Devices with increasingly higher performance and functionality

Digital sophistication has taken place at a fast pace. For example, digital cameras surpassed film cameras in shipment volume to become the mainstay of the camera market. If you purchased new digital cameras in the past few years, you may well have noticed that they have come along way since then. Digital SLR cameras with over 10-megapixel resolution are appearing one after another; even compact models deliver an 8-megapixel resolution. Manufacturers are trying to differentiate their products with new features and operating comfort such as motion picture shooting, camera shake compensation, improved rapid-fire shooting performance, and shorter start-up times. In addition, camcorders that support high-definition video recording are growing in popularity.

Rapid growth in performance is also taking place in the field of mobile phones—for example, 3-megapixel camera phones, and a wide range of features such as TV, games, GPS-based navigation, and electronic money are now commonplace.

Development aimed at utilization of high-definition video

Moreover, technological innovation is underway in the fields of household digital devices such as DVD/HDD (digital versatile disc, hard disk drive) recorders, flat-screen TVs, and game consoles. Hot-selling products include recorders capable of high-definition video recording and playback, and large flat-screen TVs that use various high-quality picture technologies. Next-generation DVD recorders/players and game machines, etc. are scheduled to make their market debut in 2006.