Pioneer Corporation
Encyclopedia
is a multinational corporation
that specializes in digital entertainment products, based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa
, Japan
. The company was founded in 1938 in Tokyo
as a radio
and speaker
repair shop. Today, Pioneer is well-known for technology advancements in the consumer electronics
industry.
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
(branded as Kuro
), 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 14% stake in Pioneer in 2007.
In March 2010, Pioneer stopped producing televisions, announced on 12th February 2009. On June 25, 2009, Sharp Corporation agreed to form a joint venture on their optical business to be called "Pioneer Digital Design and Manufacturing Corporation".
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
that specializes in digital entertainment products, based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa
Kawasaki, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The company was founded in 1938 in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
as a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and speaker
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
repair shop. Today, Pioneer is well-known for technology advancements in the consumer electronics
Consumer electronics
Consumer electronics are electronic equipment intended for everyday use, most often in entertainment, communications and office productivity. Radio broadcasting in the early 20th century brought the first major consumer product, the broadcast receiver...
industry.
Pioneer played a role in the development of interactive cable TV, the Laser Disc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
player, the first automotive Compact Disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
player, the first detachable face car stereo, Supertuner technology, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and DVD recording, plasma display
Plasma display
A plasma display panel is a type of flat panel display common to large TV displays or larger. They are called "plasma" displays because the technology utilizes small cells containing electrically charged ionized gases, or what are in essence chambers more commonly known as fluorescent...
(branded as Kuro
Pioneer Kuro
Kuro was the brand name that Pioneer Corporation used for its line of high-definition plasma televisions. "Kuro" means black in Japanese.At the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, Pioneer unveiled its the “Ultimate Black” Kuro...
), and Organic LED display
Organic light-emitting diode
An OLED is a light-emitting diode in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compounds which emit light in response to an electric current. This layer of organic semiconductor material is situated between two electrodes...
(OLED). The company works with optical disc and display technology and software products and is also a manufacturer. Sharp Corporation
Sharp Corporation
is a Japanese multinational corporation that designs and manufactures electronic products. Headquartered in Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan, Sharp employs more than 55,580 people worldwide as of June 2011. The company was founded in September 1912 and takes its name from one of its founder's first...
took a 14% stake in Pioneer in 2007.
In March 2010, Pioneer stopped producing televisions, announced on 12th February 2009. On June 25, 2009, Sharp Corporation agreed to form a joint venture on their optical business to be called "Pioneer Digital Design and Manufacturing Corporation".
History
- 1937: Pioneer’s founder, Nozomu MatsumotoNozomu Matsumotowas a Japanese businessman who was the founder of the Pioneer Corporation. He was born in Kobe, Japan in 1905, the son of a Christian missionary. In 1936, he founded the Fukuin Shokai Denki Seisakusho company in Osaka, whose name roughly translates to "Blessed Sound Electric Company" or "Gospel...
develops the A-8 dynamic speaker. - January 1938: Fukuin Shokai Denki Seisakusho (precursor of Pioneer) is founded in Tokyo.
- May 1947: Fukuin Denki is incorporated.
- December 1953: Hi-Fi Speaker PE-8 introduced.
- June 1961: Company name changed to Pioneer Electronic Corporation (now Pioneer Corporation).
- October 1961: Shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock ExchangeTokyo Stock ExchangeThe , called or TSE for short, is located in Tokyo, Japan and is the third largest stock exchange in the world by aggregate market capitalization of its listed companies...
Second Section. - June 1962: Introduces the world’s first separate stereo system.
- March 1966: Establishes sales companies in Europe and the U.S.
- February 1968: Shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock ExchangeTokyo Stock ExchangeThe , called or TSE for short, is located in Tokyo, Japan and is the third largest stock exchange in the world by aggregate market capitalization of its listed companies...
First Section. - April 1968: Shares are listed on the Osaka Securities ExchangeOsaka Securities Exchangeis the second largest securities exchange in Japan, in terms of amount of business handled. As of 31 December 2007, the Osaka Securities Exchange had 477 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of $212 billion. The Nikkei 225 Futures, introduced at the Osaka Securities Exchange in...
. - February 1969: Shares are listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange (now EuronextEuronextEuronext N.V. is a pan-European stock exchange based in Amsterdam and with subsidiaries in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom. In addition to equities and derivatives markets, the Euronext group provides clearing and information services...
Amsterdam). U.S. GAAPGaapIn demonology, Gaap is a mighty Prince and Great President of Hell, commanding sixty-six legions of demons. He is, according to The Lesser Key of Solomon, the king and prince of the southern region of Hell and Earth, and according to the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum the king of the western region and...
consolidated financial reporting starts - November 1975: Introduces the world’s first component car stereo.
- 1976: Hi-Fi Speaker HPM-100Pioneer HPM-100The Pioneer HPM-100 is a high fidelity, 4-way, 4-speaker Bass-Reflex loudspeaker system designed by Bart Locanthi and his team of ex-JBL engineers, manufactured in Japan for the Pioneer Electronic Corporation from 1976 to 1979...
introduced. - December 1976: Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
- December 1977: Introduces the world’s first two-way addressable CATV system in the U.S. (with Warner Cable).
- 1978: Introduces SX-1980 receiver, Pioneer's most powerful receiver manufactured to date.
- February 1979: Introduces the industry-use Laserdisc player.
- June 1980: Introduces VP-1000 LD player for home use in the U.S.
- October 1981: Introduces LD player for home use and 70 LD software titles in Japan.
- October 1982: Introduces the LD KaraokeKaraokeis a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
system for business use. - November 1982: Introduces CD player.
- September 1984: Introduces the world’s first LD combination player compatible with CDs and LDs.
- October 1984: Releases the world’s first car CD player.
- December 1985: Introduces the 40-inch projectionImage projectorAn image projector is an optical device that projects an image onto a surface, commonly a projection screen.Most projectors creates an image by shining a light through a small transparent image, but some newer types of projectors can project the image directly, by using lasers...
monitor. - June 1990: Introduces the world’s first CD-based GPS automotive navigation systemAutomotive navigation systemAn automotive navigation system is a satellite navigation system designed for use in automobiles. It typically uses a GPS navigation device to acquire position data to locate the user on a road in the unit's map database. Using the road database, the unit can give directions to other locations...
. - October 1992: Introduces the world’s first 4x CD-ROMCD-ROMA CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
changer. - June 1996: Tokorozawa Plant earns ISO 14001 certification.
- December 1996: Introduces DVD/CD player and the world’s first DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
/LD/CD compatible player for home use. - May 1997: Starts supplying digital satellite broadcastSatellite televisionSatellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
set-top boxes in EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. - June 1997: Introduces the world’s first DVD-based GPS automotive navigation systemAutomotive navigation systemAn automotive navigation system is a satellite navigation system designed for use in automobiles. It typically uses a GPS navigation device to acquire position data to locate the user on a road in the unit's map database. Using the road database, the unit can give directions to other locations...
. - October 1997: Introduces the world’s first DVD-RDVD-RDVD-R is a DVD recordable format. A DVD-R typically has a storage capacity of 4.71 GB. Pioneer has also developed an 8.5 GB dual layer version, DVD-R DL, which appeared on the market in 2005....
drive. - November 1997: Introduces the world’s first OELOrganic light-emitting diodeAn OLED is a light-emitting diode in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compounds which emit light in response to an electric current. This layer of organic semiconductor material is situated between two electrodes...
-equipped car audioCar audioCar audio/video , auto radio, mobile audio, 12-volt and other terms are used to describe the sound or video system fitted in an automobile. While 12-volt audio and video systems are also used, marketed, or manufactured for marine, aviation, and buses, this article focuses on cars as the most common...
product. - December 1997: Introduces the world’s first high definition 50-inch plasma displayPlasma displayA plasma display panel is a type of flat panel display common to large TV displays or larger. They are called "plasma" displays because the technology utilizes small cells containing electrically charged ionized gases, or what are in essence chambers more commonly known as fluorescent...
for consumer use. - June 1998: Introduces the world’s first DVD-based GPS automotive navigation system featuring 8.5GB dual-layered DVD.
- 1 October 1998: Introduces new corporate logo.
- April 1999: Starts supplying digital CATV set-top boxes in the U.S.
- December 1999: Introduces the world’s first DVD recorderDVD recorderA DVD recorder , is an optical disc recorder that uses Optical disc recording technologies to digitally record analog signal or digital signals onto blank writable DVD media...
compatible with the DVD-RWDVD-RWA DVD-RW disc is a rewritable optical disc with equal storage capacity to a DVD-R, typically 4.7 GB. The format was developed by Pioneer in November 1999 and has been approved by the DVD Forum. The smaller Mini DVD-RW holds 1.46 GB, with a diameter of 8 cm.The primary advantage of DVD-RW over...
format. - March 2000: Shares of Tohoku Pioneer are listed on the Tokyo Stock ExchangeTokyo Stock ExchangeThe , called or TSE for short, is located in Tokyo, Japan and is the third largest stock exchange in the world by aggregate market capitalization of its listed companies...
Second Section. - June 2001: Introduces hard diskHard diskA hard disk drive is a non-volatile, random access digital magnetic data storage device. It features rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle within a protective enclosure. Data is magnetically read from and written to the platter by read/write heads that float on a film of air above the...
-based GPS automotive navigation system. - July 2001: Introduces the global brand slogan “sound.vision.soul”.
- November 2002: Introduces GPS automotive navigation system with a wireless communication module.
- November 2002: Introduces a DVD recorderDVD recorderA DVD recorder , is an optical disc recorder that uses Optical disc recording technologies to digitally record analog signal or digital signals onto blank writable DVD media...
with hard disk. - March 2003: Introduces in the U.S. digital CATV settop boxes with high definition TV signal reception capability.
- September 2003: Total shipment worldwide of PC-use recordable DVD drives surpasses 5 million units.
- July 2004: Introduces the world's first DVD playerPioneer DVJ-X1The DVJ-X1 is a DVD quasi-turntable that allows VJ's to scratch and mix video like a vinyl record. Released in 2004 and designed for professional use in clubs, it features real-time digital video scratching, looping and instant hot cueing. It has capability to sync video and audio streams even...
for professional DJs and VJs. - September 2004: Transfer of NEC’s plasma display business is completed. Pioneer Plasma Display Corporation (previously NEC Plasma Display Corporation) starts operation on October 1, 2004.
- January 2006: 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 is appointed the new president, effective from January 1 by the board of directors.
- December 2006: Pioneer closes its car audio division in Singapore.
- January 2007: Pioneer displays their 9mm thick concept plasma http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/hands-on-with-the-pioneer-9mm-thick-kuro-plasma, as well as their "extreme contrast" concept plasma http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/hands-on-with-pioneers-extreme-contrast-concept-plasma.
- July 2008: Pioneer develops 16 layer Blu-ray Disc capable of storing 400 GB.http://pioneer.jp/press/release193.html
- November 2009: Pioneer moves its head office from Tokyo to Kawasaki.
- September 2009: Pioneer announce two new players to their DJ equipment portfolio, the CDJ-900CDJ-900The Pioneer CDJ-900 is the latest addition to Pioneer Electronics's CDJ-range of digital turntables targeted for professional DJs announced simultaneously with Pioneer CDJ-2000 on September 17, 2009. The player has been available since the end of December 2009....
and CDJ-2000CDJ-2000The Pioneer CDJ-2000 is the latest addition to Pioneer Electronics's CDJ-range of digital turntables targeted for professional DJs announced simultaneously with CDJ-900 on September 17th 2009. It became available late december 2009....
. - March 2010: Pioneer stops producing TVs.
- May 2010: Pioneer releases two new DJ software controllers, the DDJ-S1, and the DDJ-T1.
- May 2011: Pioneer announces the release of the Smart Concept Car with a full DJ setup.
- October 2011 - Pioneer officially released a new 2-channel DJ controller called the DDJ-ERGO at the BPM Show 2011.
Brands and devices
- Pioneer — home and car electronics
- Pioneer Elite produces premium electronics that are usually higher in quality and price. Most Pioneer Elite branded electronics have the gloss black "Urushi" finish.
- Pioneer Elite products include AVRs, LaserdiscLaserdiscLaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
players, CDCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
players, DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
players, plasma computer monitors and televisions [Now discontinued], and rear-projection televisions. Pioneer Elite debuted their first Blu-ray DiscBlu-ray DiscBlu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
player, the BDP-HD1, in January of 2007. Pioneer released the first 1080p plasma display, the PRO-FHD1. - In Summer of 2007, Pioneer released the Kuro line of plasma displays, that the company claims has the best black levels of any flat panel display which leads to greater contrast, and more realistic images. Kuro means black in Japanese.
- Carrozzeria (Japan only) — car electronics
- Pioneer Premier (North America only) — high-end car electronics
- TAD — high-end speakers
- Pioneer DJ — DJ equipment
See also
- Car audioCar audioCar audio/video , auto radio, mobile audio, 12-volt and other terms are used to describe the sound or video system fitted in an automobile. While 12-volt audio and video systems are also used, marketed, or manufactured for marine, aviation, and buses, this article focuses on cars as the most common...
- CDJCDJCDJ is a term used to describe a line of CD players from Pioneer Electronics that allow analogue control of music from CDs, usually using an emulated vinyl control surface...
- Automotive navigation systemAutomotive navigation systemAn automotive navigation system is a satellite navigation system designed for use in automobiles. It typically uses a GPS navigation device to acquire position data to locate the user on a road in the unit's map database. Using the road database, the unit can give directions to other locations...
- List of Japanese companies
- GeneonGeneonis a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
(formerly Pioneer LDC and its North American subsidiary Pioneer Entertainment, the multimedia production arm of Pioneer Corporation) - DVJ-X1Pioneer DVJ-X1The DVJ-X1 is a DVD quasi-turntable that allows VJ's to scratch and mix video like a vinyl record. Released in 2004 and designed for professional use in clubs, it features real-time digital video scratching, looping and instant hot cueing. It has capability to sync video and audio streams even...