Philips Digital Receiver For AOLTV Service Available Summer 2000

Philips Receiver Enhances The TV Experience By Delivering AOLTV Service

8-Aug-00

Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG), announced that its new Philips Receiver for the AOLTV(SM) service is available to U.S. consumers at select retail locations and online through America Online as of mid-July 2000. The AOLTV service, to be delivered via a Philips digital receiver, allows users to benefit from popular AOL features and services on their televisions, enabling them to access e-mail, send and receive instant messages using the AOL Buddy List feature, and chat and browse the Web. The Philips Receiver for the AOLTV Service features a wireless keyboard and an accompanying universal remote, enabling consumers to navigate the AOLTV service through simple keyboard shortcuts. AOLTV offers an innovative, Enhanced Programming Guide (EPG), which allows users to locate and organize their favorite programs, and a special one-touch feature that makes recording programs on a video cassette recorder (VCR) quick and simple. The Philips Receiver for the AOLTV Service also features a hard disk drive that stores EPG data to enhance the service and functionality of the product by significantly reducing download speeds and enabling users to access information while off-line. Suggested retail price of the Philips Receiver for the AOLTV service is $249. The Philips Receiver for AOLTV Service offers several exciting features and benefits, including:- The Liberate TV Platform from Liberate Technologies is a client and server software platform that combines the best of both the Internet and television into one compelling, interactive medium. Liberate enables the range of AOL services found on AOLTV, including AOL e-mail, chat, instant messaging and enhanced TV programming.- Media Processor from National Semiconductor - The highly integrated NationalÆ Geodeô processor selected for this receiver, provides the lowest power consumption available, and combined with its x86 architecture, ensures full Internet compatibility.- A Built-in Parallel Printer Port enables the user to connect a printer to the Philips receiver and print out pages of information or coupons.In addition, Philips collaborates with Inprimis Technologies, Inc. on the development of this and other Internet-based appliances.""Philips is dedicated to enhancing the digital set-top box with interactive TV services that add a new level of entertainment and convenience to the lives of consumers,"" said Jos Swillens, President of Set-Top Boxes for Philips Digital Networks. ""Our alliance with AOL will offer an exciting and interactive television experience to a wider audience than ever before. The Philips Receiver for AOLTV service is well positioned to significantly advance the adoption and acceptance of enhanced, interactive television.""Barry Schuler, President, Interactive Services Group at AOL said, ""Our partnership with industry leader Philips Electronics is a major building block for the development and success of the AOLTV service. We anticipate that AOL's powerful brand will drive the acceptance and value of interactive television. Our membership base of more than 23 million, who are embedding connected interactivity into their lives, will be among those most interested in extending this experience to other devices. With our strong focus on consumers we will deliver the best interactive TV product available anywhere.""""AOLís proven track record of bringing compelling, easy-to-use technologies to consumers on a large scale gives it a definitive advantage in making AOLTV a success,"" said Mitchell Kertzman, President and CEO, Liberate Technologies. ""Having worked closely with industry leaders AOL and Philips, we look forward to seeing our collective work with the Liberate platform help drive the broader market for interactive television in the United States.""Philips Digital Networks - a business group of the Philips Consumer Electronics division - is a world-leading provider of advanced digital system solutions for Service and Network providers in broadcasting and video distribution. Philips Digital Networks offers product and service solutions for customers in both the professional side of the distribution chain, as well as for consumers to use in the home. In the consumer domain, Philips Digital Networks is a leading provider of set-top boxes for digital television and internet delivery, as well as personal video recording. A pioneer in the development of Internet-enabling technologies, Philips Digital Networks is playing a key role in the introduction of MPEG4-based media streaming solutions. The broad professional product portfolio includes a comprehensive range of television cameras, studio and compression equipment, conditional access systems and transmission systems for broadband cable networks to deliver a full array of interactive services. A flexible customer support program and active involvement in the bodies setting tomorrowís entertainment and information delivery standards makes Philips a natural partner for the digital broadcast era. Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the worldís biggest electronics companies and Europeís largest, with sales of EUR 31.5 billion in 1999. It is a global leader in color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, color picture tubes for televisions and monitors, and one-chip TV products. Its 226,900 employees in more than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic appliances, components, semiconductors, medical systems, and IT services (Origin). Philips is quoted on the NYSE (symbol: PHG), London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and other stock exchanges. News from Philips is located at www.news.philips.com.

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