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To: Stoctrash who wrote (44498)	9/5/1999 10:44:00 PM
From: Rachel M. Kuecks	Respond to of 50808

zip2.newsreal.com@2@2@3@274&headerID=1 Samsung Will Foster DVD Player Biz. Source: Korea Economic Daily In addition to its world-leading trio of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips, thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal-display (TFT-LCD) panels and code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile handsets, [Samsung Electronics Co.] is set to aggressively promote the digital versatile disc (DVD) player as a strategic export item. Coming at exactly the same size as a compact disc (CD), the DVD boasts picture quality twice as high as that of the CD, with greatly enhanced sound quality. DVD players deliver six-channel sound with dedicated bass, making an ideal centerpiece for the next-generation home theater systems. The Korea-based electronics giant announced on August 30 that it aims to become one of the top three DVD player manufacturers, along with [Sony] and Panasonic of Japan, by achieving export sales of $250 million (one million units) and taking a 17 percent share of the world market this year. Samsung said that it has shipped out about 400,000 DVD players to North America and Europe so far this year, and has already secured export orders for an additional 600,000 units. Global demand for DVD players reached 2.5 million units last year and is expected to grow to 6 million units this year, according to Samsung Electronics. The company intends to further increase export shipment to 2 million units next year for a global market share of 20 percent. In order to achieve the goal, Samsung will pour 10 billion won (approx. $8.4 million) in research and development (R&D) activities in the area of DVD players this year. The R&D outlay will be doubled to 20 billion won in 2000. Another 8 billion won will have been spent in facilities investment by the end of this year to increase monthly output from the current 150,000 units to 200,000. To foster domestic demand for DVD players, which is still in its infant stage, Samsung has established strategic alliances with the world's leading producers of DVD entertainment products, including Columbia and TriStar, for stable domestic release of about 30 new titles every month. On August 30, Samsung introduced two new DVD player models with the world first "zoom" function, which enables viewers to look at parts of the picture at up to four times enlarged scale. Samsung will market the new player models at 600,000 - 800,000 won each, and also offer buyers a special discount package on DVD entertainment products, under which 10 titles will be made available for 150,000 won. DVD titles normally cost 40,000 - 50,000 won apiece. ( The Korea Economic Weekly 1999/08/31 )