RCA-Brand DirecTV Satellite Receivers Popularity Soars With Consumers, As Thomson Ships 6 Millionth Unit

Only a few weeks before the fifth anniversary of high-power digital satellite television in the U.S., Thomson Consumer Electronics has announced the shipment of its six millionth RCA-brand DirecTV satellite receiver to a retail customer. The milestone marks another achievement in the continuing trend of astounding growth in the home satellite category since mid-1998. The Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) category continues to attract a tremendous number of new consumers due to the wide range of functions and options that it offers consumers, all at affordable price points. ""Sales of the RCA-brand DirecTV Satellite System have continued to be impressive as more and more consumers are becoming aware of the numerous advantages that digital satellite television offers,"" said David Spomer, Vice President-DBS Product Management. ""With a choice of over 200 channels, teamed with advanced sorting features which help personalize TV viewing habits based on the consumersí individual tastes, an RCA digital satellite receiving system is a tremendous value.""The RCA-brand DirecTV satellite receiver system - comprising an 18-inch wide dish/antenna, an all-digital set-top receiver/decoder, and an interactive remote control - enables consumers to access over 200 channels of subscription programming from DIRECTV. Superior TV picture performance and audio capabilities, said Spomer, are assured by the systemís digital video compression technology developed by Thomson engineers. Earlier this year, Thomson added two new RCA-brand DirecTV satellite receivers to the product line, featuring a new, compact design, 12.25 inches wide, by 10.25 inches deep and only 2 inches in height. The smaller receiver was designed for consumers who would like to place additional receivers in their homes. Introduced in June 1994, the RCA Digital Satellite System set a consumer electronics industry record by reaching the 1 million unit sales mark in just 10 months - faster than any other consumer electronics product in history. The most recent versions of the RCA brand DirecTV Satellite System reflect Thomsonís dedication to improving the design and operability of the system to give consumers the maximum entertainment experience. ""Thomsonís goal is to offer consumers a wide range of programming and sorting options, while at the same time keeping them easy to use,"" Spomer said. ""As more advanced options become available, the challenge is to keep them organized in a fashion that lets users navigate through the system quickly.""Unique features the RCA-brand DirecTV Satellite System offers to consumers include: Scout, which lets users customize their programming options by entering up to eight key words to find programs in the electronic program guide that match the viewer's interests. An Interactive Channel Banner, a translucent, see-through banner that displays icons of the most frequently used system functions for quick and easy access. AlphaSort, which sorts the current program guide alphabetically by any letter. For more information, contact Dave Arland at Arland@tce.com or James Harper at HarperJ@tce.com.