Pioneer today announced in Tokyo [JP] that they will no longer manufacture LaserDisc players. The DVL-919, CLD-R5, DVK-900 and DVL-K88 are the last models available.
The company has been in the LD business since 1981 and has sold a mere 3.6 million players through 2002. Owners of Pioneer players can still use the company’s service for another 8 years. Pioneer says LD hardware production in the time of DVD and Blu-ray discs isn’t lucrative anymore.