Americaís Most Advanced Digital Television Receivers Ship To Retailers In New York, California, And IndianaNew HDTV Models Offer Robust Reception And High Definition Display Of Over-The-Air And Satellite Digital Television

Another milestone in the history of television was established earlier this month when Thomson Consumer Electronics, the Indianapolis-based manufacturer and marketer of RCA, ProScan, and GE-brand home entertainment products, began shipping to retailers the television industry's most versatile digital HDTV sets with onboard reception of both over-the-air and satellite-delivered digital television signals. The ProScan PS61000 61-inch rear-projection HDTV receivers feature the unique capability of receiving and displaying high-definition television from dozens of local broadcasters and the full bevy of entertainment options available from DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite television broadcaster. During the initial rollout phase, the PS61000 is being shipped to retailers in New York, California, and Indiana. Others will be added as the rollout progresses. The RCA P61300 HDTV model will follow in later shipments. While a 24-inch elliptical satellite dish is recommended to enjoy all of DirecTV's subscription services, the new digital TV sets also offer the capability of full HDTV reception with nothing more than an indoor or rooftop antenna, depending on strength of the over-the-air signal. The new sets receive all 18 ""Grand Alliance"" digital TV formats, as well as analog over-the-air and cable signals, and both standard and high definition signals from DirecTV. Key retailers in major metropolitan areas have been demonstrating the new Thomson-developed HDTV receivers in their showrooms since last December. ""RCA pioneered television broadcasting 60 years ago this summer as millions of people witnessed n/ for the first time at the New York World's Fair of 1939. A few years later, RCA added the splendor of full color to the television broadcast. Now, with the first shipment of our HDTV products, we can once again mark a technological milestone with the availability of the most advanced television receivers ever offered to the American public,"" said Mike O'Hara, Senior Vice President of Thomson's Americas Strategic Business Unit. The suggested retail price of these innovative HDTV receivers is $7,999.Thomson was a key member of the Digital HDTV Grand Alliance, contributing the video compression and data transport structure that form the backbone of the new digital TV technology.Digital television and its centerpiece application, high-definition television (HDTV), offer stunningly clear images and six-channel surround sound capability along with a host of potential interactive and data applications. Through August 1st, 69 U.S. television stations have begun to broadcast digital programming - an incremental, l600-station process scheduled to be completed over the next four years. Driven by a commitment to make digital television an affordable reality for consumers, Thomson Consumer Electronics will introduce a broad array of innovative RCA and ProScan brand digital TV products ranging from HDTV to Digital High-Resolution Monitors and affordable set-top decoders that deliver lifelike picture performance and theatre-quality audio capability.For more information, contact Dave Arland, ArlandD@tce.com or visit the Web site www.rca.com.