Seagate Technology announced its PipelineHD Series Hard Disc Drives, a new family of purpose-built HDDs for Digital Video Recorders with initial capacities planned up to 1TB. Vista Logo Certification will provide DVR and Media Center manufacturers with a wide range of options to meet the requirements of various customer segments; and the highest performing home media centers will utilize a terabyte enabling hundreds of hours of high-definition movie storage.

    This future is allowing DVRs to capture up to 200 hours of exciting high-definition television or 1,000 hours of Standard Definition television. Fueling the need for these large capacity options is the ever- increasing demand for high-definition content from consumers all around the world. The new PipelineHD Series hard drives not only increase the amount of content which can be stored but also integrate several other key performance features to raise the bar in the high-definition marketplace.

    Designed for superior acoustic performance, these new drives are virtually silent when functioning in a DVR system, a feature that is important in the living room and bedroom environments in which these devices are designed to operate. Another important characteristic of the PipelineHD Series hard drives is the best-in-class emitted vibration - a boost for system builders in terms of total system reliability and design simplicity. In addition to increased capacities, many DVRs and home media centers are developed without internal fans for quiet operation, requiring the internal hard drive to maintain reliability at higher-than-normal operating temperatures.

    Patrick King, senior vice president and general manager of Seagate's Consumer Electronics Business Unit stated out that "Today's consumer is no longer asking whether they need hard drive storage for their digital content - they're asking us how much we can deliver. Today's announcement furthers Seagate's leadership in meeting the demands of the consumer's digital content storage, by offering the most dynamic hard drive for the DVR market."

    With a target of meeting all global standards for low-power usage, the PipelineHD Series drives incorporate several key design elements to limit power consumption in all modes of operation. Consumers will benefit from this focus on low energy performance when the drives are incorporated into energy- efficient DVR systems with the added benefits of potentially lowering energy costs and reducing environmental impact.

    PipelineHD Series media-optimized hard drives are designed to perform reliably at the widest range of industry standard operating temperatures - capable of operating at drive case temperatures of up to 75° C - improving system reliability and increasing the field life of DVRs and home media centers. Combined with virtually silent operation, high performance optimized for high-definition streaming and power optimization, the PipelineHD Series Hard Drives will quickly become the top choice for manufacturers that provide the systems fueling the digital entertainment revolution.

    Digital video is now available through many channels worldwide, including cable and satellite TV, digital broadcast, IPTV, Internet streaming and download outlets and mobile networks. Consumers continue to drive changes in the way entertainment is distributed and enjoyed, and the entertainment ecosystem is responding with new ways of delivering convenience, choice and control. As a result, consumer demand for storage continues unabated, particularly with HDTV's rapid global adoption.