(PR NEWSWIRE) TiVo Personal Television Available Nationwide at Best Buy
TiVo Personal Television Available Nationwide at Best Buy
Best Buy Becomes the First National Retailer to Deliver New Personal Video
Recorder Technology From TiVo and Philips to Consumers
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning September 10, Best Buy
(NYSE: BBY) will be the first national retailer to offer the TiVo and Philips
Electronics personal video recorder (PVR) that gives viewers control over
their TV.
TiVo's Personal Television technology enhances TV watching by putting the
viewer in control. It automatically records programs that the viewer likes,
so anyone can watch what they want, when they want. It gives the viewer the
ability to pause live television programming -- in order to answer the door
or take a phone call -- as well as slow motion and instant replay.
"Best Buy has always taken the lead in providing our customers with the
latest in digital technology. TiVo will save people time by putting them in
control of their TV viewing and will provide a better way to watch TV," said
Phil Schoonover, Best Buy Senior Vice President - Consumer Electronics. "As
with VCRs, DVDs and other products that changed the entertainment experience,
TiVo is revolutionary to TV viewing and we are pleased to be the first
retailer to offer it nationwide. We expect TiVo will be one of the hot gift
items this holiday season."
Best Buy will offer the Philips Personal Television Receiver with the TiVo
Personal Television Service at its 333 stores making it the first PVR
available to consumers across the country. The Philips Personal TV(TM)
receiver is available for $499 in a model that stores up to 14 hours of TV
programming. TiVo Personal Television Service subscribers have two options:
$9.95 per month or $199 for a lifetime subscription. The TiVo service
enables consumers to time-shift their favorite television shows and create a
customized television lineup for viewing at any time. TiVo's intelligent
"thumbs up, thumbs down" ratings provide a personalized selection of new
programming suggestions, which ensure that the TiVo receiver is always able
to provide the best programs available on television to fit individual
viewer preferences.
"This is not only the first product of its kind, but TiVo is providing the
first service through retail that allows consumers the flexibility to watch
what they want, when they want, giving customers incredible choice and
control over their television viewing," said Mike Ramsay, president and CEO,
TiVo. "TiVo's personal television service is hitting stores nationwide, just
in time for the holiday gift season, this has the potential to top the wish
list for anyone who enjoys TV."
About the Personal Television Market
Personal television technology gives viewers the capability to pause and
rewind live television by recording programming onto a hard drive within a
set-top box. This idea of "time-shifting" can be combined with a host of
other services to provide viewers with more control over what programming
they are watching, and when they are watching it.
This announcement comes on the heels of TiVo's partnership agreement with
AOL to provide interactive television content, and the company's investment
from several leading media companies, including CBS, Comcast Corporation,
Cox Communications, Discovery Communications Inc., The Walt Disney Company,
Liberty Media subsidiaries Liberty Digital and Encore Media Group,
Advance/Newhouse and TV Guide Interactive. In addition, TiVo has
partnerships with NBC, DIRECTV, Philips Electronics, E! Entertainment
Television, FLIX, HBO, Showtime, style, The Movie Channel, The Weather
Channel and ZDTV.
About Best Buy
Minneapolis-based Best Buy Co., Inc. is the nation's largest volume
specialty retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment
software and appliances. The Company operates 333 retail locations in 36
states, and offers CDs and DVD movies online at bestbuy.com
About TiVo
TiVo, headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., is the creator of personal
television. The TiVo service allows consumers to take control of their
television viewing by allowing them to watch what they want, when they want.
TiVo enables consumers to pause, rewind, instant replay and playback in slow
motion any live television broadcast. As part of TiVo's easy-to-use service
and unique technology, viewers can time-shift their favorite television
shows and create a customized television lineup for viewing at anytime. The
company was founded in August 1997 by two former Silicon Graphics senior
executives, Michael Ramsay and James Barton, both of whom were instrumental
in early generation interactive video-on-demand systems and Hollywood
special-effects technology. TiVo can be reached on the World Wide Web at
tivo.com
This release contains forward-looking statements about TiVo's business,
partners and other factors that may effect market acceptance, future
revenues and financial results. Such statements involve risks and
uncertainties which could cause actual results to vary materially from those
expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. TiVo is a
trademark of TiVo Inc.
SOURCE Best Buy Co., Inc.
-0- 9/8/1999
/NOTE TO EDITOR: Product slides/digital images are available upon
request. TV crews and photographers welcome at Best Buy stores for stories on
TiVo product./
/CONTACT: Joy Harris of Best Buy Co., Inc., 612-995-5448,
joy.harris@bestbuy.com , or Rebecca Baer of TiVo Inc., 408-331-5925,
rebecca@tivo.com /
/Company News On-Call: prnewswire.com or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 098313/
/Web site: tivo.com /
/Web site: bestbuy.com /
(BBY)
CO: Best Buy Co., Inc., TiVo
ST: Minnesota, California
IN: REA
SU: PDT
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