JVC
JVC was founded in Yokohama, Japan, in 1927 as the Japanese subsidiary of the American company, Victor Talking Machine Company. It began as a company that manufactured phonographs, even pressing the first record in Japan, offering a rare combination of hardware and software production capabilities. Later, as evidenced by the production of the world's first VHS video deck, JVC evolved into a leading innovator in audio/video technology, creating products that were a step ahead of their time, for a global audience.
Kenjiro Takayanagi, the "father of television," who in 1926 became the first in the world to successfully project an image on a cathode ray tube, joined JVC after World War II. He was involved in the development of color televisions and the creation of the two-head helical scan system, which later became the foundation for video cassettes.
Having made Japan's first domestically produced phonograph, the "Victorola," in 1930, JVC continued to produce Japan's first EP record as well as the country's first stereo turntable, pursuing realistic reproduction of sound sources and sound fields, developing both hardware and software. Discoveries included the development of the 45/45 stereo recording system and innovations in two-head helical scan video cassette recorders and four-channel sound systems.
The world's first VHS format video recorder, developed by JVC and introduced in 1976, eventually became the de facto global standard for commercial video and created an entirely new cultural phenomenon based on visual communication. JVC's video innovations continued with the introduction of the world's first single-unit video camera/recorder in 1984, and in 1995 with the introduction of the first pocket-sized digital video camera in the world.
Today, JVC continues its history of innovation, led by its new high-definition projectors in the Reference 8k D-ILA series, using imaging chips it has developed in-house.
JVC's world-class technology extends far beyond the consumer market. The professional 8k D-ILA (RS) projection systems, recently introduced to the market, are found in the most advanced cockpit and control tower simulators used by major airlines and the U.S. military.
