With compactness of size, better design and an increasing number of DVD titles, the portable player is drawing increasing interest, with shipments in Japan expected to reach one million units this year, nearly twice the number for 1999. Giant electronics producers, Sharp and Matsushita, are going head to head to acquire the dominant position in the portable DVD player market. The new product is powered by lithium ion batteries which can operate for about four hours. Producers are conscious of coming up with added functions to make their models more attractive to consumers. Sanyo just launched a new portable DVD navigation system, which can provide both DVD player and TV, with its built-in tuner.
Japanese makers are interested in the business sector as well as individual consumers.
Naturally, Pioneer wants to make use of this order as a springboard for offering audio visual equipment to other airlines, developing an important new sales channel. In broader terms, worldwide demand last year rose to 7.3 million units, with demand expected to double by the end of this year. All rights reserved.