Personal TV. Philips/TiVo...........................
biz.yahoo.com
Wednesday January 6, 7:41 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Philips Announces Personal TV
DIRECTV To Become Philips' First Lead Personal TV Partner Range of Products to Include TiVo Technology and Services
LAS VEGAS--(Business Wire)--Jan. 6, 1999-- Royal Philips Electronics today announced Personal TV™ in a strategic relationship with TiVo and DIRECTV. Philips will launch a series of products designed to bring the consumer in control of his or her television experience, including E-Commerce, data services and time-shifting. Personal TV will offer consumers the ability to create their own TV programming line-up based on personal preferences, and to get recommendations regarding other shows that may be of interest.
The first strategic relationships under this Personal TV umbrella are with TiVo and DIRECTV. Philips has signed a letter of intent with DIRECTV, Inc., under which DIRECTV would become Philips' first lead partner in launching the Personal TV concept. Philips will offer a range of Personal TV-ready products, including DIRECTV system receivers with Personal TV and ATSC reception. These products will incorporate technology and services provided by TiVo. The Personal TV concept is on display at the Philips Booth (#928) at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
''Philips Personal TV will revolutionize the consumer television experience,'' said Roel Pieper, Executive Vice President, Philips Electronics. ''Finally, consumers will be able to watch a complete line-up of their favorite programs whenever they want -- a concept that should be especially appealing to subscribers of satellite services such as DIRECTV. This makes DIRECTV a natural first lead partner for us. We've selected TiVo based on their leadership in the development of the underlying technology and services which enable Personal TV. Philips intends to enable the television as a natural appliance in the rapidly developing world of E-Commerce at home.''
Initial Products: Philips and DIRECTV Announce Personal TV Satellite Receivers
Philips has been licensed to manufacture a range of Personal TV satellite receivers incorporating the DIRECTV System with TiVo service. The first Personal TV receiver, available later this year, will combine the wide variety of DIRECTV programming with the ability to personalize the viewing experience. The second set top box , available during the first half of next year, will also include an ATSC receiver, adding the benefits of digital television picture quality and programming.
''We are looking forward to working with Philips, one of the world leaders in consumer electronics, to jointly develop and launch the combination Personal TV and DIRECTV System receiver,'' said Bill Casamo, executive vice president of DIRECTV. ''The time shifting capability of TiVo, combined with the wide variety of DIRECTV programming, will enable Philips Personal TV to give consumers more flexibility when it comes to watching TV.''
The Personal TV Concept
Personal TV allows consumers to take control of their television experience. Through the TiVo service, Personal TV learns a viewer's likes and dislikes, automatically delivers his or her favorite content and, taking personal preferences into account, makes specific recommendations regarding other programs of interest. Viewers can watch their favorite shows at their convenience, without having to channel surf, making ''primetime'' television available any time of the day or night. Personal TV enables full control of live programs as well as up to 40 hours of recorded shows through the ability to pause, rewind, instant replay and playback in slow-motion any broadcast.
''Television viewers have been demanding control and personalization of their viewing for years,'' said Mike Ramsay, TiVo CEO. ''Our relationship with Philips and DIRECTV will be the first to deliver this capability. We are excited to partner with Philips, a world leader in consumer electronics, and DIRECTV, the leading provider of digital satellite television, to deliver personal television services to viewers.''
About TiVo
TiVo, headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif. is the creator of personal television. TiVo's easy-to-use service and patented consumer electronics technology will allow consumers to take control of their television viewing experience by teaching TiVo their likes and dislikes. The TiVo service delivers their favorite shows and takes their preferences to make suggestions about other shows that may be of interest. For the first time ever, TiVo enables full control of live programs through the ability to pause, rewind, instant replay and playback in slow-motion any broadcast. The company was founded in August 1997 by former Silicon Graphics senior vice president Michael Ramsay and vice president James Barton, both of whom have been instrumental in earlier generation efforts of interactive video-on-demand systems and technology that has powered Hollywood special effects. TiVo's board of directors includes Stewart Alsop of New Enterprise Associates, Geoff Yang of Institutional Venture Partners and WebTV founding director Randy Komisar. TiVo can be reached on the World Wide Web at www.tivo.com.
About DIRECTV
DIRECTV is the nation's leading digital television entertainment service, providing more than 4.4 million subscribers with access to more than 185 channels of programming, including popular television networks, commercial-free audio channels in digital-quality picture and sound, and more sports than any other direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service or cable provider. DIRECTV is a registered trademark of DIRECTV, Inc., a unit of Hughes Electronics Corp. The earnings of Hughes Electronics are used to calculate the earnings per share attributable to GMH NYSE symbol) common stock. Visit DIRECTV on the World Wide Web at www.directv.com.
About Philips
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of over US$ 39 billion in 1997. 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 256,000 employees in more than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic appliances, components, semiconductors, medical systems, business electronics, and IT services (Origin). Philips is quoted on the NYSE, London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and other stock exchanges.
News from Philips is located at www.news.philips.com.
News about Philips can also be found on the U.S. web site www.philipsusa.com.
Editor's Note: Please note that for your convenience, Philips has created the following rapid-response, toll-free number for all Philips editorial inquiries: 1-800-210-9605.
TiVo is a trademark of TiVo, Inc.
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Contact:
Philips Electronics
Richard Sherwin, 212/536-0804
or
DIRECTV
Bob Marsocci, 310/726-4656
or
TiVo
Lisa Varni, 408/747-5080 X263
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