LAS VEGAS – Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. and DivX, Inc. announced at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) a collaboration to bring DivX Certified DVD players and recorders to the US market. This move by Divx Pioneer aimed to extend the digital media experience for consumers beyond the personal computer, directly into their living rooms.
Pioneer’s new line of DivX Certified DVD players promised high performance and versatile playback across various disc formats. These players were also designed to cater to users wanting to enjoy digital music through their home theatre systems. Alongside the DVD players, Pioneer also introduced a new DVD recorder offering tri-format recording and playback capabilities. The initial DivX Pioneer product lineup included the DVR-640H-S DVD recorder and the DV-393-S, DV-490V-S, and DV-696AV-K slim design DVD players, all set to be available at major retail outlets.
Gary Bauhard, director of product planning and marketing for home entertainment at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc., emphasized the consumer-centric approach behind this integration. “By incorporating DivX technology in Pioneer’s DVD players and DVD recorder, we are offering consumers a feature-rich, versatile product that provides a true ‘convergence’ experience,” Bauhard stated. He further added, “Consumers can enhance their viewing capabilities to enjoy a wide variety of digital films in the living room, in a lean-back environment away from the computer screen.”
DivX Certified products are recognized for undergoing rigorous testing to guarantee interoperability, security, and high visual quality. This certification ensures that consumers can reliably create, play, and share high-quality video content across numerous devices and platforms. By 2006, over 50 million DivX Certified chips had been shipped, powering a wide array of consumer electronics from leading global brands. Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. had already launched their first DivX Pioneer certified model at CES 2005, indicating a continued commitment to the DivX format.
Bill Holmes, vice president of consumer electronics at DivX Inc., highlighted Pioneer’s leadership in the DVD market and the strategic importance of this partnership. “Pioneer has always been a leader in the DVD category, and adding DivX to all of their new home entertainment products is very much in keeping with that leadership position,” said Holmes. He also noted the growing consumer demand for DivX content and devices, positioning DivX Certification as an increasingly essential feature in the consumer electronics market. “As consumer demand for DivX content and devices continues to grow, DivX Certification is quickly becoming a must-have feature across the consumer electronics ecosystem.”
Visitors to CES 2006 were able to experience Pioneer’s new DivX Pioneer Certified devices firsthand at booth #9827 in the Central Hall. The announcement underscored the growing importance of digital media convergence and the role of companies like DivX Pioneer in shaping the future of home entertainment.
About Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.
Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. is a subsidiary of Pioneer Corporation, a leader in optical disc technology. Pioneer Corporation is renowned for manufacturing high-performance audio, video, and computer equipment across home, car, and business sectors. The company’s core business areas include DVD technology, display technologies, Digital Network Entertainment(TM), and components.
About DivX, Inc.
DivX, Inc., based in San Diego, California, is a digital entertainment company at the forefront of multimedia convergence. The company is best known for the DivX video codec, a widely adopted video compression technology with over 250 million downloads globally. DivX technology offers high-quality video compression, enabling full-length films to be efficiently stored and delivered. DivX technology supports a range of applications, from secure IP-based video-on-demand solutions to consumer electronics and video software.
