AMERICA ONLINE LAUNCHES NEW AOLTV SERVICE IN PHOENIX; EXCITING, NEW INTERACTIVE TELEVISION SERVICE WITH PHILIPS SET-TOP RECEIVER NOW AVAILABLE AT LOCAL CIRCUIT CITY STORES BUSINESS EDITORS/HI-TECH
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DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 2000--America Online, Inc.
(NYSE: AOL.N), the world's leading interactive services company, today
announced that the AOLTV(SM) service -- the first interactive
television service for mass-market consumers -- is available to
consumers in the Phoenix area through a set-top receiver from Philips
Electronics, and will be sold exclusively at Circuit City stores.
AOLTV enables consumers to enhance their television experience
using AOL's hallmark interactive content and convenient, easy-to-use
features. The AOLTV service is offered to AOL members at the
preferential price of $14.95 per month -- added to their existing AOL
bills for maximum convenience -- and to non-members for $24.95 per
month.
"Our members tell us they are online and watching TV at the same
time, or increasingly find themselves logging on immediately following
their favorite shows. AOLTV makes it easier for them to combine these
two important activities into an even more rewarding experience --
bringing the AOL features they love directly into their television set
and making AOL interactivity an even more useful part of their daily
lives," said Carlos Silv a, Vice President, AOL Devices. "In addition,
for those who want to be able to access their online accounts from
another point in the home, this allows two people to be online on
their AOL account from different devices at the same time. We know our
members are excited about that as their time spent online increases,
and more people take advantage of the opportunity to have up to seven
screen names per account."
Phoenix is one of the first to enjoy the complete AOLTV service
offering. A national rollout will follow. More than 8 Circuit City
stores in the Phoenix area are expected to offer the Philips' set-top
receiver that delivers the AOLTV service. For more information on the
exact store locations, AOL members and other consumers can go to
America Online Keyword: AOLTV or aoltv.com on the Web.
"Phoenix consumers have long relied on Circuit City to bring them
leading-edge technologies and to explain the features and benefits of
sometimes complicated new products and services," said John W. Froman,
Executive Vice President of Merchandising. "In a digital age and as we
broaden our menu of products and services that AOL brings to market,
consumers can continue to count on Circuit City's knowledgeable sales
counselors to explain emerging products such as AOLTV. We're excited
about our alliance with America Online because it allows us to take
the lead in bringing another new technology to consumers."
"Philips is dedicated to enhancing the digital set-top box with
interactive TV services that add a new level of entertainment and
convenience to the lives of consumers," said Jos Swillens, President
of Set-Top Boxes for Philips Digital Networks. "Our alliance with AOL
will offer an exciting and interactive television experience to a
wider audience than ever before. The Philips Receiver for AOLTV
service is well positioned to significantly advance the adoption and
acceptance of enhanced, interactive television."
AOL Community and Content Enhance Viewing Experience
With AOLTV, area residents will get more out of watching TV with a
number of the most popular features of the AOL Internet service,
including:
-- E-mail and instant messaging allow members to communicate with
friends while watching TV. AOL members can use the same AOL
screen names and Buddy List(R) on AOLTV as they do on their
PCs;
-- Chat rooms related to every show on television and with AOL's
more than 24 million members -- allow for real-time discussion
with other viewers;
-- AOL's "You've Got Pictures"(SM) service -- enables members to
view their family pictures on the television screen even more
conveniently than on the PC;
-- Eleven special content channels that feature online
interactive content that complements the television
programming;
-- Full access to all Web content while watching TV with
picture-in-picture viewing;
-- Support of the ATVEF standard, a programming protocol for
interactive television that will give viewers access to
additional online enhancements; and
-- A main menu that provides one-touch shortcuts from either the
wireless keyboard or remote control to all of AOLTV's
features.
AOLTV is designed to allow for maximum enjoyment of both
television programming and new interactive content. AOLTV's Buddy
Lists, for example, are translucent, and fade or disappear when
inactive. A special Notification Bar across the top of the screen
displays unobtrusive alerts to indicate when a viewer has new e-mail
messages or is receiving an instant message -- and with a single click
the TV program can be maximized again to full screen size.
AOLTV Program Guide Launches New Era of Convenience for TV
Audience
Among the revolutionary features of AOLTV is the AOLTV Program
Guide(sm), which dramatically simplifies navigation by organizing TV
channels into 11 categories -- such as sports, movies, news, and the
like -- and allows users to change channels by clicking on words and
graphics. The Program Guide features:
-- An intuitive interface that organizes similar types of
television channels into groups, tracking the organization of
the interactive content on the AOLTV channel menu;
-- Program summaries up to three days in advance of broadcast
date;
-- On-screen reminders that notify viewers when selected shows
are about to begin;
-- Simplified interaction with VCR's and personal digital
recorders to record programs for later viewing; and
-- A "Favorite Places" list allowing members to organize favorite
channels and shows for easy and convenient access.
Set-Top Box and Wireless Keyboard from PhilipsElectronics -- Easy
to Install and Use
The set-top box for the AOLTV service is easy to install and use,
and comes with a video tape explaining the setup process. The
specially designed wireless keyboard and universal remote control are
configured with special function keys that provide one-step access to
key features such as the AOLTV Program Guide, e-mail, or the Buddy
List service.
This design makes multitasking with AOLTV easy -- chatting about a
show and exchanging instant messages with a friend, to checking e-mail
and even viewing Web content.
About America Online, Inc.
Founded in 1985, America Online, Inc., based in Dulles, Virginia,
is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet
technologies and e-commerce services. America Online, Inc. operates:
two worldwide Internet services, America Online, with more than 24
million members, and CompuServe, with more than 2.8 million members;
several leading Internet brands including ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger
and Digital City, Inc.; the Netscape Netcenter and AOL.COM portals;
the Netscape Navigator and Communicator browsers; MapQuest.com, the
leader in providing online, voice and wireless mapping, directions and
destination information solutions to businesses and consumers; AOL
Moviefone, the nation's No. 1 movie listing guide and ticketing
service; and Spinner.com and NullSoft's Winamp, leaders in Internet
music. Through its strategic alliance with Sun Microsystems, the
company develops and offers easy-to-deploy, end-to-end e-commerce and
enterprise solutions for companies operating in the Net Economy.
About Circuit City
Circuit City (NYSE:CC.N) is a leading national retailer of
brand-name consumer electronics, personal computers and entertainment
software. With headquarters in Richmond, Va., Circuit City operates
574 Circuit City Superstores and 43 mall-based Circuit City Express
stores, giving it more locations in more markets than any other
consumer electronicsspecialty retailer. For more information, access
Circuit City's Web site at www.circuitcity.com.
About Philips
Philips Digital Networks - a business group of the Philips
Consumer Electronics division - is a world-leading provider of
advanced digital system solutions for Service and Network providers in
broadcasting and video distribution. Philips Digital Networks offers
product and service solutions for customers in both the professional
side of the distribution chain, as well as for consumers to use in the
home.
In the consumer domain, Philips Digital Networks is a leading
provider of set-top boxes for digital television and Internet
delivery, as well as personal video recording. A pioneer in the
development of Internet-enabling technologies, Philips Digital
Networks is playing a key role in the introduction of MPEG4-based
media streaming solutions.
The broad professional product portfolio includes a comprehensive
range of television cameras, studio and compression equipment,
conditional access systems and transmission systems for broadband
cable networks to deliver a full array of interactive services. A
flexible customer support program and active involvement in the bodies
setting tomorrow's entertainment and information delivery standards
makes Philips a natural partner for the digital broadcast era.
Editorial note: Product and company names used herein are
trademarks or registered trademarks and are owned by the companies
mentioned.
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world's
biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of
$33.5 billion (EUR 31.5 billion) in 1999. It is a global leader in
color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, color picture tubes
for televisions and monitors, and one-chip TV products.
Its 232,433 employees in more than 60 countries are active in the
areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic appliances,
components, semiconductors, medical systems, andIT services (Origin).
Philips is quoted on the NYSE (symbol: PHG), London, Frankfurt,
Amsterdam and other stock exchanges. News from Philips is located at
www.news.philips.com |
