In the computer industry, consumers always want more and technology firms are striving to provide more of what the customer wants. More capacity is especially important in video streaming applications as it controls how much video can be stored.

Hitachi has announced a new hard drive specifically for video streaming applications like surveillance called the CinemaStar C5K500. The drive is a 2.5-inch unit with up to 500GB of storage capacity. The drive is designed for video streaming applications where low power consumption and a compact design are required.

The drive spins at 5400 RPM and can be had in capacities as low as 160GB. All of the drive versions include Hitachi's SmoothStream technology to make streaming of video smoother along with time-limited error correction and thermal monitoring capability.

The drive gets the EcoTrac designation with only 1.4W of power needed during read/write operations. Hitachi claims that number is 22% lower than previous models and it expects the drives to ship worldwide in Q2 2009 at undisclosed pricing.

Hitachi VP of Product Marketing Brendan Collins said, "The explosion of digital music and photos, combined with widespread access to high-definition television content, is driving DVR capacity requirements to new levels. Home theater systems are becoming increasingly compact, as users seek out space-saving and power-efficient component designs. The new CinemaStar drive will allow DVR manufacturers to deliver compact DVRs with all the capacity and features of larger form factor products."