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To: Jim Fraser who wrote (192)9/25/1998 2:31:00 PM
From: William T. Katz  Respond to of 379
 
NetFlix.com Becomes World's Largest DVD Rental Store With More Than 2000 Titles

Huge Selection, 7-Day Rentals, Rent-To-Buy Option and the Convenience of Home Delivery Continue to Provide Better Home Entertainment Option Than New 150-Title Divx format
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Sept. 25, 1998-- NetFlix.com Friday announced that its inventory of DVD movies available for rental has surpassed the 2000-title mark, making the Internet store at www.netflix.com the world's largest DVD rental store.

The milestone marks a more than 100 percent increase in the company's selection of titles since its launch on April 14, 1998, and reflects the tremendous strength of the DVD marketplace overall.

Also, in light of the recent roll-out of the new Divx format, NetFlix.com announced that it will post a comparison matrix of NetFlix.com and Divx on its Internet site.

Highlights in the comparison matrix include the following points. In addition to carrying more than 10 times the number of titles as Divx, NetFlix.com lets consumers enjoy the titles they rent for seven days (as compared to Divx's 48-hour viewing window), lets consumers automatically extend their viewing period (as opposed to Divx's requirement for phone line access), and gives customers the option of applying their rental fees towards the purchase price of a title.

By allowing customers to shop via the Internet and receive and return their DVDs via U.S. mail in prepaid, preaddressed envelopes, NetFlix.com provides its customers with nationwide DVD availability as well as unparalleled shopping convenience.

NetFlix.com's success has in large part been due to the company's ability to provide even the most popular DVD titles to each and every customer who wants them, quickly and conveniently. The online store was flooded recently with orders for the ''Clinton Grand Jury Testimony'' DVD after it announced that it would sell the title for only 2 cents plus $2 for shipping and handling.

''The tremendous growth of NetFlix.com in six short months is a direct reflection of the boom in the DVD marketplace over the same period of time,'' said NetFlix.com President and Chief Executive Officer Marc B. Randolph.

''We are certain that our huge selection, our convenience and the innate benefits of the open DVD format will continue to make NetFlix.com a leading source of high-quality digital home entertainment and DVD information for consumers nationwide,'' Randolph added.

With the world's largest selection of DVD movies, NetFlix.com rents and sells DVD movies to owners of DVD video players and DVD-ROM-equipped PCs at its Internet store, www.netflix.com. The NetFlix.com site offers virtually every DVD movie, for rent or for sale. By focusing on online rentals, NetFlix.com is pioneering a new online retail model and e-commerce category.

Founded in 1997, NetFlix.com has headquarters in Scotts Valley.

Note to Editors: To receive a copy of the NetFlix.com and Divx comparison matrix, contact Bender, Goldman & Helper or NetFlix.com.

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Contact:

NetFlix.com, Scotts Valley
Te Smith, 831/461-8067, tsmith@netflix.com
or
Bender, Goldman & Helper, Los Angeles
310/473-4147
Shawna Lynch, Ext. 276, shawna_lynch@bgh.com
Allison Novela, Ext. 264, allison_novela@bgh.com
Leslie Furuta, Ext. 257, leslie_furuta@bgh.com

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To: Jim Fraser who wrote (192)9/25/1998 2:33:00 PM
From: William T. Katz  Respond to of 379
 
Video Sales Set Records During Aug. - -September 21, 1998

Though August sales to dealers of video products didn't quite match July's skyrocketing performance, TV/ VCR, projection TVs and VCR decks all set new record highs for the month, and DVD player sales were strong.

CEMA figures also indicate the industry passed two major milestones during the month. According to historic figures, August saw the sale of the 100 millionth stereo direct-view color TV and, including both decks and TV combos, the sale of the 200 millionth home VCR.

As for total August sales of direct-view color, units were down a scant 2.9% to 1.78 million, for an eight-month total of 13.5 million, up 8.5%. Based on traditional selling patterns, August color sales were at a soft seasonally adjusted annual rate of 22.1 million, off from July's massive 25.4 million and below the 23.6 million rate for the full eight months.

TV/VCR sales, however, jumped 43.3% for the month to 266,300, to put the running total for the year at 1.83 million, up 31.1%. While the annualized TV/VCR selling rate in August was a solid 3.8 million, it was down from the 4.3 million of July but still bettered the eight-month rate of 3.3 million.

Projection TV sales totaled 101,400 in August, up 33.6%, and stood at 598,100 for the full period, up 23.5%. Projection's selling rate was an indicated 1.3 million in August, off slightly from July's 1.4 million, and topped the year-through-August rate of 1.2 million.

VCR decks set an August high with a slight 3.5% rise to 1.54 million. Sales through eight months, at 10.2 million, were up 3%. The deck selling rate rose to 18.8 million in August from July's 18.3 million and helped lift the eight-month rate to a flat 18 million.

Camcorder sales dipped 5% in the month to 268,200, but finished out the full period up 8.9% to 2.42 million. The month's camcorder sales rate dipped modestly to 3.8 million from July's 4 million and the 4.1 million eight-month rate.

DVD players turned in a third consecutive stellar monthly sales performance, jumping 138.6% to 81,200 and lifting the eight-month total to 442,200. Using the VCR selling pattern as a guide, DVD sales were at an indicated annualized rate of 994,000 in August, second only to July's 1.2 million rate and well above the eight-month rate of 779,000.

twice.com