Tokyo, Oct 7, 2008 - (JCN Newswire) - Panasonic Corporation announced today it is set to roll out its 300 millionth TV set on October 7, 2008, which marks the 56th year since the company began producing them in 1952. This makes Panasonic the world's first TV manufacturer to reach this level of production.
After recording a cumulative production of 100 million sets in 1985, the company began applying in 1988 the Panasonic brand name to all the TVs that it sold in Japan.*1 In 1998, cumulative production of television sets reached the 200-million mark.
On October 1, 2008, the corporate name was changed to Panasonic Corporation, and brand names were unified to Panasonic. In this commemorative year, the company has reached a milestone in its corporate history by achieving production of the 300 million sets. In fact, the company produced 105 million National brand TVs and 195 million Panasonic brand TVs, bringing visual entertainment to people all over the world.
*1 Panasonic TV market launches: U.S. in 1961, Europe in 1979, and Japan in 1988.
Panasonic began producing black-and-white TVs in November 1952, one year before full-scale TV broadcasting began in Japan. In 1960, the company became the first
manufacturer of color TVs in Japan.
A stream of popular TV units have been produced since then. They include the "Saga Series" of black-and-white TVs (1965), based on the design concept of "TV as furniture"; the "Quintrix" color TVs (1974), which gained popularity with a number of eye-catching TV commercials on air, contributed to boosting popular acceptance of color TVs with the built-in energy-saving circuitry; the "2000X Series" (1985), having incorporated the then most advanced technologies, was introduced to commemorate the company's cumulative production of the 100 millionth TV set; the "Gaoo Series" (1990) achieved unprecedented sales of 4 million units; and the T (tau) flat-screen digital CRT TVs (1998) came out.
In 2003, VIERA flat-panel digital TVs were released to coincide with the launching of terrestrial digital broadcasting in Japan, and raised the curtain on a whole new era for TVs. Since then, VIERA TVs have been leading Panasonic's TV production and sales in line with the global progress of digital broadcasting. On October 7, 2008, the newest VIERA model, the TH-50PZR900 (available in Japan on September 10), marks the cumulative production of the 300 millionth TV.
TVs used to be the leading source of entertainment for every family member. In order to realize the new "digital hearth," serving as the center of the home where the family and friends gather, Panasonic is maximizing its leading-edge technologies to develop ultra-large screens and super-thin display panels. It will also improve its wireless technologies to make the best of the new flat-panel TVs. Above all, the company is committed to creating high-efficiency technologies that can attain not only high-quality images and high technical performance but also contribute significantly to environmental protection.
Panasonic is grateful for the support of its customers who have made it possible for the company to achieve a cumulative production of 300 million TV sets, and remains committed to its basic management policy of "delivering satisfaction to customers through the most advanced technology." The company actively promotes its TV business with the next goal of achieving a cumulative production of 400 million TVs. Through these efforts, Panasonic will move on to contribute to further advancement of TV culture around the world in order to enrich life for people everywhere.
About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of 7.77 trillion yen (US$78.4 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2009. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE: PC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/.
Contact:
Akira Kadota, International PR
Panasonic Corporation
Tel: 03-3578-1237 Fax: 03-3436-6766
Panasonic News Bureau
Tel: 03-3542-6205 Fax: 03-3542-9018
Oct 7, 2008
Source: Panasonic
Panasonic (TSE: 6752) (U.S: PC)
From the Japan Corporate News Network
http://www.japancorp.net
Topic: Press release summary
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