Seagate’s PipelineHD, New Family of Purpose-Built HDDs for Digital Video Recorders

Seagate
Technology announced its PipelineHD Series Hard Disc Drives, a new
family of purpose-built HDDs for Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) with
initial capacities planned up to 1TB, allowing DVRs to capture up to
200 hours of exciting high-definition (HD) 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.

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.

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. 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. As a result, consumer demand for
storage continues unabated, particularly with HDTV’s rapid global
adoption. Today’s announcement furthers Seagate’s leadership in meeting
this booming demand for storage in the home. According to The Yankee
Group, by the end of 2007, more than 40% of US households will own a
HDTV and studies predict that HDTVs will penetrate more than 80% of
households by 2011. Additionally, analysts believe that households
receiving high-definition content will more than double by 2010 and, as
a result, will increase the need and desire for higher capacity DVRs or
solutions to expand the capacity of current DVRs.

With shipments beginning in the first half of 2008, the PipelineHD
Series hard drive will initially be available in capacities from 320GB
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. 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. 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.

Keeping with the DVR theme, Seagate will also be displaying, in their
booth at the Consumer Electronics Show, a concept External DVR Box with
the intent of allowing consumers to expand the capacity of their
current DVR to take full advantage of premium services and HD content.

Seagate Technology