Mark Hartney, Silicon Image

Reliable, High-Capacity CE Storage for the Home

Abstract

Consumers are accustomed to a high-quality, point-and-click world when enjoying their favorite TV programs or Hollywood movies. The devices that plug into the CE stack are typically single-function and long-lasting, and users typically return products that do not meet their expectations for quality and performance. With the introduction of the PVR, disk drives are enabling a new service attracting millions of users, who can not only decide what content they want to view, but also when they want to view it. The emergence of HD broadcast, cable and satellite services is creating even higher demand for both capacity (as measured in hours of recording time) and reliability. The transition to HD content alone will increase the storage demand for DVRs 9x, and a Scientific Atlanta user survey on desirable new DVR features revealed the number one request was for double the storage. As a result, the CE industry is now encountering the problem of changing the DVR form factor to accommodate more HDDs (which would decrease overall DVR reliability), while also making PVRs as simple and reliable to use as all the other products in the living room. One solution is the introduction of a truly appliance-like, Serial ATA-based solution to the PVR platform that provides a secure, reliable and easily accessible central content repository. Such a solution enables both consolidation of personal digital content on the DVR and new services for content distributors, such as pre-loaded content on HDDs and network-based content updates.

Biography

Mark is the SATA evangelist and director of product marketing for storage semiconductors at Silicon Image, where he focuses on emerging opportunities for SATA technology, including external storage, consumer electronics applications, and networked storage. Prior to that, he served as director of technical marketing for storage semiconductors, a position he held for three years, and director of technical marketing for PC/display products.  He has worked in the semiconductor and flat panel industry for the past 20 years in positions related to product management, business development and research and development at companies including dpiX, MIT Lincoln Laboratory and AT&T Bell Laboratories. He also worked for three years as the program manager for flat panel display technology at DARPA, and served on the Governing Board and Technical Committee of the U.S. Display Consortium. Mark has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from U.C. Berkeley, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees from MIT.