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Pioneer Corporation

Type	Public K.K. (TYO: 6773)
Industry	Consumer electronics
Founded	Tokyo, Japan (1938)
Founder(s)	Nozomu Matsumoto
Headquarters	1-1, Shin-ogura, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
Key people	Susumu Kotani, President
Products	Car audio and automotive navigation systems, Televisions (CRT Lens and Plasma, former product), 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 (Japan) Pioneer global network

Pioneer headquarters in Kawasaki

Pioneer Corporation (パイオニア株式会社, Paionia Kabushiki-kaisha^?) (TYO: 6773) 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,^[2] which has been reduced to 9%, but Sharp still remains the majority shareholder of Pioneer Corporation, followed by Honda 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]

History[link]

• 1937: Pioneer’s founder, Nozomu Matsumoto 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 Exchange 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 Exchange First Section.
• April 1968: Shares are listed on the Osaka Securities Exchange.
• February 1969: Shares are listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange (now Euronext Amsterdam). U.S. GAAP consolidated financial reporting starts
• November 1975: Introduces the world’s first component car stereo.
• 1976: Hi-Fi Speaker HPM-100 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 Karaoke 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 projection monitor.^[5]
• June 1990: Introduces the world’s first CD-based GPS automotive navigation system.
• October 1992: Introduces the world’s first 4x CD-ROM changer.
• June 1996: Tokorozawa Plant earns ISO 14001 certification.
• December 1996: Introduces DVD/CD player and the world’s first DVD/LD/CD compatible player for home use.
• May 1997: Starts supplying digital satellite broadcast set-top boxes in Europe.
• June 1997: Introduces the world’s first DVD-based GPS automotive navigation system.
• October 1997: Introduces the world’s first DVD-R drive.
• November 1997: Introduces the world’s first OEL-equipped car audio product.
• December 1997: Introduces the world’s first high definition 50-inch plasma display 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 recorder compatible with the DVD-RW format.
• March 2000: Shares of Tohoku Pioneer are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section.
• June 2001: Introduces hard 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 a DVD recorder 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 player 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 [3], as well as their "extreme contrast" concept plasma [4].
• July 2008: Pioneer develops 16 layer Blu-ray Disc capable of storing 400 GB.[5]
• November 2009: Pioneer moves its head office from Tokyo to Kawasaki.^[6]
• September 2009: Pioneer announce two new players to their DJ equipment portfolio, the CDJ-900^[7] and CDJ-2000.^[8]
• 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[link]

Pioneer Logo (1998-present)

• 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, Laserdisc players, CD players, DVD players, plasma computer monitors and televisions [Now discontinued], and rear-projection televisions. Pioneer Elite debuted their first Blu-ray Disc player, the BDP-HD1, in January 2007.^[9] 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.^[10] 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

Devices[link]

• The GPS device Pioneer Avic, includes TMC features.

See also[link]

Companies portal

• Car audio
• CDJ
• Automotive navigation system
• List of Japanese companies
• Geneon (formerly Pioneer LDC and its North American subsidiary Pioneer Entertainment, the multimedia production arm of Pioneer Corporation)
• DVJ-X1

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pioneer Corporation

• Pioneer Corporation (Japan)
• Pioneer global network

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