HDMI Licensing, LLC, the agent responsible for licensing the High-Definition Multimedia Interface® (HDMI®) specification, today announced the features that will be incorporated in the upcoming HDMI 1.4 specification. This latest version of the HDMI specification will, among other advancements, offer networking capabilities with Ethernet connectivity and will add an Audio Return Channel to enable upstream audio connections via the HDMI cable. The HDMI specification 1.4 will be available for download on the HDMI LLC website no later than June 30, 2009.
The HDMI 1.4 specification will offer the following enhanced functionalities:
HDMI Ethernet Channel
The HDMI 1.4 specification will add a data channel to the HDMI cable and will enable high-speed bi-directional communication. Connected devices that include this feature will be able to send and receive data via 100 Mb/sec Ethernet, making them instantly ready for any IP-based application.
The HDMI Ethernet Channel will allow an Internet-enabled HDMI device to share its Internet connection with other HDMI devices without the need for a separate Ethernet cable. The new feature will also provide the connection platform to allow HDMI-enabled devices to share content between devices.
Audio Return Channel
The new specification will add an Audio Return Channel that will reduce the number of cables required to deliver audio upstream for processing and playback. In cases where HDTVs are directly receiving audio and video content, this new Audio Return Channel allows the HDTV to send the audio stream to the A/V receiver over the HDMI cable, eliminating the need for an extra cable.
Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash and computer technologies, today announced their Convoy Series Dual 3.5" HDD/SSD enclosures.
Convoy XL is a complete RAID solution with USB and eSATA connectivity. Dual 2.5" drive bays hold either two SSDs and/or HDDs mounted in one standard 3.5" form factor bay. The built-in RAID controller can be configured for performance (RAID 0), redundant for backup (RAID 1) or two drives combined to be one large drive (JBOD). Additionally the one-touch-backup (OTB) feature is a perfect complement of SSD's robust and durability nature.
Following their SSD success, Silicon Power announces the release of portable hard disk drives to further boost their already potent product lineup. Though SSDs seem destined to replace HDDs in the future, current SSD pricing makes them slightly out of reach when compared with traditional hard drives. Thus, Silicon Power releases their first traditional HDD in the form of the USB interface Armor A10.
As traditional HDDs are made up of delicate moving parts and are prone to damage from accidental shock and vibration. Considering this, Silicon Power’s Armor A10 is built specifically to withstand shock and vibration. Tested in compliance with stringent US military MIL-STD-810F (transit drop test), tests include (1) free fall drop directly onto concrete or hard surfaces; (2) specific height free fall test (122cm); (3) product’s 8 corners, 12 sides and 6 surfaces all must pass free fall tests. Silicon Power’s Armor A10 has passed all the tests mentioned above and offers users a greater peace of mind when it comes to data security.
Add a commentQNAP Systems, Inc. today announces the first 2-bay network-attached storage (NAS) which supports both 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA hard drives - TS-219P Turbo NAS. Dedicated to home and SOHO users, the TS-219P is an advanced version of the previously released TS-219. Powering Marvell 1.2GHz high performance processor and 512 MB DDRII memory, the NAS comes with 3 USB ports and 2 eSATA ports to deliver the best storage expansion capability compared with other 2-bay NAS in the market.
The TS-219P supports two hot-swappable 2.5" or 3.5" SATA hard drives with maximum 4TB storage capacity. The device can be accessed across Windows, Mac, Linux, and UNIX. It is a highly reliable and powerful NAS with abundant business-class features, such as built-in iSCSI target service (max 8 iSCSI devices) with Thin Provisioning, Online RAID Capacity Expansion, Online RAID Level Migration, automatic policy-based IP blocking, hard drive status report, instant SMS and email alert, built-in TwonkyMedia UPnP/ DLNA media server, BT and eMule download, schedule power on and power off, one Giga LAN port, and 2 IP cameras for network surveillance.
Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO), the consortium dedicated to sustaining the quality, integrity and dissemination of serial ATA (SATA) technology, today released the Serial ATA Revision 3.0 specification. The new specification ushers in lightning-fast transfer speeds up to six gigabits per second (Gb/s) as well as enhancements to support multimedia applications.
“As speed becomes critical to today’s storage, the SATA Revision 3.0 specification doubles the maximum transfer speed enabled by technology, paving the way for a new generation of faster SATA products,” said Knut Grimsrud, SATA-IO president and Intel Fellow and director of storage architecture. “SATA-IO members will be able to design for their customers products with the speed they crave, without compromising the quality and performance they’ve come to expect from SATA technology.”
Silicon Power, the leading brand among Solid State Disk (SSD) Manufacturers lifts the benchmark another notch with their new Portable eSATA/USB SSD II. It is the world’s first eSATA (eSATA; External Serial ATA) /USB dual interface portable SSD drive. The new drive emphasis the convenience of USB connection and the ultra fast performance of eSATA interface as an external drive. Overall, the drive has excellent aesthetics and the performance to match.
Having won rave reviews with their 64GB eSATA /USB SSD, Silicon Power releases the new lidless and portable eSATA/USB SSD II. Through the eSATA interface, maximum read speed reaches 90MB/Sec and maximum write reaches 50 MB/Sec. Maximum read through the USB connection is rated at 30MB/Sec and 20MB/sec for write. It is the perfect solution for professional multimedia enthusiasts or users that often carry and transfer large capacity files.
Add a commentCyberLink PowerDVD, featuring support for the latest HD audio and video standards, allows the playback of high-definition movie content with exceptional audio and video quality on the PC. PowerDVD is now able to deliver enhanced high-definition audio through the embedded VIA Vinyl HD Audio codecs, which also supports audio content protection while still allowing full-rate audio enjoyment of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs.
Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, announced it is introducing the PCIe RAIDDrive Workstation. These Workstations uses Super Talent’s patented RAIDSSD™ Technology to accelerate the adoption of systems with very high performance solid state disk subsystems through the integration of large amounts of SSDs. The PCIe RAIDDrive Workstations are based on Intel’s newest Quad-Core Core I7 Processors, and Super Talent’s 1333MHz DDR3 DIMMs.
The PCIe RAIDDrive Workstations scale up 6TB in a Workstation Tower form factor. Benchmarking data taken with Crystal Disk Mark v2.2 shows sustained sequential read speed of over 1.5 GB/sec (1500 MB/sec), sequential write speed of nearly 1.35 GB/sec (1350 MB/sec). Benchmarking data taken with HDBench showed random read speed of 725 MB/sec and random write speed of 515 MB/sec.
Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend®), a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products, is proud to announce that its popular 1.8-inch SSD18M portable solid state drive is fully tested to meet strict U.S. military drop-test standards. This emphasizes the fact that Transcend’s SSD18M not only features stylish good looks and high-speed data transfer rates, but also robust durability that sets a new standard for modern solid state drives.
Transcend’s design team devoted themselves to ensuring portable SSD18M is the safest device to store personal data, as it offers excellent protection against both vibration and impact damage. Adopting a comprehensive test method that conforms to rigorous U.S. military standards (MIL-STD-810F 516.5—Transit Drop), the test laboratory makes sure the SSD18M is able to withstand direct impact and protect stored data from drops effectively. Aside from shock-resistant feature, the SSD18M comes with both eSATA and USB 2.0 interface options to offer the ultimate in connection flexibility and performance, with read speeds of up to 90MB/s and write speeds up to 50MB/s. In addition, the SSD18M’s chic gloss diamond pattern fascia also distinguishes it as a genuinely fashionable device.
Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash and computer technology, today announced the release of Corza, their network storage server for the home.
The Corza is a network attached storage device that gives the consumer the ability to turn their home computers into their own network. The Corza features the latest networking technology which allows users to stream digital media files, their favorite music and videos, pictures or important data; accessible from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.
Corza's dual hot-swap design accommodates 2x2TB hard drives or up to 4TB total network storage with built in RAID 0, 1, and JBOD controller. Supporting 10/100/1000 gigabit Ethernet, consumers can stream up to 3HD quality movies simultaneously with perfect video and sound. The FTP support feature allows users to remotely share files with family and friends from anywhere there is an internet connection.