With its latest hard disc drive, Hitachi is cutting down on read/write power consumption while expanding its line of green-minded consumer electronics components.
The CinemaStarC5K500, announced today, is a 500 GB hard drive that uses 22 percent less power for reading and writing than previous models, at 1.5 W. As the name suggests, it's part of the company's EcoTrac line of products, which are designed to have lower operating costs through power conservation, less waste during manufacturing, fewer toxic materials and greener packaging and transportation. The hard disc drive is also halogen-free.
Other features and specs include a SATA 3Gb/s interface running at 5,400 rpm, SMART Command Transport to reduce streaming interruptions and "silent seek" acoustics for quieter operations. Hitachi is pushing this model for applications in electronics rather than direct consumer use. The company envisions the drive in DVRs and DVR-enabled televisions, high-end audio systems and -- for you stalkers and mall cops out there -- surveillance.
At the consumer level, 500 GB DVRs are hard to find. Mostly, this kind of storage capacity is reserved for CCTV, but the company's suggested use for the drive in portable video players is exciting. Imagine flying across the globe with a half a terabyte of movies in tow. It's possible if power consumption and size are kept to a minimum.
I4U reports that the CinemaStar C5K500 will ship in the second quarter, with no price announced yet.
