Monday March 3 11:05 AM EDT Hitachi America Announces World's First
Double Speed DVD-ROM Drive
BRISBANE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 3, 1997--Hitachi America,
Ltd. today announced the launch of the GD-2000, the world's first
double-speed technology DVD-ROM drive.
With full support for 4.7 GB capacity single-layer and planned
double-layer DVD media, as well as standard CD media, the GD-2000
establishes Hitachi as the leading supplier of DVD drives for
computer data storage applications.
The GD-2000 has a transfer rate of 2.76 Mbytes/second with DVD
media, twice the performance of first-generation drives now on the
market. The GD-2000 also reads CD-ROM and CD-R discs at up to 20X
(3.0 Mbytes/second) data rates, using constant angular velocity (CAV)
technology. These substantial performance improvements, and the
ability to read all standard DVD and CD media, set a standard for all
future DVD-ROM drives.
"With the GD-2000, Hitachi is the first company to deliver true
multimedia performance for personal computers," said Werner Glinka,
Director of Marketing for the Storage Products Group of Hitachi
America, Ltd. "System designers and end-users who want maximum
flexibility and performance in optical storage can move to DVD drives
immediately, with assurance that they have a system compatible
with the standards of today, and tomorrow."
The GD-2000 drive uses a dual-laser and lens system, combined with
a high-performance actuator, to support playback of both DVD and CD
media. The drive has a 650-nm, red-light laser to read DVD-ROM, and
the DVD lens systems supports focus-jump technology to
instantaneously switch between layers of a dual-layer disc. For CD
media, the drive use a 780-nm infrared laser that can read both
CD-ROM and CD-R media. Additionally, the drive achieves what may
be the fastest data access rates of any drive on the market. DVD data
access rates are 150 ms, and CD data access rates are just 100 ms.
Actual data transfer rates can reach 16.6 Mbytes/second, using the
industry standard E-IDE (ATAPI PIO Mode 4) system bus interface.
In conjunction with a suitable decoder, the GD-2000 is capable of
playing back MPEG2 compressed video and audio material with
exceptional clarity and definition. A single-layer 4.7GB DVD disk can
store more than two hours of video material with a picture quality
that approaches the CCIR-601 studio quality standard.
Even with its advanced dual-laser and lens design, the GD-2000
maintains Hitachi's reputation for high reliability with a 100,000 hour
Mean Time Between Failure. Physical dimensions are identical to
CD-ROM drives (146mm X 41.3mm X 190 mm), allowing easy
integration of the GD-2000 in current system designs. The GD-2000
has software drivers for Windows 3.X and Windows 95, and appears
like a high-speed, high-capacity CD-ROM to the operating system and
user. The tray design allows either horizontal or vertical mounting
and operation, and the tray loading mechanism eliminates the need
for a disc caddy.
The GD-2000, sold and supported in North America by the Storage
Products Group of Hitachi America, Ltd., Computer Division, will
principally be marketed to personal computer manufacturers for
factory installation in personal computers. Sample quantities of the
GD-2000, priced at $750 for a single evaluation unit, will be available
in April 1997.
The Computer Division of Hitachi America, Ltd. sells high-capacity,
high-performance hard disk drives, CD-ROM and DVD drives, through
its Storage Products Group. The Computer Division is part of Hitachi
America's Converging Technologies Group, which markets a broad
range of electronic hardware and software products, including
semiconductors, storage devices, printers, monitors and flat panel
displays. Hitachi America, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi,
Ltd., Japan, markets and manufactures a broad range of electronics,
computer systems and products, semiconductors, and provides
industrial equipment and services throughout the United States.
Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, is the world's leading
electronics company, with fiscal 1995 consolidated sales (ending
March 31, 1996), of $76.6 billion. The company markets and
manufactures a wide range of products, including computers,
semiconductors, consumer products, and power and industrial
equipment.
CONTACT: Hitachi America, Ltd.
Werner Glinka, 415/244-7630
or
FS Communications
Matthew Schmidt, 415/691-1488
or
Reader Contact: 800-HITACHI (800-448-2244) |
