Pioneer ejects DVD recorder business

The invisible hand of capitalism has pushed yet another major electronics manufacturer from one of its traditional businesses, as declining profits and product commodification have convinced Pioneer Corp. to drop out of the DVD recorder game. Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun is reporting that its recording division's recent cash hemorrhaging has convinced the company which "pioneered" the commercial burner to cut its losses and form a strategic partnership with Panasonic-parent Matsushita, whose next-gen optical disc technology may help Pioneer succeed in the decidedly less-crowded Blu-ray recorder market. Pioneer will now begin to shift its focus to its more profitable in-vehicle electronics division, which is responsible for many of the popular navigation and in-dash entertainment products on the worldwide market.