Technology ´88: consumer electronics

Developments during 1987 are reviewed. A variety of products based on laser optical-disk technology have been offered to consumers. New formats for video cassette recorders and camcorders make possible home television pictures with quality comparable to that from laser videodisks. Proposals for high-definition and improved-definition television broadcast systems, now under evaluation, also promise better pictures in the home. An expert opinion is given by Almon H. Clegg, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Denon America Inc., who predicts that two developments-digital video interactive (DVI) and Super VHS (S-VHS)-are likely to affect the market most during 1988.<>