Hitachi 500Gbyte HDDs enter home theater systems

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies has unveiled the CinemaStar C5K320 and 5K500 HDDs optimized for use in advanced home theater systems, providing high-capacity storage for STBs, digital video recorders (DVRs) and media center PCs. Hitachi also introduced the new CoolSpin technology to deliver high levels of power efficiency and quiet operation for digital video applications.

The CinemaStar C5K320 is a 2.5-inch hard drive with up to 320Gbyte capacity and the CinemaStar 5K500 is a 3.5-inch hard drive with 500Gbyte of storage capacity. With customized features, capacity and cool operation, the new CinemaStar drives usher in a new generation of consumer devices that store more hours of video, run more quietly and use less power.

CoolSpin drives use a low-power motor design, which requires less power to spin up the drive than most 3.5-inch hard drives. The low-power profile of these new drives enables the use of more cost-effective power supplies, which lowers energy costs for consumers.

The CinemaStar C5K320 is Hitachi's latest 2.5-inch, 5,400 RPM consumer electronics HDD with available capacities from 120Gbyte to 320Gbyte. In addition to improved perpendicular magnetic recording head technology and other reliability-focused enhancements, the new HDDs include Hitachi SmoothStream technology to enhance streaming functionality in digital video applications. The CinemaStar C5K320 also includes technology to provide time-limited error recovery and features enhanced thermal monitoring capabilities.

CinemaStar C5K320 is offered with silent-seek acoustics for ultra-quiet operation. Hitachi continues to provide low-power leadership and cool-running operation to make the C5K320 suitable for DVR applications. This third generation compact CinemaStar drive expands the Hitachi product lineup to provide manufacturers with more energy-efficient options for next-generation compact DVR designs.

'Cool' technology
The CinemaStar 5K500, Hitachi's first CoolSpin drive, uses an enhanced motor design to limit peak current during spin-up and enable lower continuous running power. With CoolSpin, the company was able to achieve just the right blend of performance, power management and acoustics for digital video applications. CoolSpin drives allow system builders to develop STBs and DVRs that run cooler and require less power, ultimately leading to improved product reliability and lifespan.

"Hitachi CoolSpin drives deliver a substantial power savings over their desktop-class counterparts, simplifying CE product design and paving the way for a new class of STBs and DVRs that are smaller, quieter and more reliable for consumers," said Larry Swezey, director, consumer and commercial HDD marketing and Strategy, Hitachi.

The CinemaStar 5K500 and C5K320 drives have been built on mature design platforms for proven reliability. The HDDs bring together the following CE-specific features and benefits: