Reborn since 1993

Chapter 645 Because He Is Kind
"The prototype of the digital video recorder for stargazing has already been made!"

Zhang Bing took out a machine that was somewhat similar in style to a VCD, with a red and black shell. Although the body was made of plastic, it did not look cheap.

“This prototype was developed by us and currently has the functions of recording TV programs, skipping commercials, pausing, fast forwarding, rewinding and easy searching!

In terms of functionality, it has already met Mr. Li’s requirements for a stargazing digital video recorder!”

After Zhang Bing finished speaking, Li Dongling gestured to the Innovation Laboratory to connect the stargazing digital video recorder to the TV.

"How much of an impact do the picture quality, sound quality, and resolution have on the recorded program compared to the one broadcast by the TV station?"

Li Dongling asked, to put it simply, a digital video recorder is just like watching a TV series on a computer website, then downloading the video and watching it slowly by yourself, it is the same principle.

However, when recording TV programs, it is impossible to restore the video 100%, so there will always be some impact.

"A digital video recorder records TV programs. If a TV program is recorded due to signal problems, the recorded content will definitely be affected.

But for the digital video recorder itself, the most important parts are the encoder and hard disk!"

Zhang Bing put a lot of thought into the digital video recorder. This was the first project he was in charge of since joining Dongling Hi-Tech. How could he not pay attention to it? It was obvious that he put a lot of thought into these issues.

The TV station was tuned to Hanxi TV, which was currently broadcasting a midday TV series.

The stargazing digital video recorder recorded nearly half an hour of program, including a three-minute advertisement.

After the TV signal was disconnected, Li Dongling took the remote control and used the VCR to play the program he had just recorded.

When the picture appeared on TV, Li Dongling saw that it was slightly different from the picture just now on TV, but it did not affect the viewing.

Other functions such as pause, fast forward, rewind, and skipping the previous advertisement can also be used.

"Thanks for your hard work!"

"This time when we go to America, I'll have to trouble Senior Brother Zhang to go with me to Microsoft!"

Li Dongling put down the remote control and said to Zhang Bing and the director of the innovation laboratory next to him. Zhang Bing couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he heard it.

"Technically, how many overseas parts are needed for the Stargazing Digital Video Recorder?"

Unlike repeaters, digital video recorders obviously require a number of technologies and components such as systems, chips, motherboards, memory, hard drives, encoders, etc.

Among them, in terms of the system, Dongling Hi-Tech and Kingsoft jointly developed a media management system for video recorders using Linux.

It is similar to the simple management system of MP3 in the previous life. After all, a video recorder only has a few functions and does not require a complicated operating system.

Dongling High-Tech Department and Kingsoft jointly launched such a simple management system. It was not difficult. At least it was much easier than developing computer operating systems and office software...

However, Shenzhou Storage is not yet able to produce hard drives on its own. Shenzhou Storage has other businesses such as USB flash drives, flash memory cards, and memory sticks, and its most important research and development project is the Soha solid-state drive.

However, in terms of large-memory hard drives, Shenzhou Storage currently does not have any products to show off, while stargazing digital video recorders require large-memory hard drives, which have to be purchased from overseas.

“Processors, memory sticks, motherboards and other components can currently be supplied to the Stargazing Digital Video Recorder by companies such as Dongxin Semiconductor and Shenzhou Storage, but hard drives need to be purchased!
We plan to purchase a batch of 8G memory hard disks from IBM for the stargazing digital video recorders!" said Zhang Bing.

At present, the storage company that Shenzhou Storage has the deepest cooperation with is IBM. Shenzhou Storage has licensed the patents of USB flash drives and SD memory cards to IBM, and also purchased the technology and production lines of memory sticks from IBM.

Including the hard drive installed in the Shenzhou computer, if nothing unexpected happens, it is probably purchased from IBM.

Only when Shenzhou Storage has made a breakthrough in hard disk technology and is able to produce its own hard disks will it stop purchasing hard disks from IBM.

The mainstream hard drives nowadays are mechanical hard drives, which are mainly occupied by IBM, Seagate, Quantum, Western Digital, and Maxtor in the United States. Whether it is patents, technology, or production lines, they are ahead of other competitors.

Toshiba of Japan, Samsung of South Korea, or old Europe, cannot squeeze into this industry, not to mention Shenzhou Memory, which has only been established for a few years.

There are only two ways to enter the hard disk industry. One is to acquire a mechanical hard disk company.

Another method is probably to develop solid-state drives, and use them to take a share of the mechanical hard drive market, otherwise it would be difficult.

"What about the cost? How much does it cost to mass-produce a digital video recorder for stargazing?" Li Dongling asked the most critical question. "The cost is very high now!"

Zhang Bing coughed and said, "Now the cost of purchasing an 8GB hard drive is about one thousand yuan. Add in the chips, motherboard, memory sticks and other components, and the overall cost is about 1800 yuan. This is based on the fact that Dongling Hi-Tech can produce its own chips!"

Li Dongling pondered for a moment. The cost of 1800 yuan is 225 US dollars, which is really not low.

After taking a look at the Stargazing Digital Video Recorder in front of him, Li Dongling said, "Let's quote a price to Microsoft. The production cost of the Stargazing Digital Video Recorder is $280, and it will be sold at a retail price of $320!"

Zhang Bing was just about to say that the Innovation Laboratory would optimize components and production processes in the future, and the cost of digital video recorders would be greatly reduced, but then he looked at Li Dongling with his mouth wide open.

The quoted price for a digital video recorder is US$280. ​​After deducting the cost, Dongling Hi-Tech makes a net profit of US$55 per unit!

Then the machines were sold. According to the equity of Guanxing digital video recorders, Dongling Hi-Tech held 60% and Microsoft held 40%.

That is to say, the profit of $40 from selling a machine is split 24% between Dongling Hi-Tech and Microsoft, with Dongling Hi-Tech taking $16 and Microsoft getting $!

Overall, Dongling Hi-Tech can earn $79 for producing and selling a stargazing digital video recorder.

This does not mean that Dongling Hi-Tech is evil-hearted. If we look at the hardware companies that Microsoft has cooperated with in its previous life, Li Dongling is the most conscientious and kind-hearted person who has ever cooperated with Microsoft!

From providing parts and components to Microsoft and manufacturing Xbox game consoles, to tablets and laptops, every hardware product Microsoft has launched has been completely ripped off.

Microsoft lost more than 10 billion US dollars selling game consoles. If you say that Microsoft has no traitors inside, colluding with those component suppliers to drain Microsoft, no one will believe it!

Microsoft loses money selling game consoles, but some people are making a fortune relying on Microsoft's orders.

As some five-star reviewers said, instead of losing $10 billion or $20 billion on game console sales, Microsoft might as well spend money to ask Capitol Hill to order American troops to surround the four islands of Japan and force the Japanese cabinet to sell Nintendo or Sony's console business to Microsoft. Maybe it can be cheaper...

Compared to those people, isn't Dongling Hi-Tech a conscientious person?

It just makes Microsoft earn less. Isn't this a digital video recorder? It makes Microsoft earn $16. It's better than making Microsoft lose money on a game console. Doesn't this prove that Mr. Li is a kind person?
"Will Microsoft accept this?" Zhang Bing, who has been working in the technical field, is still a little confused about the routines involved.

Li Dongling laughed, stood up and said, "The Stargazing Digital Video Recorder is just a test of the cooperation between Dongling Hi-Tech and Microsoft. As long as we don't lose money and can sell well, that's enough!

Even for Microsoft, as long as there are sales, losses are acceptable!"

What Microsoft cares about most in the hardware industry is not how much money it makes, but sales volume and popularity.

Microsoft has lost so much money in its game console business, but its stock price has continued to rise. Compared to the stock price, the money lost is nothing.

In the same way, as long as the Stargazing digital video recorder can be sold and does not lose money, for Microsoft, the breakthrough in the hardware industry and the increase in its stock price will be enough to make a fortune!

"Make another prototype as a backup, and we'll head to America together the day after tomorrow!"

……

The weather in Pingyang is similar to that in most cities in China. It is quite cold now. However, the whole Pingyang is not like in previous years when the whole city started to hibernate. Instead, it is quite noisy.

The news that the Oriental Times Shopping Mall is going to have a trial operation has been reported by all major media in Hanxi. Promotional leaflets have been sent to various cities in Hanxi and even in neighboring provinces. Many people in Pingyang and even Hanxi are eagerly looking forward to it.

I wonder what the difference is between the Oriental Times Shopping Mall, which is known as the ceiling of Hanxi shopping malls, and the Carrefour, AEON, Walmart, Metro, Sam's Club, which entered Yanjing and other places last year, and the Yaohan which recorded 107 million visitors during its trial operation.

Since this year, foreign big brand shopping malls have flooded into China like a tide, defeating domestic shopping malls.
Asia, which was once the representative of domestic shopping malls, is now on the verge of collapse. Many people are still surprised that Oriental Times Shopping Mall dares to stand out at this time.

The fact that they dare to promote it so lavishly at this time clearly shows that they are preparing to go head-to-head with shopping mall giants such as Walmart, AEON, Yaohan, and Metro!

In addition to the Oriental Times Shopping Mall, which continues to make a big splash, Pingyang Animal Park has also announced that it will conduct a trial operation during the Spring Festival and will open its animal exhibition areas, including giant pandas, to the public.

In addition, signs of Zhixing Bookstore and Zhixing Study Room have been hung on several main streets in Pingyang, such as Xicheng District, Dongcheng District, and Shangguan Economic Development Zone, which are quite attractive.

Even though it is almost the end of the year, there are still a lot of big news coming out of Pingyang. New things continue to attract the eyes of Pingyang people. There is no sign of calmness at all, so it is naturally noisy.

(End of this chapter)