Pioneer Corporation

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Pioneer Corporation

Type	Public K.K. (TYO: 6773)
Founded	Tokyo, Japan (1938)
Headquarters	Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
Key people	Tamio Sudo, President
Industry	Consumer electronics
Products	Car audio and automotive navigation systems, Televisions (CRT Lens and Plasma), PC DVD drives including PC DVD recorders, "set-top" DVD players and DVD recorders, Misc. DJ equipment
Revenue	▲ 797 billion Yen (March 31, 2007)^[1]
Operating income	▲12.5 billion Yen (March 31, 2007)
Net income	▼ 6.7 billion Yen (March 31, 2007)
Employees	37,622 (Consolidated, as of March 31, 2007)
Website	Pioneer Corporation

Old Pioneer Logo (1971～1998)

Pioneer Corporation (パイオニア株式会社, Paio'nia Kabushiki-kaisha^?) (TYO: 6773) is a Japanese multinational corporation that specializes in digital entertainment products, based in Tokyo, Japan. The company was founded in 1938 in Tokyo as a radio and speaker repair shop.^{[citation needed]} Today, Pioneer is well-known for technology advancements in the consumer electronics industry.^{[citation needed]}

Pioneer played a role in the development of interactive cable TV, the Laser Disc player, the first automotive Compact Disc player, the first detachable face car stereo, Supertuner technology, DVD and DVD recording, plasma display, and Organic LED display (OLED). The company works with optical disc and display technology and software products and is also a manufacturer. Sharp Corporation took a controlling stake in Pioneer in 2007.^{[citation needed]}

On March 7, 2008, Pioneer Corp. announced that it will stop manufacturing its own plasma displays.^[2]^[3] The likely reason being that Pioneer has not been able to turn a profit from their current plasma displays, as well as struggled to compete with rivals, such as Matsushita Co., who have better output efficiency. Pioneer will, however, continue to make plasma televisions, and is in talks with Matsushita to buy their plasma display panels and add its own processing units and other Pioneer technology.^[4]^[5]

1 History
2 Brands
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

1937 Pioneer’s founder, Nozomu Matsumoto develops the A-8 dynamic speaker.^{[citation needed]}
1938 Jan. Fukuin Shokai Denki Seisakusho (precursor of Pioneer) is founded in Tokyo.^{[citation needed]}
1947 May Fukuin Denki is incorporated.^{[citation needed]}
1953 Dec. Hi-Fi Speaker PE-8 introduced.^{[citation needed]}
1961 Jun. Company name changed to Pioneer Electronic Corporation (now Pioneer Corporation).^{[citation needed]}
1961 Oct. Shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section.^{[citation needed]}
1962 Jun. Introduces the world’s first separate stereo system.^{[citation needed]}
1966 Mar. Establishes sales companies in Europe and the U.S.^{[citation needed]}
1968 Feb. Shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section.^{[citation needed]}
1968 Apr. Shares are listed on the Osaka Securities Exchange.^{[citation needed]}
1969 Feb. Shares are listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange (now Euronext Amsterdam). U.S. GAAP consolidated financial reporting starts^{[citation needed]}
1975 Nov. Introduces the world’s first component car stereo.^{[citation needed]}
1976 Hi-Fi Speaker HPM-100 introduced.^{[citation needed]}
1976 Dec. Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange.^{[citation needed]}
1977 Dec. Introduces the world’s first two-way addressable CATV system in the U.S. (with Warner Cable).^{[citation needed]}
1978 Introduces SX-1980 receiver, Pioneer's most powerful receiver manufactured to date.^{[citation needed]}
1979 Feb. Introduces the industry-use Laserdisc player.^{[citation needed]}
1980 Jun. Introduces VP-1000 LD player for home use in the U.S.^{[citation needed]}
1981 Oct. Introduces LD player for home use and 70 LD software titles in Japan.^{[citation needed]}
1982 Oct. Introduces the LD Karaoke system for business use.^{[citation needed]}
1982 Nov. Introduces CD player.^{[citation needed]}
1984 Sep. Introduces the world’s first LD combination player compatible with CDs and LDs.^{[citation needed]}
1984 Oct. Releases the world’s first car CD player.^{[citation needed]}
1985 Dec. Introduces the 40-inch projection monitor.^{[citation needed]}^[6]
1990 Jun. Introduces the world’s first CD-based GPS automotive navigation system.^{[citation needed]}
1992 Oct. Introduces the world’s first 4x CD-ROM changer.^{[citation needed]}
1996 Jun. Tokorozawa Plant earns ISO 14001 certification.^{[citation needed]}
1996 Dec. Introduces DVD/CD player and the world’s first DVD/LD/CD compatible player for home use.^{[citation needed]}
1997 May Starts supplying digital satellite broadcast set-top boxes in Europe.^{[citation needed]}
1997 Jun. Introduces the world’s first DVD-based GPS automotive navigation system.^{[citation needed]}
1997 Oct. Introduces the world’s first DVD-R drive.^{[citation needed]}
1997 Nov. Introduces the world’s first OEL-equipped car audio product.^{[citation needed]}
1997 Dec. Introduces the world’s first high definition 50-inch plasma display for consumer use.^{[citation needed]}
1998 Jun. Introduces the world’s first DVD-based GPS automotive navigation system featuring 8.5GB dual-layered DVD disc.^{[citation needed]}
1998 Oct. Introduces new corporate logo.^{[citation needed]}
1999 Apr. Starts supplying digital CATV set-top boxes in the U.S.^{[citation needed]}
1999 Dec. Introduces the world’s first DVD recorder compatible with the DVD-RW format.^{[citation needed]}
2000 Mar. Shares of Tohoku Pioneer are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section.^{[citation needed]}
2001 Jun. Introduces hard disk-based GPS automotive navigation system.^{[citation needed]}
2001 Jul. Introduces the global brand slogan “sound.vision.soul”.^{[citation needed]}
2002 Nov. Introduces GPS automotive navigation system with a wireless communication module.^{[citation needed]}
2002 Nov. Introduces a DVD recorder with hard disk.^{[citation needed]}
2003 Mar. Introduces in the U.S. digital CATV settop boxes with high definition TV signal reception capability.^{[citation needed]}
2003 Sep. Total shipment worldwide of PC-use recordable DVD drives surpasses 5 million units.^{[citation needed]}
2004 Jul. Introduces the world's first DVD player for professional DJs and VJs.^{[citation needed]}
2004 Sep. Transfer of NEC’s plasma display business is completed. Pioneer Plasma Display Corporation (previously NEC Plasma Display Corporation) starts operation on October 1, 2004.^{[citation needed]}
2006 Jan. President Kaneo Ito and Chairman Kanya Matsumoto, son of the company's founder, leave their posts to take responsibility for the recent poor performance of the maker of DVD recorders and plasma TVs. Vice President Tamihiko Sudo was appointed new president, effective from January 1 by the board of directors.^{[citation needed]}
2006 Dec. Pioneer closed its car audio division in Singapore.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Brands

Pioneer — home and car electronics
Pioneer Elite produces electronics that are usually higher in price and quality. Most Pioneer Elite branded electronics have the gloss black "Urushi" finish.

Pioneer Elite products include Laserdisc players, CD players, DVD players, plasma computer monitors and televisions, and rear-projection televisions. Pioneer Elite debuted their first Blu-ray Disc player, the BDP-HD1.^[when?]^{[citation needed]}. Pioneer released the first 1080p plasma display,^{[citation needed]} the PRO-FHD1.

Pioneer has recently^[when?] released the Kuro line of plasma displays, that the company claims^{[citation needed]} has the best black levels of any flat panel display. Kuro means black in Japanese.^{[citation needed]}