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 Writers DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 2000 America Online See AOL. , Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : AOL (A division of Time Warner, Inc., New York, NY, www.aol.com) The world's largest online information service with access to the Internet, e-mail, chat rooms and a variety of databases and services. ), the world's leading interactive services company, today announced that the AOLTV (America OnLine TV) An Internet TV service from AOL that provides access via a phone line or through the DirecTV satellite from Hughes Electronics. Versions of the AOLTV set-top boxes also include the TiVo technology for digitally recording TV programs. (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 pref·er·en·tial adj. 1. Of, relating to, or giving advantage or preference: preferential treatment. 2. 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 The cable TV box that sits on "top" of the TV "set," although it is often located several feet away in an equipment rack. The set-top box descrambles the premium channels and provides a tuner for the higher cable numbers that very old TVs did not support. 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 A list of colleagues, workgroup members, friends, etc., that you might wish to communicate with via instant messaging. See instant messaging. , for example, are translucent translucent slightly penetrable by light rays. , and fade or disappear when inactive in·ac·tive adj. 1. Not active or tending to be active. 2. a. Not functioning or operating; out of use: inactive machinery. b. . 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 on·screen or on-screen adj. & adv. 1. As shown on a movie, television, or display screen. 2. Within public view; in public. 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 Philips Electronics -- 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 con·fig·ure tr.v. con·fig·ured, con·fig·ur·ing, con·fig·ures To design, arrange, set up, or shape with a view to specific applications or uses: 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 multitasking Mode of computer operation in which the computer works on multiple tasks at the same time. A task is a computer program (or part of a program) that can be run as a separate entity. 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 Dulles, Virginia is an unincorporated census-designated place located in Loudoun County, Virginia, part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. The headquarters of AOL, Orbital Sciences Corporation and ODIN technologies and the former headquarters of MCI Inc. are located in Dulles. , 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 ("I Seek You") A conferencing program for the Internet from Mirabilis, Tel Aviv, Israel (www.icq.com). It provides interactive chat, e-mail and file transfer and can alert you when someone on your predefined list has also come online. , AOL Instant Messenger See AIM. and Digital City, Inc.; the Netscape Netcenter and AOL.COM portals; the Netscape Navigator An earlier Web browser for Windows, Macintosh and X Windows from Netscape that provided secure transmission over the Internet. Soon after its introduction in 1994, Navigator, or just "Netscape," as it was commonly called, quickly became the leading browser on the Web. 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 Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAVA[3]) is an American vendor of computers, computer components, computer software, and information-technology services, founded on 24 February 1982. , 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) 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 This is a list of superstores by country. Multi-national
About Philips Philips Digital Networks - a business group of the Philips Consumer Electronics Philips Consumer Electronics is a part of Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (usually known as Philips); and is one of the largest electronics companies in the world. In 2005, its sales were € 30.4 billion (US$38. 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 MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) An ISO/ITU standard for compressing digital video. Pronounced "em-peg," it is the universal standard for digital terrestrial, cable and satellite TV, DVDs and digital video recorders (DVRs). 4-based media streaming solutions. The broad professional product portfolio includes a comprehensive range of television cameras, studio and compression equipment, conditional access systems A conditional access system (CAS) is a system by which electronic transmission of digital media, especially satellite television signals through cable, is limited to subscribed clients. This is called conditional access. 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 EUR In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the Euro. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. 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 domestic appliance domestic n → appareil ménager , components, semiconductors, medical systems, and IT 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 |
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