Taylor

[haux]

go to the us patent website, search UMD...

[Krevnik]

Yeah, Sony would be stupid to recreate existing tech for this scale, but their requirements on a few things break the DVD spec... Still, I wouldn't be surprised if someone was able to eventually hook up a PSP's UMD directly to a machine through some hardware hack.