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In the aftermath of the consumer electronics show in Chicago last weekend, the industry is still buzzing about the showcase products: futuristic multimedia players and assorted video games. But in the standard audio-video sphere, there was some news too.
According to industry people who attended the show, the expensive, slow-starting digital audio formats-MiniDisc (MD) and digital compact cassette (DCC)-were a hot topic of conversation.
The MiniDisc got a boost with the announcement of upcoming models by RCA (a playback-only portable) and Kenwood (a recordable mini home deck). So far both companies are shunning the DCC. Sanyo also has a new MD playback-only unit and plans a play-record unit later this year.
A tonic for sluggish sales of both formats, insiders agree, is drastically lower prices and more easily available software.
Elsewhere, CD boomboxes are a big growth area, challenging cassette-only boomboxes. The sales of various portable CD players are up tremendously as consumers are leaning away from assorted portable cassette players.
In the TV market, the newest thing is the rectangular, movie-screen-shaped-set, said to be more suitable for films. Thomson's 34" ProScan is on the market and...