New Hitachi ''CinemaStar'' Hard Drive Targets Digital Video Recorders, Set-Top Boxes; Popularity of Hitachi 3.5-inch Hard Drives, Growth of Digital Video Offer Ideal Backdrop for CinemaStar Introduction

Business Wire, April 4, 2006

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- With 2006 representing the start of accelerated growth for hard-drive-based digital video applications, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi) is announcing a new product line that gives DVR and set-top box customers a dedicated high storage capacity solution that's optimized for consumer electronics: the 3.5-inch CinemaStar(TM) hard disk drive.

Industry analyst TrendFOCUS predicts an 80-percent growth for digital video applications that rely on hard drive storage in 2006. Against this backdrop, the Hitachi CinemaStar hard drive is designed to harness features that make it especially receptive to storing and retrieving digital video content, while also enriching the viewer experience.

The new products, called CinemaStar 7K500 and CinemaStar 7K160, are based off Hitachi's award-winning 3.5-inch Deskstar platform. The CinemaStar family, which is expected to be available in early third quarter, brings together the following CE-specific features and benefits:

--Silent seek acoustics for "bedroom-quiet" operation

--Low power idle for cooler system operation and greater host-product reliability

--Wider temperature range to support warmer operating environments, especially in confined spaces like entertainment centers

--Smart Command Transport and adaptive error recovery for optimized video streaming and picture quality

--Thermal fly height control for improved error rates in varied temperature conditions

"We believe the CinemaStar is the capstone of Hitachi's efforts thus far in developing hard drives for CE applications," said Jose Antelo, vice president & general manager, Business Management, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. "The CinemaStar not only integrates focused CE functionality, but it also offers a logical branding scheme, which makes it easily recognizable to customers looking for a digital-video-based or other CE-specific storage solution."

The CinemaStar 7K500 will be made available in two- and three-disk designs with 250, 320, 400 and 500 GB of storage capacity, while the CinemaStar 7K160's one-disk design offers 80 and 160 GB of capacity. The new CE-focused drives meet the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliance directive issued last year by the European Union. CinemaStar hard drives are ideal for use in standard and high-definition DVRs, DVD/HDD recorders, DVR-enabled televisions, set-top boxes and media center PCs.

Complete 3.5-inch Offering

Hitachi will offer the 3.5-inch CinemaStar product line as a companion product to the Deskstar. The Deskstar line will be targeted at mainstream PCs, workstations and lower-cost/low-duty cycle server applications. To address nearline applications within the 3.5-inch segment, Hitachi will also introduce a new brand of products to be announced at a later date. Together, the Deskstar, CinemaStar and a nearline-specific offering will represent Hitachi's comprehensive strategy for servicing the differing application needs within the 3.5-inch ATA/SATA segment.

Technical Specifications:

    CinemaStar 7K500

    500/400/320/250 GB (GB = 1 billion bytes, accessible capacity may
    be less)
    998 Mb/s max. media transfer rate
    14 ms silent seek time
    7,200 RPM, 4.17 ms average latency
    ATA-133/Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s
    8 MB data buffer
    26.1 mm in height (max)
    118 billion bits per square inch maximum areal density
    3/2 platter(s)
    6/4 recording heads
    350 G (2ms) non-operating shock (2 disk)
    300 G (2ms) non-operating shock (3 disk)
    6.0 (3 disk)/5.0 (2 disk) watt idle power (Parallel ATA)*
    7.0 (3 disk)/6.0 (2 disk) watt idle power (Serial ATA)*
    3.0 (3 disk)/ 2.8 (2 disk) Bels typical idle acoustics
    0-60 degrees C operating temperature
    Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) spindle motor

    CinemaStar 7K160

    160/80 GB (GB = 1 billion bytes, accessible capacity may be less)
    966 Mb/s max. media transfer rate
    14.0 ms silent seek time
    7,200 RPM, 4.17 ms average latency
    ATA-133/Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s
    8 MB data buffer
    26.1 mm in height (max)
    120 billion bits per square inch maximum areal density
    1 platter
    2/1 recording heads
    350 G (2ms) non-operating shock
    4.9 watt idle power (Parallel ATA)*
    5.9 watt idle power (Serial ATA)*
    2.5 Bels typical idle acoustics
    0-60 degrees C operating temperature
    Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) spindle motor

    * When low power is enabled, power consumption can reduced by up
      to 51 percent.

About Hitachi Global Storage Technologies

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies is a storage technology leader, founded in 2003 through the combination of Hitachi's and IBM's hard disk drive businesses. Hitachi GST enables users to fully engage in the digital lifestyle by providing high-value hard drives in formats suitable for the office, on the road and in the home.

With its legacy in hard drive invention, Hitachi GST will lead the industry in celebrating the hard drive's golden anniversary in 2006. After five decades of innovation, the hard drive has had a profound effect on the computing and consumer electronics industries. That heritage lives on at Hitachi GST through products that define the standard for hard drive miniaturization, capacity, performance and reliability.