Are Japanese companies set to make a killing?
(Editor’s note: Electric Japan is a two-part series on Japan’s efforts to help its struggling consumer electronics industry. Read more about the political efforts underway to boost profits across Latin America.) TOKYO, Japan – Japanese TV manufacturers hope the spread of their country’s digital-TV standard will translate into more sales for them. Their government hopes it provides a badly needed boost for Japan’s long-flagging economy. The standards battle’s current skirmish is being fought in Latin America as the continent chooses which standard it will use to broadcast digital programming. Japan, the U.S., Europe, and China all have their own standards. The areas of the world where consumers can afford expensive new TVs have mainly made their choices, with most picking the European standard, known as DVB-T. But starting in 2006, when Brazil adopted Japan’s ISDB-T standard, other Latin American countries have been following the lead of their larger neighbor. Japan has four of five Lat
