Creativity & Innovation

Creativity & InnovationInnovation of music systems after its invention

3/31/2015NAVRACHANA UNIVERSITYREEMA ARORA

HISTORY OF PIONEER CORPORATION:Pioneer Corporation is a Japanesemultinational corporationthat specializes in digital entertainment products, based inKawasaki, Kangava and Japan. The company was founded byNozomuin 1938 inTokyoas a radioandspeakerrepair shop, and its current president isSusumu Kotani. Pioneer played a role in the development of interactiveCable Tv theLaser Discplayer, the first automotiveCompact Discplayer, the first detachable face car stereo,Supertunertechnology,DVDandDVD recording,plasma display(branded asKuro), andOrganic LED display(OLED). The company works with optical disc and display technology and software products and is also a manufacturer. Sharptook a 14% stake in Pioneer in 2007,[2]which has been reduced to 9%, but Sharp still remains the largest shareholder of Pioneer Corporation, followed byHonda Motor Co., Ltd.who owns roughly 4% of Pioneer shares following a memorandum between the two companies in 2010 to strengthen business ties.In March 2010, Pioneer stopped producing televisions, announced on 12 February 2009.[3]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".[4]In September 2014, Pioneer agreed to sell Pioneer Home Electronics (Home A/V) to Onkyo. 1937: Pioneers founder,Nozomu Matsumotodevelops the A-8 dynamic speaker. January 1938:Fukuin Shokai Denki Seisakusho(precursor of Pioneer) is founded in Tokyo. May 1947:Fukuin Denkiis incorporated. December 1953: Hi-Fi Speaker PE-8 introduced. June 1961: Company name changed toPioneer Electronic Corporation(nowPioneer Corporation). October 1961: Shares are listed on theTokyo Stock ExchangeSecond Section. June 1962: Introduces the worlds first separate stereo system. March 1966: Establishes sales companies in Europe and the U.S. February 1968: Shares are listed on theTokyo Stock ExchangeFirst Section. April 1968: Shares are listed on theOsaka Securities Exchange. February 1969: Shares are listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange (nowEuronextAmsterdam). U.S.GAAPconsolidated financial reporting starts November 1975: Introduces the worlds first componentcar stereo. 1976: Hi-Fi SpeakerHPM-100introduced. December 1976: Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange. December 1977: Introduces the worlds first two-way addressableCATVsystem in the U.S. (withWarner Cable). 1978: IntroducesSX-1980receiver, 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 LDKaraokesystem for business use. November 1982: IntroducesCDplayer. September 1984: Introduces the worlds first LD combination player compatible with CDs and LDs. October 1984: Releases the worlds first carCD player. December 1985: Introduces the 40-inchprojectionmonitor.[5] June 1990: Introduces the worlds first CD-basedGPSautomotive navigation system. October 1992: Introduces the worlds first 4xCD-ROMchanger. June 1996: Tokorozawa Plant earnsISO 14001certification. Pioneer it was officially inaugurated and grand launched as "Pioneer Karaoke Channel" is asatellite televisionAstroon channel 19 to music video and karaoke programming consists solely of nightclub. December 1996: Introduces DVD/CD player and the worlds firstDVD/LD/CD compatible player for home use. May 1997: Starts supplying digitalsatellite broadcastset-top boxes inEurope. June 1997: Introduces the worlds first DVD-basedGPSautomotive navigation system. October 1997: Introduces the worlds firstDVD-Rdrive. November 1997: Introduces the worlds firstOEL-equippedcar audioproduct. December 1997: Introduces the worlds firsthigh definition50-inchplasma displayfor consumer use. June 1998: Introduces the worlds first DVD-based GPS automotive navigation system featuring 8.5GB dual-layered DVD. January 1999: Introduces new corporate logo. April 1999: Starts supplying digital CATV set-top boxes in the U.S. June 1999: English company name changed to current Pioneer Corporation.[6] December 1999: Introduces the worlds firstDVD recordercompatible with theDVD-RWformat. March 2000: Shares of Tohoku Pioneer are listed on theTokyo Stock ExchangeSecond Section. June 2001: Introduceshard disk-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 aDVD recorderwith 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 firstDVD playerfor professional DJs and VJs. September 2004: Transfer of NECs 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[2], as well as their "extreme contrast" concept plasma[3]. July 2008: Pioneer develops 16 layer Blu-ray Disc capable of storing 400 GB.[4] November 2009: Pioneer moves its head office from Tokyo to Kawasaki.[7] September 2009: Pioneer announce two new players to theirDJ equipmentportfolio, theCDJ-900[8]andCDJ-2000.[9] March 2010: Pioneer stops producing TVs. May 2010: Pioneer releases two new DJ software controllers, theDDJ-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 theDDJ-ERGOat the BPM Show 2011. May 2012 - Pioneer introduced Cyber Navi AR-HUD, the worlds firstautomotive navigation systemhead up display (HUD)to projectaugmented reality (AR)using RGB Laservirtual retinal display (VRD)technology. August 2012: Pioneer officially launches theXDJ-AERO, Pioneer's first wireless DJ system that plays music from smartphones and tablets via Wi-Fi. April 2013: Pioneer officially launches the DJM-750. September 2014: Pioneer would sell its disc-jockey equipment business to private equity firm KKR & Co LP for about 59 billion yen($550 million).[10]

BRANDS AND DEVICES: Pioneer 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 includeAVRs,Laserdiscplayers,CDplayers,DVDplayers, plasma computer monitors and televisions [Now discontinued], and rear-projection televisions. Pioneer Elite debuted their firstBlu-ray Discplayer, the BDP-HD1, in January 2007.[11]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.[12]Kuro means black in Japanese. Carrozzeria (Japan only) car electronics Pioneer Premier (North America only) high-end car electronics [Now discontinued] TAD Technical Audio Devices. Primarily noted as a manufacturer of high efficiency audio loudspeaker components and complete speaker systems for the commercial sound reinforcement and recording studio markets. The base for US operations is located in southern California, with limited design/manufacturing done on site. Operations commenced in the early 1980s and continue to this day with a limited offering of speaker components and expanded offering of consumer speakers and electronics. Pioneer DJ DJ equipment Pioneer Premium Audio- a brand of factory-installedOEMpremium sound systems forGMvehicles:Chevrolet Cobalt,Chevrolet Cruze,Chevrolet Malibu,Chevrolet Equinox,GMC Terrain,Pontiac G5, andPontiac Torrentas seven-speaker premium sound systems, and a premium sound system for theFord RangerandMazda B-Seriescompact pickup trucks.

Early Development of the Laser Disc Along with several other Japanese companies, Pioneer began research into the possibility of home video equipment as early as 1972. Within a few years, however, President Ishizuka and Chairman Matsumoto agreed that their company had fallen too far behind to continue competing in the development of video systems based on magnetic tape, and instead focused on the idea of optical discs that reproduced images by means of a laser beam. As the race for video technology continued, it became clear that Pioneers technically superior disc equipment would succeed or fail in isolation; none of the competing companies followed Pioneer into laser disc manufacturing, choosing either tape or discs played with a needle similar to that used on a phonograph. Each year Pioneers risk increased. If it was able to build a cheap, reliable laser disc machine the market would be won. However, it seemed more likely to most observers that the company was digging its own grave. As befit its name, however, Pioneer persevered with its disc research, in 1978 announcing that it had perfected the first laser optical video-disc player and in 1981 introducing a similar machine for home use. Even if laser disc had immediately taken off, Pioneer would still have been years behind its chief rivals financially. Victor Company of Japan (JVC) had watched revenue from videocassette recorder sales climb from $36 million in 1976 to $1.4 billion in 1981, when Pioneer finally entered the market. As it turned out, disc sales did not take off at all. Pioneers machine had several drawbacks. The laser disc player was far more expensive than its VCR counterpart; the discs themselves were to be sold, not rented, making them costly; and the discs could not berewritten,or recorded on at home.

Company Perspectives Faithful to its philosophy, the Company will stay focused on satisfying customers with products thatMove the Heart and Touch the Soul. Despite these formidable problems, Pioneer remained committed to the disc concept, making it its mission tonever let the LaserDisc be a failure,as stated inThe Spirit of Pioneer. The company poured an enormous amount of money and effort into the disc program in the early 1980s, only to be greeted with a worldwide recession in audio sales compounded by the falling value of the U.S. dollar, in which Pioneer received a substantial percentage of its revenue. As a result, in 1982 the company lost money for the first time in its 44-year history. In April 1982 President Ishizuka died suddenly, leaving Pioneer without direction at a critical juncture in its history. Since Nozomu Matsumoto felt that he was too advanced in years to reassume control, Seiya Matsumoto stepped in as the new president while Kanya Matsumoto became his second in command. The brothers faced a difficult situation. Given a lingering recession and consumerscontinued indifference to disc technology, neither Pioneers immediate prospects nor its long-term health was secure. During the early 1980s the company added to its product line answering machines, dictating machines, cable TV equipment, and, in 1982, its successful first compact disc (CD) player. In 1983 Pioneer introduced a Laser-Karaoke device, which in effect allowed consumers to make their own home music videos; and in the following year, Pioneer began marketing the first CD players for automobiles. The combination of these innovations and Seiya Matsumotos leadership was enough to restore Pioneer to profitability in 1983 and 1984, but 1985 ended in another deficit, emphasizing once again the critical role of laserdisc sales in the companys future. Pioneer had bet on laser, and after ten years of research, production, and marketing it had little to show for its daring. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, however, the laserdisc market began to show improvement, as the cost of players decreased and a greater number of movies found their way onto disc format. The Pioneer CLD-100, introduced in 1989, was modestly priced and could play both video discs and CDs. Sales were up substantially, to almost 120,000 players in 1989. Pioneer remained committed as ever to the laser concept, spending $200 million in 1989 to buy DiscoVision Associates ofCalifornia, a leading optical-disc research firm. The company also posted annual profits from 1986 through 1989.

The Transitional 1990s An end to the Japanese economic boom in 1991 threw the countrys economy into a lengthy downturn. Pioneer, like most Japanese electronics firms, was hurt by the difficult economic operating environment. The electronics firms also felt the effect of the high yen, which made Japanese exports more expensive overseasas did high labor costs. In response, Pioneer and other firms shifted some of their production outside of Japan. Pioneer doubled the capacity of its audio equipment factory in theUK and set up a Mexican subsidiary to build car audio equipment for the North American market. In 1995 the company also established a subsidiary inPortugalto manufacture car audio equipment. Still, in the mid-1990s Pioneer maintained two-thirds of its production in Japan, and despite its continued reputation for high-quality products, the high price tags of those products were increasingly being undercut by such rivals as Aiwa Co. Ltd. Thus, Pioneer was losing market share. The company ventured into the personal computer market in 1995 when it introduced the worlds first Apple Macintosh clones. However, these high-priced machines quickly failed in the Japanese marketplace as consumers opted for cheap Windows-based PCs. These and other difficulties, including the continued failure of the laser disc to attract a mass audience, led Pioneer to post losses for the fiscal years of 1995 and 1996. Soon after the end of the 1996 fiscal year, Seiya Matsumoto stepped aside as president, becoming company chairman, while Kaneo Ito, who had been in charge of the companys European sales network, became the new president. Pioneer soon embarked on a restructuring, aimed at reducing the workforce by nine percent, or about 650 jobs, and shifting more production to southeastAsia. Fortunately, Ito took over at a time when the company had already released or was developing some promising new products. Pioneer had introduced the worlds first car navigation system into the Japanese market in 1990 and had a leading share of this rapidly growing sector in Japan. The company had also found success with its set-top boxes for cable and satellite TV. Moreover, in the development stages were high-picture-quality and thin-profile plasma displays for television and other applications. In 1997 Pioneer introduced the PDP-501HD, the worlds first high-definition 50-inch, wide-screen plasma display, aimed at the consumer market. Moreover, rather than stubbornly clinging to the fading laser disc technology, Pioneer joined with several other electronics manufacturers during this time in developing and marketing digital versatile disc (DVD) technology, which had the potential to supplant not only the laser disc but also the videocassette. Also, in mid-1996 the company established the Pioneer Music Group, Inc., a Franklin, Tennessee-based music label that was slated to specialize in rock, alternative, and Christian music. Pioneer returned to profitability during the 1997 and 1998 fiscal years, in part because of the depreciation of the yen against the U.S. dollar. In 1997 Pioneer reorganized itself into three separate operating units: the Home Entertainment Company, which included both home audio and home video equipment; the Mobile Entertainment Company, which included car electronics and mobile communications equipment; and the Business Systems Company, which comprised business/industrial products. In May 1998 the Display Products Company was created as a fourth operating unit dedicated to business operations related to plasma and other types of displays. In August 1998 Pioneer announced a new strategy, calledVision 2005,through which the company would focus on four key areas: DVD technology, display technology, digital home networks, and the development of new technologies. The company also set a goal of increasing revenues to1.2 trillion (US$9 billion) by 2005. In conjunction with the Vision 2005 initiative, Pioneer introduced a new corporate logo in October 1998 that replaced the longstanding tuning fork logo. Thus began what might be dubbed thepost-laser-discera of Pioneer history.

INNOVATION:Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. continues to innovate entertainment and audio technologies and today introduces MIXTRAX, a proprietary technology which creates a nonstop mix of an entire music library to create a club-like atmosphere. Designed for music lovers and the club-going audience, MIXTRAX takes the music from an iPhone/iPod or USB/SD device and plays it back with added transitions and effects creating a virtual DJ inside select Pioneer products. Derived from Pioneer's experience in developing world-renowned professional DJ products, MIXTRAX is implemented in a variety of worldwide Pioneercar audio products andSTEEZ products designed for the dance community.

Music has a unique ability to affect our moods, our feelings, and even our energy levels. With MIXTRAX, the listener hears the same kind of high-energy, nonstop mix theyd hear in a club or at a party, but now created seamlessly from their own music collection, said Andy Parsons, senior vice president at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. Pioneers MIXTRAX technology combines our rich DJ heritage with our passion for music and delivers a unique DJ infused listening experience to our customers.Pioneers MIXTRAX technology transforms a consumers music library into customizable tracks that can be processed by select Pioneer products. Using Pioneers free MIXTRAX music management software, the users entire music collection is analyzed and various musical attributes including tempo and beats per minute (BPM) are identified. The software then tags each song and creates an assortment of playlists categorized in different genres and musical styles such as Beat, Chill, and Thump. The advanced analysis of the software identifies the best transition points of each song in the music library and seamlessly mixes and blends the tracks together, much like a DJ performing live.Additionally, the Mix Style can be selected between Active, Standard and Simple, adjusting the intensity of the effects and transitions used, and the duration of each track within the mix. The custom MIXTRAX playlists can be transferred to a USB/SD memory device (not included) and played through an assortment of Pioneer in-car Audio Video products (see model list below) and STEEZ products, as well as transferred directly into STEEZ products for playback. Pioneers in-car Audio Video receiver takes advantage of its large LCD touchscreen by animating the album art of the currently playing track in time with the mix, creating a truly unique in-vehicle music experience.To easily and quickly enjoy nonstop mix of music, a simpler version of the technology called MIXTRAX EZ is built-in to several Pioneer in-dash products for both in-car CD receivers and in-car Audio Video receivers. Featured in new in-car CD receivers (see model chart below), three types of DJ-style transitions (Flanger, Echo and Crossfade) and six sound effects (Backspin 1 and 2, Echo, Trans, Roll and Scratch) are automatically added between songs for a nonstop, continuous listening experience.To further enhance the dance club in your car atmosphere, the illumination buttons and display of the in-car CD receivers pulsates and changes color. Two modes of illumination (defeatable), each with six color patterns, create different light effects to give users a cool and fun experience.The third in-vehicle implementation of MIXTRAX is in an iPhone App that can be used with Pioneers revolutionaryAppRadio, the first in-vehicle product designed to utilize the smartphones processing power, storage capacity, network connectivity and apps as the primary source for its information and entertainment capabilities. Similar to the MIXTRAX software, the MIXTRAX iPhone App compares the tracks stored in the iPhones music library with Pioneers list of analyzed music stored in its Internet servers to identify musical characteristics and create custom playlists with DJ style effects and transitions for a nonstop mix of songs that can be played back and controlled through the Pioneer AppRadio.