Gemstar-TV Guide Announces Multi-Year IPG License Agreement For Sonyís Digital TVs, Digital Recording Devices And Set-Top Boxes In The U.S.

16-Sep-04

Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. announced it has signed a multi-year agreement with Sony Corporation to incorporate TV Guide On Screen, Gemstar-TV Guide's interactive program guide (IPG) for consumer electronics, into Sony's digital TVs, DVD recorders, and CableCARD set-top boxes in the U.S. market. With this agreement, Gemstar-TV Guide now licenses its consumer electronics IPG and technology to Sony in two regions, the U.S. and Japan. TV Guide On Screen is built directly into consumer electronics products, providing the consumer the industry's most advanced interactive program guide. The most widely-available interactive program guide for consumers using CableCARD products, TV Guide On Screen allows viewers with digital-cable ready TVs, recorders and set-top boxes to enjoy the convenience and features of an IPG while using CableCARD technology. CableCARD technology allows viewers to receive premium digital cable television without a set-top box. ""TV Guide On Screen allows consumers to use the latest televisions and recording devices to their fullest potential, by providing a quick, easy and free way to navigate their programming options and schedule recordings,"" said Doug Macrae, President of TV Guide Consumer Electronics. ""This agreement reinforces the value the industry places on Gemstar-TV Guide's IPG product, brand and intellectual property. We are very excited to have our technology included across Sony's wide range of digital televisions and recording devices."" Sony Corporation is among a dozen consumer electronics manufacturers licensing TV Guide On Screen in North America in the past two years, including: JVC, LG/Zenith, Matsushita (Panasonic), Mitsubishi, Philips, Pioneer, Samsung, Sharp, Thomson (makers of the RCA, GE and Scenium brands), TiVo, and Toshiba. TV Guide On Screen is an IPG that is built directly into consumer electronics products, including digital televisions, digital video recorders (DVRs) and DVD recorders. The guide offers interactive on-screen program listings from TV Guide, the most trusted name in television guidance, that enable viewers to quickly and easily navigate, sort, select, and schedule television programming for viewing and recording, all with simple remote control commands. TV Guide On Screen's patented technology delivers continually updated program listings to users, regardless of whether they receive their television signal via cable or over-the-air broadcast. TV Guide On Screen works by simply plugging in the television or recording device and activating the guide through an express set-up process. The guide requires no subscription or phone connection and is available at no extra cost to the consumer. Additional information about the Company can be found at www.gemstartvguide.com.

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