Then Again, Who Needs A New Disc Format, Anyways? Pt I

At least, that's what Irish tech company PortoMedia thinks. PortoMedia is rolling out video rental kiosks that load rental content onto flash media.

CNet: Coming soon: Movies on flash memory cards

While other companies see the Internet as the answer to that question, Armstrong has another idea. PortoMedia is setting up kiosks that will letconsumers download movies to a flash memory key or portable hard drive.
The kiosks will be packed with hard drives that can hold 350 to 5,000 titles. Users then plug in a memory device from the company, enter a PIN code, and buy or rent a movie. When consumers get home, they simply slide the memory device into a dock connected to a TV.
The key to the service is a proprietary USB interface that transfers data at a faster average rate than standard USB devices. A standard-definition movie can be loaded onto a memory device in 8 to 60 seconds, depending on the length and chip speed. High-definition movies, which won't be available initially on the service, can be downloaded in 18 to 45 seconds. The USB interface works just fine with the USB slots on PCs and notebooks.

Okay, it's not internet media, but it's an interesting twist, and it's probably one more nail in the coffin of optical disc media.

Believe me when I say that I will be watching developments in this space with great interest.

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Panasonic uveils Blu-ray player intended to be final nail in HD-DVD's coffin

TWICE: Panasonic Bows Blu-ray Deck With "Final Standard" Features

Panasonic today introduced a next-generation Blu-ray player it said is the first with the format’s Final Standard Profile feature, and will ship it in November.
Final Standard Profile is an advanced function added to the Blu-ray standard, which Panasonic said allows new functions such as picture-in-picture and audio mixing (which allows the consumer to switch the sound between the main and sub windows).
Panasonic’s DMP-BD30 is said to be the first Blu-ray deck to also feature the inclusion of an SD card slot for playback of high-definition content recorded in the AVCHD format. The SD slot also allows for viewing of digital still images recorded to an SD card.

Sounds lovely, but I have a question. When we start seeing SD cards with 50+ gigs on them (and don't kid yourself, it will happen. We're already seeing other flash memory types in that ballpark), why will we need Blu-ray optical discs?

Going back to my previous day's metaphor comparing the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD fracas to the Great War (ie: a senseless and futile waste of resources and lives), is a bigger, better, beefier Blu-ray player the CE equivalent of the Dreadnoughts that European naval powers channelled insane amounts of funds into at the end of the 19th Century: impressive as hell, but ulitimately ineffective at attaining dominance, and obsolete before the conflict was even over?

The smart money is on hi-cap flash memory, and bigger, better high-speed downloads.

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