In 1991, O'WONDER published a proposal for a standard range of three physical media types for the storage of digital information. Called UDiS Media (Universal Digital Information Storage Media), the proposal was sent to leading consumer electronic companies, industry leaders and multimedia standard organizations, including Sony (Japan), Philips (UK), the IMMA, IEE and others.

UDiS Media Logo

On time or ahead of its time, the UDiS Media proposal hinted at the forthcoming digital revolution that is now upon us and was designed to halt the continued explosion in incompatible media types, something that is bad for the consumer and bad for the industry. Below we provide links to pictures of some of the product concepts that were introduced in the document in order to tingle the imagination of OEMs and hint at future developments from O'WONDER!...

Imagine...
It is January 1996. For Christmas you bought yourself the latest trend in HiFi, a Digiman digital personal stereo. After all the hype about it on your Wide Screen HyperComputer(tm), you could hardly have been unaware it existed! You only have the demo DataCard that came with the Digiman. Not being able to put up with 2 hours of Digital Dixie you think it was quite fortunate that the DataCard is erasable and pop it into your HyperComputer's UDiS DataCard slot...

You emit a quick spoken command: "EMC MusicNet Please"

HyperComputer: "Please select a service"

You: "Buy the album 'Road to 2000' by The Pet Shop Boys"

HyperComputer: "That will be 24 dollars including TAX"

You: "OK, please buy"

HyperComputer: "Downloading" BLEEP "Done"

You: "Thanks, please revert to Channel 5 and record all broadcasts on the World Environment Conference in Geneva - Compression Level 3"

You remove the card and slip it into the top of your Digiman. The UPoS* PowerCard has been charging in the sunlight on the window sill. You pop it in to the UPoS slot and rush off to catch an ElectroBus...

Commercial interests mean that a standard like UDiS Media will be very hard to achieve, unless one or more of the following occur:

a) Key consumer electronics companies agree to work together.
b) A major player uses their industry might to 'force' such a well through out standard on the market.

Recent comments in the media validate the need for a UDiS Media type standard.

New York Times Article, April 2001

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the UDiS Media proposal, please contact us.