G-Technology™ Launches Industry's Most Flexible Storage Solution For The Digital Workflow

LAS VEGAS, April 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- National Association of Broadcasters (NAB 2013, Booth #SL12105) --  G-Technology, a leader in delivering premium storage solutions for audio/video production, photography and the creative professional market, announced today the first solutions in its new Evolution Series family – the G-DOCK ev™ with Thunderbolt, and the G-DRIVE™ ev and the G-DRIVE ev PLUS external hard drive modules with USB 3.0. Together, they provide quick content transfers for photography, 2K and 4K¹ digital cinema workloads with easy storage expansion, high performance and high reliability in a user configurable solution. The G-DOCK ev with Thunderbolt is the only two-bay solution with interchangeable and rugged storage modules that have the flexibility to be taken into the field and used as true standalone external drives.

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Whether in the field or in the studio, the Evolution Series design allows for various storage system configurations, including JBOD, RAID 1 (redundancy), RAID 0 (performance) or used as standalone external drives modules to meet the most demanding digital content workflow and data management needs. As capacity or performance needs grow, simply expand and scale by using more high-capacity, high-performance external hard drive modules with the same docking station for quickly creating camera card backups, easily separating and organizing projects, shuttling dailies or proxies, or delivering final work to clients.

The G-DOCK ev also allows users to defer the cost of Thunderbolt across multiple hard drives. The G-DOCK ev with Thunderbolt serves as the high-performance Thunderbolt hub for quickly copying data to as many USB 3.0 G-DRIVE ev external storage modules as needed for protecting, transferring, editing and distributing content throughout the workflow.

For the Creative Pro, Time is Money

Many creative professionals manage complex workflows and multiple stakeholders. Their storage solutions must simply work – protect and move data quickly and reliably throughout the workflow as movie directors, producers and photographers are on tight deadlines and cannot recreate that shot.  There is no room for error as a full day's shoot on set or on location could be worth millions of dollars– no time to waste for lost data, or slow transfers or edits. The Evolution Series docking station and interchangeable and expandable external hard drive modules help meet the changing capacity and performance requirements of today's creative professionals. Collectively, the Evolution Series helps streamline the digital content workflow, making copying, transferring, editing and distributing content more efficient, scalable and reliable.

G-DOCK ev with Thunderbolt

The Evolution Series G-DOCK ev with Thunderbolt is a two-bay, hot-swappable JBOD media drive system with user-configurable RAID 1 (protected) or RAID 0 (performance). Unlike other two-bay solutions that only offer bare hard drive modules that cannot be taken into the field and used as true standalone external drives, the G-DOCK ev ships with two 1TB removable and portable G-DRIVE ev external hard drive modules with USB 3.0. The G-DOCK ev provides dual Thunderbolt ports for future external storage expansion and for daisy chaining with other G-DOCK ev solutions or other Thunderbolt-based devices. Customers can purchase more 500GB or 1TB G-DRIVE ev and 1TB G-DRIVE ev PLUS external hard drive modules for ultimate flexibility and scalability, using one G-DOCK ev system. The G-DOCK ev with Thunderbolt comes in a stylish all aluminum design with a Kensington® Lock slot and a three-year limited warranty. The G-DOCK ev is Mac®-formatted out-of-the-box. The Thunderbolt cable is included.

G-DRIVE ev External Hard Drive Module

The Evolution Series G-DRIVE ev is a rugged USB 3.0, 2.5-inch, 7200RPM hard drive-based external storage solution with transfer rates of up to 136MB/s. Paired with an Evolution Series G-DOCK ev, or used as a standalone external hard drive, the G-DRIVE ev is flexible for use in the field or back in the studio when connected to the G-DOCK ev for quick data backups, duplication and transfers. The G-Technology G-DRIVE ev comes in a compact all aluminum enclosure, featuring USB 3.0 for plug-and-play connectivity to other computers and workstations, and a 6Gb/s SATA interface for connection to the G-DOCK ev. It is available in 1TB or 500GB capacities.

G-DRIVE ev PLUS External Hard Drive Module

The Evolution Series G-DRIVE ev PLUS external hard drive module with USB 3.0 delivers transfer rates up to 250MB/s, which can be paired with an Evolution Series G-DOCK ev, or used as a standalone external storage device. It provides the speed and flexibility demanded by today's creative professionals. The G-Technology G-DRIVE ev PLUS is a compact, 2.5-inch, 7200RPM hard drive-based external storage solution in an all aluminum enclosure, featuring USB 3.0 for plug-and-play connectivity and a 6Gb/s SATA interface for connection to the G-DOCK ev. The G-DRIVE ev PLUS comes in 1TB capacity.

"When it comes to my storage needs, reliability, speed and capacity matter most," said Vincent Laforet, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, filmmaker and G-TEAM member. "I depend on my equipment to work like a pro whether I'm shooting commercials for companies like Famous Footware® or photos for The New York Times. As a G-Technology G-TEAM member, I've been testing an early sample of the G-DOCK ev and G-DRIVE ev and it's clear that G-Technology understands the demands of pre-production and post-production workflows. This is definitely an evolutionary approach in delivering storage solutions that help speed up the workflow."

"Time is money when it comes to professional digital workflows. We've designed the new Evolution Series to meet the rigorous demands of the world's best content creators. The new Evolution Series makes it fast and simple to make backup or duplicate copies of digital content in a portable format for various team members involved in the post-production process," said Mike Williams, vice president and general manager, G-Technology/HGST Branded Business. "Providing a clear return on investment, the design of the G-DOCK ev with Thunderbolt also lets customers invest in a Thunderbolt-based system with the flexibility to buy multiple G-DRIVE ev or G-DRIVE ev PLUS drives for customized, project-based workflows."

The G-DOCK ev, which includes two 1TB G-DRIVE ev modules, will be available in May through G-Technology and its Premier Channel Partners for an MSRP of $749.95. Designed as a flexible and scalable ecosystem, additional 500GB or 1TB G-DRIVE ev modules can be purchased separately for a MSRP of $149.95 and $199.95, respectively. For increased performance the 1TB G-DRIVE ev PLUS modules can also be purchased separately for use with the G-DOCK ev with Thunderbolt. The G-DRIVE ev PLUS modules will be available this summer for $349.95 MSRP.

To become a member of the new G-Technology Premier Partner Program, please visit: www.G-Technology.com. Targeting digital video, audio and photography-focused resellers, G-Technology's Premier Partner Program is exclusively dedicated to the creative professional storage market.

Come experience "Storage Evolved" at NAB 2013: G-Technology Booth #SL12105:

• Storage Performance Barrier Breakthrough: G-Technology also announced today that it is breaking the external storage performance barrier and is making digital workflows simpler, faster and better. The new G-DRIVE PRO with Thunderbolt a compact, desktop external hard drive that performs like SSDs with HDD capacities, taking full advantage of the speed and power of Thunderbolt. Leveraging G-Technology's well-known G-DRIVE design, the new G-DRIVE PRO with Thunderbolt delivers sustained data transfer rates of up to 480MB/s, which is up to three times faster (or 200 percent faster) than a single 3.5-inch desktop external hard drive. The broader creative professional market now has access to extremely high-performance, high-capacity and portable editing solutions for maintaining 2K and 4K workflows.
• G-TEAM Workshops at G-Technology's NAB booth: Pulitzer Prize-winning director, producer and photographer Vincent Laforet; filmmaker and one of the world's leading adventure sports and travel photographers Lucas Gilman; and Vienna-based award-winning filmmaker, director of photography and film producer Nino Leitner, all advocates of G-Technology, will host in-booth workshops (G-Technology Booth #SL12105), showcasing and talking about their creative approaches, gear and workflows.
• NAB Session with G-TEAM member Alex Buono and Saturday Night Live's film unit: On Monday, April 8 from 3-4 pm in room S220, come hear how SNL produces commercial parodies and short films with some of the tightest turnaround times in television using G-Technology storage solutions.
• Creative Pro User Group NAB SuperMeet – G-Technology is a sponsor of the 2013 NAB SuperMeet. Held on April 9 at the Rio Hotel Amazon Ballroom, the SuperMeet provides the post-production and broadcast community an opportunity to learn about the latest technology trends, network with peers and share industry news and opportunities in a social setting that is educational, exciting and fun. To register, please visit http://www.supermeet.com/.

Stay connected with G-Technology:

G-Technology's roots are deeply ingrained in delivering premium storage solutions for audio/video production, photography and the professional content creation market. From storing, transferring, editing and distributing content, G-Technology makes the workflow simpler, better and faster. G-Technology's high-performance portable and desktop drives, flexible transfer/edit solutions and fast RAID systems are all built for professional content creation environments where performance and reliability are paramount. Because G-Technology holds itself to the highest standards, its products can be found in premier post-production facilities worldwide.

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About HGST

HGST (formerly known as Hitachi Global Storage Technologies or Hitachi GST), a Western Digital company (NASDAQ: WDC), develops advanced hard disk drives, enterprise‐class solid state drives, innovative external storage solutions and services used to store, preserve and manage the world's most valued data. Founded by the pioneers of hard drives, HGST provides high‐value storage for a broad range of market segments, including Enterprise, Desktop, Mobile Computing, Consumer Electronics and Personal Storage. HGST was established in 2003 and maintains its U.S. headquarters in San Jose, California. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.hgst.com.

¹  Capacity and performance requirements to support 4K and other media formats vary by camera and supported media formats, as well as related pixel sizes, frame rates, compressed or uncompressed media, and color models and depths.

One GB is equal to one billion bytes, and one TB equals 1,000 GB (one trillion bytes). Actual capacity will vary depending on operating environment and formatting.

G‐Technology external hard drives serve as an element of an overall backup strategy. It is recommended that users keep two or more copies of their most important files backed up or stored on separate devices or online services.

G‐Technology, G-RAID, G-DOCK and G-DRIVE are trademarks of HGST, a Western Digital company. Western Digital, WD, and the WD logo are registered trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements relating to expected availability dates for HDD products.  These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, including changes in markets, demand, uncertainties related to the development, introduction, and timing of products based on new technologies, and other risks and uncertainties listed in Western Digital's recent SEC filings to which your attention is directed.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak on as of the date hereof, and HGST/WD undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

SOURCE G-Technology