JVC

Founded: 1927-09-13 (as "The Victor Talking Machine Company of Japan, Ltd")

T-series code: T-315

Headquarters:

Yokohama, Japan

This teeny-tiny article needs some work. You can help us by expanding it.

The Victor Company of Japan, Ltd, (日本ビクター株式会社, Nihon Victor Kabushiki-gaisha) commonly known as JVC is a Japanese multimedia and electronics company.

JVC began its live in 1927 as The Victor Talking Machine Company of Japan, Ltd, a Japanese subsidiary of the US-based Victor Talking Machine Company. In 1929 the conglomerate merged with RCA, becoming RCA Victor, but the JVC branch kept its original branding. JVC severed its ties with RCA Victor during World War II, becoming its own stand-alone company (though the Victor name and "Nipper" the dog trademark was shared between the two, and both companies continue to work closely to this day).

JVC has spent most of its existence producing electronics, notably the first Japanese televisions in 1939, as well as stereos, multimedia equipment, and the VHS home video standard in 1976. In the 1980s it began a venture into the home computer market, producing the HC-95 MSX computer.

In Japan, JVC usually trades under the older, "Victor" brand, and many of its subsidiaries over the years have favoured the name "Victor" over "JVC". In 1972 it established one of these subsidiaries as Victor Musical Industries (later Victor Entertainment and then Victor Interactive Software) to originally cater for the audio market (before going on to publish video games). This is one of several forays JVC have made into the video gaming world, alongside Electronic Arts Victor (a partnership with Electronic Arts) and BMG Victor (a partnership with BMG Interactive Entertainment).

JVC has itself published video games, and has created hardware including the Wondermega and V-Saturn. Subsidiaries JVC Musical Industries, Inc. and JVC Music Europe Ltd. (later JVC Musical Industries Europe, Ltd.) have carried out this role in North America and Europe, respectively. In these cases, often Victor Entertainment's T-Series code number is used (T-60) rather than JVC's (T-315).