January 23, 2004 – Toshiba Corp. is planning to invest about $1.8 billion to build a 300mm plant at its operations in Oita, to be used for production of chips for digital TVs, according to news reports.
Toshiba expects to produce 1.5 million chips in 2004, and 3 million in 2005 — up from just 500,000 chips in 2003. Mass production is scheduled for the European market in 2004. By the end of 2005, the company plans to release a system chip for flat-panel TVs.
Toshiba says four companies, including its own TV division, plan to use the system chips for digital TVs.