Hitachi-LG Data Storage showed off its second-generation Hybrid ODD, an improvement over the first-generation model released last year. The Hybrid ODD is an optical drive with a built-in solid state drive (SSD). The second-gen version features SATA 6.0Gb/s and integrates the ODD and SSD circuits into a single PCB and connects via a single SATA port.
Hitachi-LG Data Storage showed off its second-generation Hybrid ODD, an improvement over the first-generation model released last year. The Hybrid ODD is an optical drive with a built-in solid state drive (SSD). The second-gen version features SATA 6.0Gb/s and integrates the ODD and SSD circuits into a single PCB and connects via a single SATA port.
The Hybrid ODD has several modes; it can act as an SSD read cache in Booster Mode, improving the responsiveness of commonly-used files (8-16GB SSD); and also as a primary system drive (32-64GB SSD). The ODD is claimed to offer 50-80% better performance vs. a typical 5400RPM notebook hard drive.
Other features of the Hybrid ODD include:
- Defect management: can read damaged optical discs and score the disc data into the SSD ahead of time so users can enjoy seamless playback
- Green playback: can read and store data from optical disc into SSD ahead of time so the optical drive can sleep
- Peer to peer direct copy: data can be copied between the SSD and the optical drive without communicating with the central host, freeing up CPU cycles
Hitachi-LG expects the Hybrid ODD to be used in notebooks, netbooks, HTPCs, and all-in-one PCs. The company plans to offer the device as a cost-effective alternative to going with an individual SSD; Booster mode models may come with an 8-16GB SSD and primary drive models a 64GB SSD.
Availability
The Hitachi-LG second-gen Hybrid ODD is expected to be available at the end of Q2 in May 2011. A third-generation of the drive is on the roadmap for 2012.
