CD player in 1970. Following litigation, Sony and Philips licensed Russell's patents (then held by a Canadian company, Optical Recording Corp.) in the 1980s. The Compact Disc is an evolution of LaserDisc technology, where a focused laser beam is used that enables the high information density required for high-quality digital audio signals. Prototypes were developed by Philips and Sony independently in the late 1970s. In 1979, Sony and Philips set up a joint task force of engineers to design a new digital audio disc. After a year of experimentation and discussion, the "Red Book" CD-DA standard was published in 1980. After their
Philips Computers had and has moderate success selling peripherals such as mice, keyboards and optical devices. Philips also sold and sells computer media such as diskettes and optical media (CD)s. Philips also developed the CD-i standard but it flopped. Another experimental product was the , based on Intel's 80186. It also flopped. Philips PCs were mostly equipped with motherboards designed by Philips Home Electronics in Montreal, Canada. In the late 1990s Philips Pentium PCs were sold based on generic components and cases. These were not proprietarily designed and produced. Philips had a subsidiary that sold the PCs under the Vendex brand: HeadStart.