喔........第一部manga的DVD-MINI是[BLOOD:THE LAST VAMPIRE].....
再買一套回家作記念吧!(我已經有日版二區的box set了)
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DVD-mini, novelty item or the next fad?

You had to know it was bound to happen - call it what you will (a gimmick, novelty, or great idea), we are about to be introduced to a smaller version of the traditional DVD discs we've grown to adore. WAMO (Warner Advanced Media Operations) has taken the concept of the 3" compact disc and applied it to DVD. It should be noted right off the bat that this is - in no way, shape, or form - designed to replace the standard 5" DVD. Much like the CD counterpart, the 3" DVD (dubbed DVD-mini) is a quaint and potentially popular way to deliver content that doesn't require the amount of space that a full size DVD provides.

This new form of disc raises several interesting questions, some of which I hope to answer here. The first, and most important question is about compatibility. To utilize these 3" discs you do not need any new or special hardware. If you look at the loading tray on your DVD player, or DVD-ROM drive, you'll notice there is a recessed space already there to accommodate the smaller discs (see Figure A below). These discs are nothing new to the optical storage market - for years the 3" CD's have been around (although they, in all fairness, never really caught on)...


Figure A - a standard DVD loading tray

Now that you know you'll be able to use these tiny discs, it's fair to ponder their applications. Many similarities can be drawn to the applications used with the 3" audio disc. In essence, the logic behind the DVD-mini is to present small amounts of content at reasonable prices. This can and will span everything from music video DVD singles to short made-for-TV programming. The possibilities are endless. Since these discs are cost effective to manufacture (along the same lines as the 5" discs) the price point of the products will be reasonable. If nothing else they'll prove to be "cool" novelty items.

The DVD-mini comes in just as many varieties as its larger 5" brother. The disc can be single-sided, double-sided, or dual-layer. To help give you a better understanding of the technical side, refer to Figure B below for a comparison between the capacity of the standard 5" DVD and the 3" DVD-mini.


Figure B - 5"/3" DVD comparison chart courtesy of WAMO

With the in's and out's of DVD-mini laid out (and an understanding it is not a threat to DVD, but rather an additional choice) only time will tell if it will catch on. If you'd like to check out DVD-mini for yourself, there will be several products available in the near future. Manga will be the first to release a 3" DVD here in North America. The first 10,000 copies of BLOOD: The Last Vampire - coming out 08/28 - will contain a "free" DVD-mini featuring The Mad Capsule Markets' video for Pulse, weblinks, as well as the trailer for BLOOD: The Last Vampire. Additionally, Warner Publications will be releasing Tune Buddies (the first live-action series introducing children to the musical instruments) shortly after. Down the road, you can expect to see DVD-mini releases of Warner Music's popular Song Xpress guitar lesson series...and a whole lot more.

As with any format still in its infancy, the future of DVD-mini remains unclear. Depending on how these discs are marketed, and to whom they are marketed, this could very well be a great way to introduce people to DVD. Only time will tell...