Interesting release regarding Internet radio from Thomson. The release clearly references an in-home product, yet the photo appears to be an in-dash type unit. Curious...
<Tuesday June 27, 1:26 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: THOMSON multimedia
THOMSON multimedia Expands Reach of Digital Audio with Plans to Offer Internet Radio Products
Pioneering RCA Internet Radio to Feature Kerbango Tuning Service
PARIS and INDIANAPOLIS, June 27 /PRNewswire/ -- THOMSON multimedia (NYSE: TMS - news), one of the world's largest manufacturers of home audio entertainment products and marketer under the RCA and THOMSON brand names, today announced an agreement with Kerbango, Inc., paving the way for a new category of home audio products that utilize the Internet to access streaming media files and deliver thousands of new radio channels to home listeners.
(Photo: newscom.com )
Thomson's first new Internet Radio product will be sold under the RCA brand in the United States and will use the Kerbango Tuning Service. The AM/FM/IM (Internet Modulation) radio connects through an ethernet connection on the tabletop product, allowing listeners to find thousands of different channels of entertainment. Initially targeted at consumers who already enjoy broadband DSL or Digital Cable Modem access, the high-speed connection on the RCA Internet Radio will insure digital-quality playback of programming. The RCA Internet Radio also features traditional AM/FM circuitry and can be used to receive regular over-the-air broadcasts as well. A later version of the Internet Radio is now in development and will have a dial-up modem for direct Internet access as well.
In related news, 3Com today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire the outstanding stock of Kerbango.
Another RCA First
As the Radio Corporation of America, RCA popularized radio broadcasting itself in the early 1920s with the introduction of affordable and dependable one-tube radio receivers. Now, the RCA and Kerbango Internet Radio -- the industry's first tabletop Internet Radio -- allows listeners to cull programming and music from the Internet for instantaneous playback and enjoyment.
``Eventually, everything comes from the Internet, and since many radio broadcasters around the world are already streaming their programs over the Internet, it makes sense that consumers should be able to enjoy these programs now, away from the computer. That's why Thomson will offer the tabletop RCA Internet Radio and will soon integrate this functionality into other products,'' said Mark Redmond, Vice President of Worldwide Audio for THOMSON multimedia. ``We're planning to offer Internet Radio as a feature in both the RS2539 bookshelf audio system and in the new RCA Digital Media Manager announced last week.''
At last week's mp3 Summit in California, Thomson unveiled five new products that will utilize the popular mp3 music format -- including the RCA Digital Media Manager, which is now in development. The Digital Media Manager is a home audio/video product that utilizes a hard disc drive with the capability of storing a collection of more than 2,000 songs in the mp3 format. The product connects to a consumer television set and includes a built-in TV Electronic Program Guide, allowing it to display titles and cover art for compact discs and DVDs, and permits consumers to build playlists of favorites music selections. It allows a consumer to seamlessly navigate and interact with music with built-in software to make it easy to compress CD music in the mp3 format on the integrated hard-disc drive, build playlists, and sort by artist, album, or genre. The Digital Media Manager is expected to be available later this year and will play Internet Radio channels, DVD discs, compact discs, and mp3 files.
DISCLAIMER: This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding prospects for 2000 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Among the factors that could cause actual income to differ materially from those expected are the following: business conditions and general economic conditions; competitive factors such as pricing and marketing efforts of rival companies; timing of product introductions,; ability of contract manufacturers to meet product price objectives and delivery schedules; legislative, regulatory, and industry initiatives that may affect planned or actual product features and marketing methods; and the pace and success of product research and development. For more information on the potential factors that could affect the company's financial income, please review the relevant SEC filings.
About THOMSON multimedia:
With sales of 6.7 billion Euros (U.S. $6.5 billion) in 1999 and 55,000 employees in more than 30 countries, Thomson multimedia is the world's fourth largest producer of consumer electronics. The Group has four principal activities: Displays and Components, Consumer Products, New Media Services, and Patents and Licensing. THOMSON multimedia engineers, manufactures, and markets display components and consumer products such as televisions, VCRs, audio systems, digital decoders, DVD players and professional video equipment under the popular RCA and THOMSON brand names. THOMSON multimedia is listed in the Paris (SICOVAM: 18453) and New York (NYSE: TMS - news) stock exchanges. THOMSON multimedia is the parent company of the U.S.-based Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc. For more information: thomson-multimedia.com
SOURCE: THOMSON multimedia > |
