Consumer electronics

The European consumer electronics industry is examined, focusing on how the manufacturers have been restructuring, streamlining, and consolidating in order to compete against Japanese competitors. Emerging from this strategic repositioning are three conglomerates which possess major shares of the European television market, and are active in other areas of consumer electronics. In order of size, they are NV Philips of the Netherlands and Thomson Consumer Electronics Co. of France, both headquartered within the European Community (EC), and the Nokia Group of Finland, which belongs to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but has interests inside the EC. The major issue, high-definition television (HDTV), is discussed; the European proposal, high-definition multiplexed analog component, known as HD-MAC, is compatible with D2-MAC, the new European standard for direct satellite broadcasts. Like Secam and PAL. D2-MAC prescribes 625 scan lines and 25 pictures/s but provides better picture quality, several high-quality audio channels, and a 16:9 picture ratio (which requires an adaptor for existing sets).<>