Samsung built their own decoder chip.......................................
Samsung Electronics Starts DVD Player Production
October 5, 1996
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Product to go on sale in November; the compacompany expects to be a front-runner in market along with foreign competitors. Global DVD market expected to explode, from 400,000 units in '96 to 2.9 million units in '97 and 12 million units by 2000.
(SEOUL, Korea) - Samsung Electronics Co. (SEC) announced today that the company has completed development of a commercially viable Digital Video Disc (DVD) player. Samsung DVD player's (model no. DVD-860) Korean market debut has been scheduled for November 1.
Year ago, Samsung's DVD research and development team managed to develop the following key parts and technologies:
- DVD/CD Compatible Optical Pickup with Annular Mask Objective Lens,
- DVD Disc with capacity to play 133 minutes of video,
- High-Precision Deck mechanism, and
- Variable Bit Rate (VBR) playback technique.
Furthermore, this year Samsung's semiconductor division successfully developed four different kind of LSI (large scale integration) chip sets for DVD; playback, server, digital signal processor and AV decoder.
Global market for DVD players is expected to be just 400,000 units in 1996, since the new product is being introduced so late in the year. However, the annual market is forecast to grow rapidly, going from 2.9 million in 1997 to 3.6 million in 1998. According to the experts, some 12 million units will be sold in the world in 1999, and that figure will increase to at least 15 million a year by 2000.
Samsung believes that early introduction of DVD titles will be critical for determining how rapidly the new product become popular. Samsung Electronics is linking up with a fellow affiliate, Samsung Entertainment Group, to co-produce at least 10 DVD titles by the end of this year. Together the two companies plan to release more than 100 DVD titles in 1997 and to have at least 500 titles available on the market in the year 2000.
Samsung's new DVD player uses the MPEG 2 compression standard. It has over 420 lines of resolution, about twice as clear as the average VCR, and will come with a multi-channel Dolby AC-3 amplifier that delivers theater-quality sound.
The multi-aspect ratio enables Samsung's DVD player to playback on TV screen with the conventional 4:3 horizontal-to-vertical ratio as well as on 16:9 wide-screen TV. A single DVD can play up to 133 minutes of video and accommodates up to eight different languages and written subtitles in as many as 32 languages.
Also on October 4, Samsung Electronics unveiled its DVD-ROM drive prototype, which represents the latest DVD technology. Samsung plans to have it commercialized by the end of this year and to have it replace existing CD-ROM drives in stages.
Next month, Samsung will begin selling a Home Theater System that includes a DVD player. Samsung has also incorporated its DVD player with TV and Laser Disc player. These new products are scheduled to come on the market next year.
The entire world has been waiting for the first DVD players to come out on the market. Toshiba, Matsushita Electric, and Pioneer are all reported to be launching their own versions of DVD player by the end of next month.
Samsung Electronics Company Ltd. (US$21 billion) is a world leader in the electronics, with operations in more than 60 countries. The company develops, manufactures, and markets audio and video products, household electronics goods, computers & peripherals, display products, telecommunications & information systems, software tools and semiconductors. It is the flagship company of the Korean-based Samsung Group (US$87 billion).
PRODUCTS USING DVD
1. DVD-ROM (SDR-130)
DVD-ROM is a data storage medium for computers that has the same function as a digital video disc. Both the DVD and the DVD-ROM can store 4.7 gigabits of data, seven times the capacity of a CD-ROM disc and enough capacity to play 133 minutes of video. While DVDs are used mainly for video programs, DVD-ROMs can be programmed for interactive moving picture data (such as games) in a computer environment. Samsung's DVD-ROM supports the following formats: DVD, CD-ROM, Video CD, Audio CD, CD+, Photo-CD, CD-I, CD-G.
2. Wide-TV with built-in DVD-VHS Player (SWV-285WDV)
Multi DVD Player; Laser Disc/DVD (DVD-970) Samsung officials predict that DVD players and recorders will replace the VCR in about 5 years. Aiming at the upcoming transition market, Samsung has developed a 28-inch wide screen (16:9) TV that incorporates both a VCR and a Digital Video Disc player. This multimedia TV has six speakers which can produce high-fidelity 3D sound. Resolution is over 400 (horizontal) lines and the system can play DVDs, VHS, video CDs and audio CDs. Samsung has also completed development of a Multi-DVD player that plays both Laser Discs and Digital Video Discs. Video buffs will be able to purchase both of the new products in the first half of 1997.
3. Home Theater System (HT-860)
Samsung plans to commercialize a complete Home Theater System that links the new DVD player with a multi-channel (5.1) Dolby AC-3‹ amplifier and 640-watt speakers (7 speakers). The DVD player is connected with a 46-inch wide projection TV to provide a state-the-art digital audiovisual system. Samsung's Home Theater System will be available in the end of this year. |
