Both Compal and Lite-On have been endeavoring to cultivate the projector market segment, and news of progress is starting to come in. Compal has successfully secured contracts from Viewsonic and orders from Hitachi for three-panel LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) projectors, while Lite-On has found favor with RadioShack, which has over 7,000 stores in the US.

 

Compal Electronics plans to more aggressively target new segments, such as LCD TV, PDP (Plasma Display Panel) TV, and DVD, and the company will by withdrawing from the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor market in 2006. Considering customers' demand, however, it will continue to process CRT orders in 2005, yet at a smaller scale. Of the three factories Compal owns, the third, just completed in 2002, has been entirely allocated to new product line development, while the first two will offer capacity support should demand arise.

 

This will be the first time that Lite-On mass produces projectors. Scheduled shipments to RadioShack are slated to begin in November 2004. The DLP (Digital Light Processing) projectors Radio Shack has ordered are equipped with Zeiss lenses, European lamps, built-in DVD ROM, and speakers.