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- Hard Disks
WD®, the world's leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its smaller, smarter and more secure My Passport™ Essential™ and My Passport for Mac® ultra-portable external hard drives featuring WD's new WD SmartWare™ software and equipped with hardware-based encryption. The new My Passport drives are more than 20 percent smaller than the previous generation My Passport.
The new portable drives with WD SmartWare software visually present consumers' data in a control center, providing them peace of mind that their precious photos, videos and files are securely protected. Available now at select retailers and the WD online store (shopwd.com), the new My Passport Essential and My Passport for Mac drives are offered in capacities ranging from 320 GB to 1 TB and come in a range of colors including Pacific Blue, Real Red, Cool Silver and Midnight Black.
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The rapid advances in computer processing technology has seen CPU and memory speeds outstrip that of conventional mechanical hard disks. This is why it is increasingly being replaced by newer Solid State Disk (SSD) technology. To meet the overclocking needs of high-level enthusiasts, Team Group Inc. has once again leveraged its extensive technical expertise to launch the all-new Xtreem SSD series. First in the series are the Xtreem G1 and Xtreem R-type.
In addition to being quiet, light, energy-saving and shock resistant, the Xtreem G1 and R-type pushes SSD read speeds to a breath-taking 260MB/sec and write speeds to a respectable 180Mb/sec. Compared to thick, heavy conventional 7200RPM HDDs with a read speed of just 80MB/sec and write speed of just 60MB/sec, Team's Xtreem SSD is a Ferrari that easily pushes the edges of the speed envelope.
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- Network Storage
LG Electronics introduced a new Network Attached Storage option for consumers looking to protect their multimedia entertainment files, this week at Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) EXPO 2009 (Booth #2623).
To help safeguard treasured family memories, photos and music, LG's Network Attached Storage (NAS) model N2R1 uses a proven system of multiple hard drives used for sharing and replicating data to prevent possible damage or loss. Called RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Discs), this system automatically backs up and restores files for added security in the event of a hardware failure.
With up to two Tera-bytes (TB) of storage, the N2R1 provides a wealth of storage capabilities, allowing consumers to continue building their digital libraries of music, movies and other multimedia files. For an enhanced level of convenience, the N2R1 includes a DVD Re-Writer and Playback feature for additional back up or file sharing options.
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- Home Entertainment
Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. announces its Elite® BDP-09FD flagship model has become the world’s first Blu-ray Disc® Player to achieve THX® certification and that its Elite® EX Series in-wall speakers have attained THX Select2™ certification. These products complement Pioneer’s current top-of-the-line Elite A/V Receivers that are the world’s first and only THX Ultra2™ Plus Certified receivers to feature Class D digital amplification. When used alone or as a system, Pioneer’s comprehensive line of THX Certified audio and video products deliver faithful reproduction of multi-channel entertainment that is unmatched by any manufacturer. Attendees can experience the dynamic capabilities of Pioneer’s home theater products in its sound demonstration room at booth #3009.
“Pioneer recognizes THX as the industry benchmark for rigorous, unbiased testing and endorsement of high performance home theater products,” said Russ Johnston, executive vice president of home entertainment business solutions group at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. “As true A/V specialists, our engineers have worked relentlessly to craft a full line of products that rival the movie theater experience, which not only meet Pioneer’s strict principles for faithful reproduction of content, but now feature THX certification.”
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- Hard Disks
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) today rolled out the red carpet for the newest members of its celebrated CinemaStar™ family of 3.5-inch hard disk drives (HDD). Based on 500GB per platter technology, the new Hitachi CinemaStar product line-up consists of the 7200 RPM, 1TB CinemaStar 7K1000.C and its 1TB, CinemaStar 5K1000 CoolSpin™ companion.
Both product families are built to handle the most demanding high definition (HD) video streams and offer reliable performance, large capacity, quiet operation, advanced AV features, and low power and temperatures that help manufacturers meet design, price and performance objectives for their consumer electronics devices. Along with these benefits, these 1TB performers are able to store nearly 250 hours of MPEG-41 HD video and can handle multiple streams of video simultaneously, making the CinemaStar 7K1000.C and the CinemaStar 5K1000 the perfect drives for consumer electronics applications such as HD DVRs, DVD/HDD recorders, DVR-enabled TVs, media centers, and video surveillance systems.
Now with an expanded capacity range of 160GB to 1TB, the new CinemaStar 5K1000 family features innovative Hitachi CoolSpin Technology, which relies on motor speed optimization to provide a unique balance of performance, power utilization and acoustics. By tuning the motor to make the drive spin slower, thereby reducing harmonic resonance, the CinemaStar 5K1000 is nearly silent at 2.4 bels during operation, draws 3.3 watts or less idle power and generates less heat, which are all critical factors when designing environmentally friendly digital video solutions.
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Sonic Solutions® today announced a new lineup for its professional Blu-ray Disc (BD) authoring, compression, and quality assurance products. Built on the same advanced technology that has made Sonic® BD production systems the choice of more authoring facilities than all other BD production platforms combined, the new BD product line features workgroup systems optimized for emerging segments of the BD production market, including professional videographers, video post-production houses, and high-end authoring facilities. These targeted configurations will make it easier for BD producers to purchase systems that are tailored to their specific needs, and will put Sonic's premium BD production capabilities within reach of new classes of users, including independent video professionals and AV departments in corporate, educational, and governmental sectors.
"Recent AACS licensing changes, rising consumer awareness and falling player prices, have unlocked BD production opportunities in markets beyond traditional Studio feature film content," said Rolf Hartley, senior vice president and general manager of Sonic's Premium Content Applications Group. "There is now an increasing realization that BD is a viable business opportunity for a far broader range of creative professionals and content owners. We are responding to this by adjusting the pricing of our professional product line to cost effectively equip new market entrants with the tools they need to take advantage of this exciting opportunity."
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- Home Entertainment
LG Electronics today announced the addition of the high-definition streaming movie service from VUDU, Inc. to the LG Wireless Network Blu-ray Player (model BD390). With VUDU, consumers can instantly buy or rent from an extensive library of movies and TV titles, including an industry-leading catalog of more than 2,200 high-definition (HD) movies. The BD390 with VUDU will be demonstrated here this week at the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) EXPO 2009 (Booth #2623).
The addition of VUDU service to the BD390 adds yet another content provider alliance to the "NetCast Entertainment Access" family of features, which already includes access to hundreds of hours of Netflix, Roxio® CinemaNow®, and YouTube(TM) streaming content. Available later this month through a free automatic upgrade, consumers will be able to enjoy VUDU, as well as other exclusive entertainment options at the click of a remote.
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- Home Entertainment
Offering the best of full HD 1080p and streaming Internet video, Sony today introduced the BDP-N460 networked Blu-ray Disc(TM) player. Beside playing Blu-ray Discs and DVDs, the device instantly streams one of the largest collections of premium and free on-demand entertainment from the BRAVIA(TM) Internet Video platform including thousands of movies, TV programs, and music from YouTube, Slacker, and, later this fall, Netflix.
"Whether its Full HD 1080p or streaming video and audio from the Internet, entertainment comes in so many flavors that consumers want choice," said Chris Fawcett, vice president of Sony Electronics' home audio and video business. "Leading the entertainment experience, Sony brings the best of both worlds together in one player that offers more content than other stand-alone devices on the market."
The BDP-N460 Blu-ray Disc/DVD/CD player delivers full HD 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema(TM) output, decodes the latest advanced audio codecs, and is BD-LIVE(TM) capable with your broadband internet connection and purchase of external memory.
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QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of world class NAS servers, NVR video surveillance systems, and network-based video players today expanded their Turbo NAS lineup with the addition of the TS-419P desktop and TS-419U rack-mounted NAS servers. The TS-419P and TS-419U feature 4 hot-swappable SATA hard drives with up to 8TB of total capacity and supports 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch hard drives, giving users more flexibility in selecting drives for installation.
The TS-419P and TS-419U feature a Marvell 1.2GHz CPU and 512MB DDRII memory which provide sustained high performance with lower power consumption. The TS-419P and TS-419U can be configured for RAID 0/1/5/6/5+ spare, and JBOD with online RAID capacity expansion and online RAID level migration for high data redundancy. Both models also support iSCSI Target service with Thin Provisioning and dual Gigabit LAN ports with port trunking (support 7 bonding modes) and multi-IP settings. The TS-419P and TS-419U also feature 4 USB ports and 2 e-SATA ports for expanding the storage capacity of the NAS servers.
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WD® today announced that it has commenced volume shipments of its 9.5 mm high, 2.5-inch notebook hard drives with 640 GB capacity. The WD Scorpio® Blue™ 640 GB hard drives utilize 320 GB-per-platter technology and are designed for mainstream notebook computers. The WD Scorpio Blue 640 GB is the highest capacity 2.5-inch hard drive available today in the industry-standard 9.5 mm, 2-disk form factor.
The new WD Scorpio Blue 640 GB drive has a 30 percent reduction in overall power consumption from the previous generation WD Scorpio Blue drive to achieve best-in-class power and performance1, making it an ideal solution for notebook computers and other portable devices that require extended battery life and cool, quiet operation.
"WD continues to provide the market with industry-leading capacity points so consumers and business professionals can take advantage of the ever increasing need to store rich media content, such as high resolution photos, HD videos and music," said Jim Morris, WD's vice president and general manager of client systems. "Our industry-leading power efficiency, achieved without compromise to performance, is a further example of the added features and value that our customers have come to expect from WD."
