Seagate, Hitachi compete with new 4TB hard disk drives

In what’s either an incredible case of serendipity or just typical corporate one-upsmanship, competing manufacturers Seagate and Hitachi GST have each unveiled new 4TB hard drives in the past few days. However, only one device is available right now.

Photos by: Seagate, Hitachi GST

Seagate announced the addition of a 4TB capacity external hard drive to its popular GoFlex product line. Calling it the largest amount of storage available in a single device, the company boasted that it’s capable of storing more than 2,000 HD movies.

Patrick Connolly, vice president and general manager of retail products for Seagate, called the external 4TB Go Flex Desk drive an “industry first.” The executive hinted that while the hard drive is proof of the company’s “commitment to meet consumer needs,” future breakthroughs are guaranteed.

“We are committed to pushing the limits for our customers and will continue to adapt and innovate our products based on customer needs,” said Connolly.

Priced at $249.99 and currently available only through Seagate’s online store, the device will have some competition in Hitachi Global Storage Technologies’ upcoming 4TB drive.

Slated for inclusion in standard USB 2.0 G-Raid and G-Drive devices starting in October, Hitachi GST said its new 4TB 7,200 RPM HDD model will also appear in Thunderbolt-supported devices later this fall.

“We look forward to bringing our Thunderbolt-based family and 4TB-based solutions to the market,” said Steve Pereira, Hitachi GST vice president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “We understand the process of creation, and today, digital video editing is no longer facility-driven — it’s driven by the places and lifestyles of the people doing the work.”

The 4TB versions of G-Raid and G-Drive will boast 10GB/s data transfer speeds, multiple HD workflows and Apple MacBook Pro connectivity.

Not to be outdone by its competitor’s movie storage claims, Hitachi GST rattled off figures for what could be saved to a single terabyte:

• 84 hours of HDV 1080i
• 17 hours of DVCPRO HD 1080/60i
• 30 hours of 2K RED
• 10 hours of ProRes 422 HQ
• 10 hours of 10 bit SD
• 2.5 hours of HD 1080/60

Western Digital acquired Hitachi GST in March, though the deal has yet to be officially closed. Seagate’s own buy-out of Samsung’s hard drive division in April added much-needed shares, but the manufacturer still relented its first-place position. Research from IHS iSuppli found the two heavyweights now control a whopping 90 percent of the HDD business.

Which company’s device are you most interested in? Let us know in the comment section.