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Pioneer Outlines Future Strategies “Post Plasma”
Wed Aug 19, 2009 at 10:00 AM ETTags: Pioneer, Industry Trends (all tags)
Surviving without Plasma will mean stressing A/V expertise.
Pioneer has a long road ahead of it, and as a part of the recently announced restructuring plans, that’s a road devoid of plasma televisions. In a conversation with Twice, Russ Johnston said that the company’s core philosophy won’t change. Pioneer will still be “focused on engineering excellence and a maniacal commitment to create the best possible home-theater experiences.”
After spending time researching the competition’s brand messages, marketing, and of course benchmarking their products, Pioneer has come forward with a three pronged process to ensure their place in the future of home entertainment.
To start, Pioneer will be reminding customers of the quality of their offerings. After significant benchmarking, the company found, in the words of Russ Johnston, “our products stood on their own and stood out as leadership products.” In the past, he and others felt that the company lost sight of that on many of their products due to their focus on displays.
Pioneer will be stressing its relationship with professionals, including musicians, movie producers, and production houses. They’ll also be focusing on their work with London’s Air Studios and THX, to explain and stress the importance of certification from both.
Lastly, Pioneer will focus on the balance of their product line. While some companies may make excellent displays, they might also make terrible speakers. Pioneer wants consumers to know that they do it all and they do it all well.
Pioneer isn’t dropping quality, nor are they making themselves more commonplace. “The current economy put a lot of pressure on companies” said Johnston, “They put custom-installation lines online, and others are in or will be in retailers they've never been in before.” Pioneer on the other hand, won’t be expanding distribution, and the Pioneer Elite line will remain a non-internet brand.
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Pioneer’s Legendary Kuro Brand Not Completely Dead
Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 03:00 PM ETTags: Pioneer, Industry Trends, Plasma TVs, Kuro (all tags)
It’s only a flesh wound! A revival is “theoretically possible.”
Mike O’Mahony stated in a recent conversation with Tech Radar that the Kuro brand revival is “theoretically possible.”
That might not seem like much, but plasma enthusiasts are already speculating on the revival of Pioneer’s unmatched televisions. The Kuro line of televisions are well known for their quality of picture, and the announcement in February that they would be discontinued was in many minds the death knell of Plasma television.
Don’t get too excited though, as the return of the brand doesn’t necessarily mean the return of the TVs. As O’Mahony elaborated, "To my knowledge, there are no immediate plans to resurrect the brand. The plan for the moment is to focus on the core areas – audio is absolutely key. Maybe the Kuro brand is too ingrained in the flat-panel market – we're just not sure"
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Pioneer’s Legendary Kuro Brand Not Completely Dead
Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 03:00 PM ETTags: Pioneer, Industry Trends, Plasma TVs, Kuro (all tags)
It’s only a flesh wound! A revival is “theoretically possible.”
Mike O’Mahony stated in a recent conversation with Tech Radar that the Kuro brand revival is “theoretically possible.”
That might not seem like much, but plasma enthusiasts are already speculating on the revival of Pioneer’s unmatched televisions. The Kuro line of televisions are well known for their quality of picture, and the announcement in February that they would be discontinued was in many minds the death knell of Plasma television.
Don’t get too excited though, as the return of the brand doesn’t necessarily mean the return of the TVs. As O’Mahony elaborated, "To my knowledge, there are no immediate plans to resurrect the brand. The plan for the moment is to focus on the core areas – audio is absolutely key. Maybe the Kuro brand is too ingrained in the flat-panel market – we're just not sure"
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
CEDIA: Pioneer Unveils New Elite Blu-ray Player for October
Thu Sep 06, 2007 at 11:00 AM ETTags: CEDIA, Pioneer, Hardware (all tags)
The parade of next-gen hardware announcements from CEDIA continues with news of a new Blu-ray player from Pioneer.
Dubbed the Elite BDP-95FD, this third Blu-ray player from Pioneer picks up where the BDP-94HD (released last spring) left off, featuring 1080p video at a rate of 24 frames per second.
In a first for Pioneer, the new deck will feature HDMI version 1.3 output, enabling support of all high-resolution audio formats.
Also new to the BDP-95FD is HDMI Consumer Electronics Control (CEC), which is designed to simplify integration of operation with other HDMI-CEC-enabled high-definition theater components.
Pioneer says the Elite BDP-95FD will carry a $1,000 suggested retail price, and is due on store shelves this October.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- New Elite Blu-ray Player To Bow [TWICE]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Pioneer Announces Second-Gen Blu-ray Player (May 10, 2007)
DTS-MA Floodgates Open with New Pioneer Elite A/V Receivers
Thu May 10, 2007 at 04:21 PM ETTags: Hardware, Pioneer (all tags)
In what appears to be a coming-out party for DTS Master Lossless Audio, Pioneer has become the second electronics manufacturer in less than a week to announce new home theater receivers with DTS-MA decoding.
Pioneer has just unveiled initial details for its hotly-anticipated new line-up of A/V receivers. The top three models -- the VSX-91TXH, VSX-92TXH and VSX-94TXH -- will support HDMI V1.3a connectivity. These "high resolution powerhouses" will seamlessly pass 1080p video while also decoding the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Lossless Audio formats.
"Pioneer continually answers the call from audio video enthusiasts seeking the ultimate in rich home theater design. Our new line of Elite A/V receivers with HDMI 1.3a connectivity allows consumers to enjoy the benefits of the new technologies being used on music and movie discs," said Dave Bales, marketing manager of audio products for the home entertainment division of Pioneer Electronics. "We're bringing the true essence of high definition emotion to the audience."
The company has set a June 2007 arrival for the VSX-91TXH at a suggested retail price of $1000. The VSX-92TXH and VSX-94TXH will follow in late August, with an MSRP of $1300 and $1600, respectively.
Pioneer's announcement comes only days after Onkyo revealed its plans to debut the first consumer receiver to support DTS-MA decoding. Until this sudden deluge of DTS-MA-capable receivers, there has been no way to enjoy DTS-HD soundtracks on Blu-ray and HD DVD discs at their full potential, as all current next-gen receivers and players have, at best, only been able to extract a standard DTS 1.5mpbs "core" audio stream from DTS-HD-encoded discs.
To check out further details on Pioneer's new line of high-end receivers, you can read the full press release here.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- New Class of Pioneer Elite A/V Receivers are Cornerstone of Distinguished Home Theater Design (Press Release) [Pioneer Electronics]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Onkyo to Bow First DTS-HD Master Audio-Capable Receiver (May 08, 2007)
Pioneer Announces Second-Gen Blu-ray Player
Thu May 10, 2007 at 12:01 AM ETTags: Hardware, Pioneer (all tags)
Pioneer Electronics has announced it will bring its next-generation of Elite Blu-ray disc player to stores later this month.
Dubbed the Elite BDP-94HD, the deck follows Pioneer's successful BDP-HD1 first-gen unit, but upgrades several key features.
Among the additions are a retooled user interface, enhanced networking capabilities and support for internal decoding of Dolby TrueHD. (The player apparently does not offer internal decoding for DTS-HD Master Lossless Audio, nor is it yet known if the deck will also offer such anticipated features as HDM V1.3 outputs or an upgradeable ethernet port. We'll keep you posted.)
"This new player is a prime example of our dedication to exceptional quality, creating sights and sounds that leave an emotional impression for movie enthusiasts," said Chris Walker, senior manager of marketing and product planning at Pioneer Electronics. "A significant aspect to a quality home theater is convenience and this unit is designed to deliver high performance with minimal user effort for a premier entertainment experience."
Pioneer has set a cool $1,000 list price for the BDP-94HD. And as an added sales incentive, the company will be throwing in two free (as yet unnamed) Blu-ray discs with every purchase.
Further details for the player can be read here via the company's official press release.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Pioneer Elite Blu-Ray Disc Player Fulfills Promise of the HD Disc Format with Unbeatable Picture Quality (Press Release) [Broadcast News]
Pioneer Blu-ray Player Still Not Ready for Primetime
Wed Nov 01, 2006 at 01:44 PM ETTags: Hardware, Pioneer (all tags)
In the second delay for its first-gen BDP-HD1 Blu-ray player, Pioneer has pushed back its launch date to late 2006 due to production issues.
Originally scheduled for release in September, then bumped to October, Pioneer has now confirmed a December arrival date for the BDP-HD1. The deck is priced at a cool $1,500.
Though Pioneer gave no specific reason for the delay, "We just want to make sure the player does what it's supposed to do," senior VP of product development Andy Parsons told Video Business.
Pioneers announcement is the second major player reshuffle for Blu-ray, as Sony said only two weeks ago that it would also delay the launch of its first-gen Blu-ray player to early December.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Pioneer Delays Blu-ray Player [Video Business]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Sony Delays First Blu-ray Player... Again? (Oct 20, 2006)
Pioneer Drops Out of DVD Business, Focuses on Blu-Ray
Wed Jun 07, 2006 at 07:28 PM ETTags: Hardware, Pioneer (all tags)
Faced with stiff competition and dwindling revenues, Pioneer Corp. has
announced it will cease
producing standard DVD recorders but will continue to focus on
Blu-ray products, the company told international newspaper Nihon Keiza Shimbun
over the weekend.In 1999, Pioneer became the world's first company to commercial DVD recorders, and is currently the fourth-biggest supplier of the devices in the world.
The company also says it is looking to line up with fellow leading electronics manufacturer Matshushita to cut costs, by purchasing its key microchips and software to help develop Pioneer Blu-ray players.
- Related links:
- Pioneer to End Loss-Making DVD Recorder Business [Forbes]
Pioneer Delays First Blu-ray Player
Wed Jun 07, 2006 at 01:57 PM ETTags: Hardware, Pioneer (all tags)
Due to "interoperability" issues, electronics giant Pioneer
said Tuesday it will push
back the launch of its first Blu-ray player to September, reports Home Media
Retailing.The company's BDP-HD1 was initially slated to launch in June and retail for $1,800, but Pioneer decided to hold off to spend more time testing players and working on interoperability.
"We decided to hold off for bit just to make sure everything works well relative to all the various studios that are planning to ship BD titles," said Andy Parsons, SVP of the industrial solutions business group at Pioneer Electronics. "Launching a new format is fairly big effort, and you have such a broad spectrum of capabilities with the media itself, including BD-Java, content protection layers and various authoring tools that are being brought up to speed."
Pioneer has also announced they will drop the original $1,800 suggested list price of the BDP-HD1 to $1,500 when it hits stores in September.
- Related links:
- Pioneer Delays Blu-ray Disc Player Launch to September [Home Media Retailing]
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