Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

8— TELEVISION DIGEST FEBRUAHY II. 1963 U.S. IMPORTS FROM JAPAN — 1962 vs. 1961 Units Dollars 1962 1961 % change 1962 1961 % change Transistor radios . 9,819,195 9,699,038 + 1.2% $64,105,656 $62,247,251 + 3.0% Portable radios (tube) 264,824 389,832 -32.1% 1,089,667 1,415,326 -23.3% Other radios 1,583,576 1,373,429 + 15.3% 10,441,883 8,607,117 + 21.3% Radio-phono : 81,924 75,764 + 8.1% 3,641,455 3,264,283 + 11.6% Tape recorders 1,119,727 14,666,564 — Hong Kong & Okinawa ore becoming increasingly important sources for low-cost transistor radios — just how low the following table shows. Average cost of Hong Kong export radio dropped to $5.19 last year from $6.28 in 1961; Okinawa overage dipped to $5.15 from $6.01. These exports probably represent radios with 6 transistors or more exclusively; there's no indication of any manufacture of toy sets in either Hong Kong or Okinawa. U.S. TRANSISTOR RADIOS FROM HONG HONG & OKINAWA — 1962 vs. 1961 Units 1962 1961 % change Dollars 1962 1961 % change Hong Kong 624,103 187,415 +223.0% $3,235,795 $1,174,885 + 175.4% Okinawa . .. 580,070 335,031 + 73.1% 2,988,305 2,012,285 + 48.5% SYL VANIA AIMS HIGHER WITH COLOR: "We're raising our sights on color," said Robert G. Lynch, marketing vp of Sylvania Electronic Tube Div. "Last summer we were predicting soles of 600,000 color tubes in 1963. Now we think there'll be a market for 750-800,000." There were indications that 50,000 color tubes is Sylvania's goal for this year, after it gets full-scale production going (scheduled in 4th quarter). Sylvania's bullishness for color came out last week at press gettogether to introduce Tube Div.'s top management team, os revamped last year — senior vp Merle W. Kremer, picture tube vp-gen. mgr. Walter A. Weiss, receiving tube vp-gen. mgr. Gordon L. Fullerton, and marketing vp Lynch. Forthright picture of where Sylvania stands now in color tubes was painted by Kremer, Weiss & Lynch: "Good pilot runs now," first production employes being hired this month, quantity production "conservatively" by 4th quarter. As to 50,000-tube goal this year, we got impression it's just that — a goal — and there's plenty opportimity for slippage in the complicated business of making color tubes. "We'll be right with the others [Rauland & National Video] in color tubes," scdd Weiss. Sylvania's initial entry will be 21-in. round 70-degree tube similar to RCA type and the tube Sylvania made once before. Weiss explained : "The color program is so important, we wont to be sure we're right before we step out with any innovations such as the 90-degree round or rectangular. Present color tube standards ore very high. We've looked at other systems, made 23-in. color tubes ourselves, took a new look at the Lawrence tube, worked with the Land [2-color] system and checked the Harries projection system. But so far we believe the 70-degree roimd shadow-mask is the best from the standpoint of quality, producibilty & public acceptance." What's next size & shape? "When market & technology demand, we will hove 90-degree roimd," said Lynch, "but this is not to soy we won't be in rectangular, too. It may be the logical next step." Lynch predicted total picture tube business would remain fairly even for next 5 years, color taking up slackening bdw market. Replacement business, he said, is declining, probably due to improvement in tube life and low prices of new sets. "Independent rebuilders now have about 60% of this market." "There's plenty of opportimity for innovation in b&w," send Weiss. "If the industry wonts it, we can now go to wider deflection angles than 110 degrees; we can make shorter 125 or 130-degree tubes if needed. Low-drive and high-efficiency tubes are available, and we can make high-reliability tubes with 5,000-hour life." As to replacement of receiving tubes by transistors in TV sets. Lynch saw no general trend to alltransistor sets within 4 years because of cost factor & development time. He thought, however, that hybrid tube-transistor sets would be showing up within that time as transistor circuits begin phasing into TV. One of big receiving tube problems is increasing rote of imports, which showed 50% gain in 1962 over 1961.