Panasonic Ships Industry's First Set-Top Digital TV Decoder; Honored In Senate For Making DTV A Reality

Business Wire, Oct 22, 1998

SECAUCUS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--October 22, 1998--Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company today became the first company to ship set-top digital TV decoders which are capable of receiving, decoding and processing signals for the nation's new digital and high definition (HDTV) television broadcast system that is scheduled to start operations on November 1. The set-top digital TV decoder and Panasonic's HDTV-compatible 56" widescreen projection set combine to make a complete High Definition Television System.

"The first shipment of our DTV decoders (TU-DST50) is going primarily to broadcasters, who are preparing their new digital program service, and to retailers who have planned digital television events in conjunction with the start of broadcasting on November 1," said Bill Mannion, general manager of the company's Television and Network Systems Division. "We will also ship units to arrive at selected retailers for sale to consumers next week."

The shipments of the Panasonic DTV set-top boxes - which feature a suggested minimum retail price of $1499.95 -- culminate a more than 15-year development effort focusing on the company's digital television R&D operation, Burlington, NJ-based Panasonic AVC American Laboratories, its television manufacturing bases in San Diego, CA and Tijuana, its color picture tube-making operations in Troy, OH, and Panasonic broadcast equipment and consumer sales divisions in locations around the country.

Last month, Senator Conrad Burns (Republican; MT), chairman of the Senate's Communications Subcommittee, saluted San Diego-based Dow Stereo/Video and Panasonic on the Senate floor for "successfully introducing HDTV to the consuming public," with the launch of HDTV-compatible, 56-inch Panasonic widescreen projection TV's. Senator Burns' noted that, "Following years of development, which has enjoyed substantial support from Congress, HDTV is now a reality. The technology for the first commercial units was largely developed by Panasonic/USA in the San Diego area."

In addition to the all-format DTV-certified set-top box and 56-inch projection set, Panasonic's current line of digital TV products also features a 32-inch direct view DTV-compatible set, a 36-inch direct view DTV-compatible and an all-format digital VHS videocassette recorder.

Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company is a division of Secaucus, NJ-based Matsushita Electric Corporate of America, the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC), a global leader in developing and manufacturing electronics. In North America, Matsushita Electric operates 24 manufacturing sites and employs 21,000 people. For more information on Matsushita and Panasonic, visit our website at www.panasonic.com.

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