JVC 1999 Annual Report Download - page 10

8JVC 1999
products. JVC played a leading role in the creation of the
DVD-Audio 1.0 specification as a member of the DVD
Forum. Know-how gained in the establishment of DVD
standards will be applied to future product development.
High-fidelity audio, a JVC specialty, is an essential
element in realizing the full potential of home theaters.
High-quality audio has entered a period of full-blown
demand, as shown by more than six million shipments of
MD units. JVC continues to systemize MD technology.
Maximizing the potential of digital technology, JVC is
systemizing and networking digital-related products.
This fall, the Company will release personal digital
assistants (PDAs) that can connect to such portable AV
products as DVCs and MDs, and contain the basic com-
puter functions necessary for a mobile environment.
Amid the movement toward systemization, the Company
will enter the field of home servers in the near future.
A major key in networking consumer products is the
adaptation of professional-use optical wireless LANs to
home networks. To accelerate the realization of home
networks, JVC established HITS Laboratories, Inc. in
cooperation with a public research institution. Research
at the company includes high-capacity wireless optical
transmission methods featuring simple yet low cost per-
formance for multimedia devices in the home.
goal envisioned by the catch phrase “movies that fit in
your pocket.” Our latest GR-DVX7 camcorder weighs a
mere 435 grams compared with the video camera that
weighed more than one kilogram. With still image cap-
turing as well as movie recording functions, we are
improving the image quality of our digital camcorders to
levels approximating that of conventional cameras.
A new era is coming to television displays as the
schedule to digitize all broadcasts in Japan by 2010 is
nearing completion. A bipolarization of the market is
foreseen between personal displays and large-scale dis-
plays with stunning image quality. JVC is beefing up its
lineup of large-scale displays for home theaters. Re-
ceiving high acclaim around the world, our wide-screen
televisions will be ready to meet the expected increase in
market demands. Based on our professional-use high-
quality large-screen D-ILA multimedia projector, the
Company will develop the home-use D-ILA projector. In
tie-ups with other companies, JVC is making improve-
ments to plasma display panel (PDP) wall-mounted tele-
visions as well.
Demand is expected to grow for DVD players for
home entertainment and for computer DVD-ROM drives.
JVC foresees the eventual commercialization of record-
able and playable DVD units, and aims to fully utilize the
respective advantages of both DVD and D-VHS in future