WHITE PAPER

JULY 2003

Hard Disk Drive Design Considerations

for DVR/PVR Applications
Gordon Paulus
Overview
Designers of set-top boxes for digital video recording need to consider a variety of factors in choosing a hard disk drive to
integrate into a given design. While the simple answer may be: "Give me the fastest drive," this may not be the best answer
for your set-top box design.
This document will discuss the hard disk storage parameters facing the set-top box designer and highlight critical areas such
as stream performance and environmental issues in choosing between 5400-RPM and 7200-RPM hard disk drives.

DVR/PVR HDD Considerations

Stream performance
Power
Acoustics
Mechanical
Reliability

Stream Performance
While disk recorders have traditionally been required to handle only two streams at a time (record and play), many of todays
new set-top box designs incorporate multiple tuners and are designed to handle multiple recording and playback streams to
service multiple TVs and other devices.
Stream performance quality is also an important consideration. Typical data rates can range from a low-quality 2Mb/sec stream
to a high-quality 8Mb/sec stream for standard television, cable or satellite signals. The requirement for HDD stream performance is a simple calculation of the maximum number of streams multiplied by the bit rate per stream to be handled at any one
time by the DVR/PVR.
The chart on the right shows performance requirements by the data rates and the number of standard definition streams that
can be supported by a typical ATA hard disk drive based on rotational speed.
For managing three or five simultaneous
streams, a 5400-RPM drive has more than
the required bandwidth. If a design requires
the system to handle more than five streams
simultaneously, a 7200-RPM drive is recommended to ensure smooth recording and
playback.
But keep in mind that using a drive capable
of managing more streams than are built into
the design can add BOM costs and increase
system heat.

Hard Disk Drive Design Considerations for DVR/PVR Applications

Power Consumption and Heat Dissipation

Another consideration in the selection process is power consumptionnot only peak startup current but operating power as
well. A faster drive could require a larger power supply. Extra heat generated from the drive and the power supply could require
a larger fan to run continuously in order to increase cooling, and that could affect acoustics.

read/write watts
5400 RPM

~6

7200 RPM

~ 10

The table identifies the average power requirements for 5400-RPM and 7200-RPM drives in read/write modes. Note that 7200RPM drives draw 40% more power than 5400-RPM drives, generating more heat. For each watt of consumption, expect a 2
degrees C rise in temperature. This may not seem like a great amount, but the 7200-RPM drive actually adds more than 8
degrees of temperature in the box without further cooling.
System fan enable vs. HDD power consumption
R/W mode

Slope = 2.25 C/W

HDD Temperature

Drive Case Temp C

80
70
60
50
40

Fan on 100%

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

Room Temperature

30
20

65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20

10

12

14

16

18

20

Total Input Power (5V +12V) [W]

Predicted heat buildup inside the enclosure of a design may prompt the inclusion of a ventilation fan or an increase in the
capacity of an existing fan. Heat buildup may also impact how often the ventilation fan turns on, which for some designs means
the fan will run constantly. Upgrading the cooling fan inside a PVR can increase cost by adding a fluid bearing fan that will
lower acoustics.
In general, each additional watt of power consumption means temperature and cost increases inside the box.

Acoustics
The majority of today's DVR/PVR disk drives are designed with fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) motors rather than ball bearing
motors. FDB motors are very quiet and typically fall under >30dBA system noise level specifications. See the FDB vs BB
acoustic comparison chart below.

Hard Disk Drive Design Considerations for DVR/PVR Applications

Mechanical
With a 7200-RPM drive, better mechanical mounting configuration will be required to account for the additional vibration
caused by the spindle motor. Installing vibration isolation mounts to the drive-mounting bracket in the box can increase cost.

Reliability
Heat buildup and acoustics concerns are the biggest return rate issues seen in analysis of set-top box returns over the past
5+ years.
Drives are susceptible to elevated temperatures like many of the other components inside the box. Once the average operating
temperature exceeds the 60-degree operating specifications for the drive, failure rates start to increase.

AFR

Temp vs. AFR

7.00%
6.00%
5.00%
4.00%
3.00%
2.00%
1.00%
0.00%

Total Hds 1
Total Hds 2

40C

50C

60C

70C

Temp
DVR/PVR 5400-RPM HDD vs. 7200-RPM HDD: Conclusions
Acoustics7200-RPM drives require more cooling from fans = higher acoustics
Stream performance5400-RPM drives can manage up to five high-quality streams
Power5400-RPM drives read/write with up to 40% less power = less heat
Mechanical5400-RPM drives need more vibration control = higher costs
Reliability5400-RPM drives maintain more overall margins in key parameters

Summary
A typical 5400-RPM drive is capable of handling up to five simultaneous high-quality streams with bandwidth to spare while not
exposing the DVR/PVR system to unnecessary power/heat increases or additional acoustic requirements.
The stream performance upside for adding a 7200-RPM drive to a dual-tuner PVR design (less than 5 streams) is less attractive
after considering the total system acoustics, power/heat budgets, reliability concerns and the overall costs associated with
designing in a 7200-RPM drive.
Finally, not adequately controlling the added parameter margins introduced by the 7200-RPM drive can dramatically impact
return rates, customer satisfaction levels and bottom-line profits from the product.
Maxtors full product-line offering gives designers the opportunity to choose the best drive for each design by offering both
5400-RPM and 7200-RPM drives.

To learn more about Maxtor Corporation, visit www.maxtor.com

2003 Maxtor Corporation. Maxtor is a registered trademark of Maxtor Corporation. Atlas and MaxAdapt are trademarks of Maxtor Corporation.
Specifications subject to change without notice. Maxtor Corporation, 500 McCarthy Boulevard, Milpitas, CA 95035. WP-5400vs7200-6/03-CL