SKY HERALDS REVOLUTIONARY INTEGRATED DIGIBOX AND PERSONAL TELEVISION RECORDER; NEW PRODUCT TO LAUNCH IN Q1 2001.

British Sky Broadcasting (NYSE: BSY) today announced that Europe's first integrated Personal Television Recorder - which will combine an enhanced digital satellite set-top decoder with a 40 gigabyte advanced hard-disk recording facility - would go on sale to the general public in the UK in Q1 2001.

The announcement of the new product and its specifications were made to coincide with the start of the annual International Broadcasting Convention being held in Amsterdam.

Sky's integrated Personal Television Recorder will allow for the recording of up to 40 hours of programming - in the original digital quality.

In another first, Sky's integrated Personal Television Recorder will include two digital satellite tuners, meaning that digital satellite television viewers in the UK will be able to watch one live digital program (or a previously recorded digital program) while simultaneously recording another for viewing at a convenient time.

The recorder will utilize an extended version of SkyGuide, the electronic program guide currently in use in 3.8 million Sky digital homes, allowing viewers to record programs across the next seven days at the touch of a single button. In addition, the fully integrated system means that the all the functionality is incorporated in one single set-top box, using a single remote control.

Unlike other recording devices, Sky has chosen a technology that will record the original encrypted digital signal, ensuring both the quality of the digital recording and the security of the system.

The recording functionality has been integrated into a Sky digibox using hard disk interface and indexing hardware developed by NEC, and the NEC 'EMMA' single chip set-top box solution.

The hard disk drive and dual tuner integration has been completed by Pace, which will also manufacture the integrated Personal Television Recorder.

NEC Managing Director Tetsuya Hikino commented: "We are delighted to have been working with Sky on this innovative product. Sky has demonstrated once again, its pioneering approach by being first to market with an enhanced digital service. Research shows that Personal Television Recorders will greatly enhance the consumer viewing experience, and Sky has the capability to maximise the potential of such a service. This development program has been extremely exciting and challenging for all involved, and NEC is pleased to be playing a key role in the project's success by bringing its systems and silicon expertise to the party."