Hitachi announced a new hard drive today in its CinemaStar series that offers 500GB of storage space for video. The drive uses a compact 2.5-inch form factor and is designed for video storage uses that need low power drives and compact designs.

The drive spins at 5400 rpm and has capacities starting at 160GB and going up to the new 500GB drive. Hitachi's SmoothStream technology is integrated into the drive to enhance streaming of video and time-limited error recovery is integrated as well.

The drive carries the EcoTrac classification noting its halogen free design and low power requirements of 1.4W in read/write mode. The power needs for the new drive are 22% less than previous models. Hitachi says the drive will ship worldwide in Q2 2009 at an undisclosed price.

Via Hitachi