Toshiba 1998 Annual Report Download - page 23

Toshiba Corporation Annual Report 1998 21.
DIGITAL IMAGING EQUIPMENT
In im agin g system s, Toshiba’s h igh-resolution LCD data
projectors and “Video Wall” large-scale projection system
gen erated substantially h igher revenues. In the United
States, Video Wall captured m ore th an half of th e market
in its category. Brigh tness an d focus were im proved
durin g fiscal 1997. SVGA com patibility to perm it con -
nection to PCs was anoth er im portant advan ce. For LCD
projectors, widely used as presen tation tools, Tosh iba
rein forced its leadership by creating th e world’s first
com pact, lightweight XGA-com patible m odel with a
video camera.
An un seasonable sum m er sent fiscal 1997 home air
con dition er sh ipm en ts in Japan far below the previous
year’s level. Toshiba’s own sales also plumm eted. In
respon se, Toshiba m oved away from th e system of
m aking air conditioners based on dem and projections.
Products are n ow assem bled at the sam e rate as they can
be sold, a system that cuts inven tories. Raisin g th e appeal
of products is also im perative. Tosh iba strives to offer
fun ctions like air purifiers that m ake m odels m ore useful.
“Daiseikai,” a model laun ch ed in Novem ber 1997,
rem oves dust, pollen and tobacco sm oke wh ile cutting
en ergy con sum ption .
In refrigerators, Toshiba’s “Kawariban ko” h as been a
best seller, con tributing substantially to sales sin ce its
February 1997 in troduction. The model h as a com part-
m en t that can be switched amon g several tem perature
settin gs. Buildin g on th is accom plishm en t, Tosh iba
plan s to add more features, includin g high-capacity an d
en ergy-savin g designs, to exten d th e popularity of this
unique con cept.
Toshiba’s wash ing mach in es have lon g offered
com pact size with large capacities. Now, Toshiba h as
created m odels th at also boast quiet operation . Boastin g
extrem ely low noise levels, “DD Inverter Gin ga” m odels
can be used late at night. A n ew function th at reduces
tanglin g of laun dry makes th ese m achin es even m ore
popular. To m eet dem an d, Toshiba h as boosted output
by 50 percen t.
Satellite digital broadcasts m ade their debut in Japan
in October 1996. With the May 1998 com m encemen t of
SKY PerfecTV! broadcasting, the m ulti-ch annel era has
now com e to Japan. Tosh iba was ready, h avin g unveiled
in April 1998 a receiver for SKY PerfecTV! that features
sim ple rem ote control an d tim er recording.
In th e cam era sector, sales of surveillance cameras were
high er. And Toshiba generated a strong respon se with
its “Allegretto PDR-2.” Laun ch ed in August 1997, this
m odel h as a CMOS sen sor and built-in PC card interface
for “Sm artMedia” solid-state floppy-disk cards (SSFDC).
HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES
Sales of h ousehold applian ces were down sharply. Fierce
price com petition was th e m ain reason. In respon se,
Toshiba concen trated on offerin g appliances embodyin g
distinctive features to en h ance living environmen ts.
Toshiba is also taking a closer look at th e earnin gs of
individual products and reviewing everything from
production th rough distribution .
Unveiled in June 1998, the
“ Allegretto 5” digital still
camera has a 2.5-inch reflective
LCD monitor. At the same time,
Toshiba began selling the
“ Allegretto M1,” which fea-
tures a 1.5 million-pixel CCD.
Toshiba Lighting & Tech-
nology Corp. designed
and installed the striking
studio-like illumination
for this Warner Brothers
Studio Store in Tokyo.
The recently completed
International Stadium
Yokohama sports a huge
“ Super Color Vision”
display to give all fans a
good look at the action.
Consumer Products