WD AV-25 Hard Drives Provide Cooler, Quieter Operation with Lower Power Consumption and are Ideal for 24×7 Multimedia Streaming Environments

Sydney, Australia: April 12, 2010 – As demand has increased for digital video storage, including high-definition (HD) video, and as the variety of video-systems configurations increases, WD® today expanded its line of hard drives for AV/DVR and surveillance applications to include small form factor, 2.5-inch SATA hard drives. WD AV-25 hard drives provide high reliability with a Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) of 1 million hours and are engineered specifically for demanding, always-on multimedia streaming applications, while running at cool and quiet temperatures.

In addition to high reliability, WD AV-25 hard drives meet the demanding requirements of the AV/DVR and surveillance markets by offering customers universal compatibility, low power consumption and the ability to simultaneously record multiple audio and/or high-definition video streams. The new WD AV-25 hard drive is ideal for applications such as DVRs (digital video recorders), digital video surveillance and other small form factor environments where power consumption and 24×7 reliability are critical.

“Customers that market audio and video recording applications, such as DVRs, media centers and mainstream surveillance systems, often require 24×7 operation from hard drives,” said Jim Welsh, senior vice president and general manager of WD’s branded products and consumer electronics groups. “WD AV-25 hard drives are designed to withstand these demanding environments and offer consumers a small form factor solution that consumes less power, generates less heat, and operates quietly and, most importantly, reliably.”

Features of the WD AV-25 hard drive include:

• 24×7 reliability – Designed to last in always-on streaming digital audio/video environments such as DVR/PVR, digital video surveillance and other demanding multimedia applications.
• Advanced Format technology – Leading edge technology that delivers improved video quality and AV performance through enhanced error correction capability.
• SilkStream™ technology – Optimized for smooth, continuous digital video playback of up to five simultaneous HD streams. SilkStream is compatible with the ATA streaming command set so AV customers can use standard streaming management and error recovery options.
• Ultra-cool operation – A cool drive is a more reliable drive. WD continues to develop new and innovative ways to keep drives cool while they are operating.
• Quiet – Noise levels have been minimized to less than one sone (1) – virtually below the threshold of human hearing.
• Low power consumption – The drive draws less than 2 Watts while operating and a mere 4.75 Watts during spin up 1 million hours MTTF (MTBF)
• Best-in-class reliability for small form factor AV storage. (2)
• Preemptive Wear Leveling (PWL) – The drive arm frequently sweeps across the disk to reduce uneven wear on the drive surface common to audio video streaming applications.

Price and Availability
Manufacturer: Western Digital
Product Name: WD AV-25
RRP:
WD AV-25 160 GB:  AU$59      NZ$76
WD AV-25 250 GB :  AU$64      NZ$83
WD AV-25 320 GB  :  AU$74      NZ$95
WD AV-25 500 GB   :  AU$105     NZ$135
Australian Distributors: Achieva Australia
New Zealand Distributors: Synnex NZ, Ingram Micro NZ, VST NZ
Website: www.westerndigital.com
Warranty: Three-year limited warranty
Availability: Now   

About WD
WD, one of the storage industry’s pioneers and long-time leaders, provides products and services for people and organizations that collect, manage and use digital information. The company designs and produces reliable, high-performance hard drives and solid state drives that keep users’ data accessible and secure from loss. Its advanced technologies are configured into applications for client and enterprise computing, embedded systems and consumer electronics, as well as its own consumer storage and media products.

WD was founded in 1970. The company’s storage products are marketed to leading OEMs, systems manufacturers, selected resellers and retailers under the Western Digital® and WD brand names. Visit the Investor section of the company’s Web site (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.

1 A sone is a subjective unit of loudness as perceived by a person with normal hearing.
2 Based upon dual tuner system operating in typical 30°C air ambient environment.