Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : WDC/Sandisk Corporation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Art Bechhoefer who wrote (7735)	10/17/1999 12:37:00 PM
From: NY Stew	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 60323

My apology if this article has already been posted: beta.cdad.com Matsushita Execs Preview Key Digital Technologies by Steve Smith 14-Oct-1999 Matsushita gave Japan Electronics Show '99 (JES) attendees and visiting U.S. journalists a preview of early 21st century home technology and its strategies earlier this month. Under its Panasonic brand Matsushita highlighted DVD, a variety of products based on its Secure Digital (SD) memory card technology, and home networking under the theme "Exciting Digital World" during JES held in Chiba, just outside of Tokyo. The company spotlighted these three technologies at JES, just when digital broadcasting is set to begin in Japan, sending a message to the industry that it has competitive, cutting edge technologies for the dawning digital era. In Matsushita's "DVD World" the company debuted its 4.7GB DVD recorder, DVD Audio player, DVD player with a 15-inch LCD TV, a portable DVD laptop player, and progressive DVD player (TWICE, October 11). Well-represented at the Panasonic booth was SD. The company showed 22 prototype products -- developed in conjunction with Toshiba and SanDisk -- which could use SD, including a DVD player, cellular phone, music player, still camera and video printer. SD sizes shown were 32, 64, 128, 256 and 512MB, as well as 1 gigabyte. SD-based music players that will back the SDMI standard are scheduled to bow from Panasonic next spring in 32MB and 64MB sizes. At JES, Panasonic highlighted digital networks for the home, with multichannel and interactive TVs, but visiting U.S. journalists got a closer look at its plans with a tour of its "Warp Square HII House" in the Multimedia Center in the Tokyo area. The HII (Home Information Infrastructure) project combines its expertise in CE, major appliances and housing systems, using a hard disk/DVD server, fiber-optic cable and wireless connections to control a wide variety of home functions. (See an upcoming issue of TWICE for more details.) During a press briefing, Matsushita Electric Industrial's Kirk Nakamura, president of its AVC Company and senior managing director; Sakon Nagasaki, director of the DVD and AV Media Card Business Development Offices; and Yoshiaki Kushiki, director/member of the board responsible for multimedia R&D, outlined their company's views on these new technologies. Nakamura commented that DVD will "dominate CD and take over the CD world," over the next few years. DVD player sales, he said, are growing three times as fast as CD audio when it was introduced in the early '80s, due to "better pictures and affordable pricing." However, DVD's role with hard disk drives (which will be a key component in home networking) and SD will be one of "coexistence… a complementary relationship. HDD has huge data capacity, DVD is central packaged media [with A/V and PC applications] and [SD] has smaller storage capacity," Nakamura said, but is more mobile and can link with the web and home networks. One illustration of how DVD and SD applications can be somewhat intertwined is in camcorders. Last year Matsushita showed a DVD-RAM prototype, but at JES this month an SD-prototype was shown. While not admitting that work on a DVD-RAM camcorder has been dropped, Nakamura said, "Consumers usually say… 'smaller is better.'" Matsushita may also have to choose between hard disk drive (HDD) servers for home networks and hard disk personal video systems. The company is working with disk drive expert Quantum to develop a home network server and has signed an agreement with Replay Networks to introduce a hard disk-based personal video system (TWICE, June 21). Nakamura and the other Matsushita executives did not theorize on a common industry standard. However, he commented, "The HDD market will expand in 2000 through the near future. TV is the center of the [home] entertainment network. PC is the center of the creative network. Both will expand into home networking."