Consumer Electronics Authority Awards Philips Personal TV Receiver with TiVo Service 'Product of the Year'

Business Wire, Nov 10, 1999

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 10, 1999--

etown.com Experts Sound Off On the

Best Products and Technology of 1999

etown.com(TM) (www.etown.com), the world's largest online content provider of consumer electronics news, reviews, buying guides and shopping choices, today announced its fourth annual etown.com(TM) Product of the Year award-winners.

The PTV 100 Personal TV Receiver, a joint effort of Philips Electronics, which makes the hardware, and TiVo, which designs the software, firmware, and service content, was selected as the overall etown.com 1999 Product of the Year. The device was chosen from among more than 2,000 products by a panel of etown.com expert consumer electronics reviewers based on several criteria including ground-breaking technology, superior performance, and overall value.

etown.com 1999 Product of the Year awards were designated for each of etown.com's six major product categories: Home Audio - JBL HLS610 Stereo Speakers; Television - DreamVision DL500 front projection TV; Camcorders - Canon's GL-1 digital video technology; Portable Technology - the Visor PDA by Handspring; Telecom - the James Bond-esque Nokia 8800 cellular phone; and, TiVo in the Home Theater category.

etown.com 1999 Product of the Year winners were also named in 36 specific product categories, from which the major category winners and overall etown.com Product of the Year were selected. Previous etown.com overall Product of the Year award winners include the Iridium satellite phone (1998), the Sony DVP-S7000 DVD player (1997), and WebTV (1996).

Philips Personal TV Receiver with TiVo Service gives consumers total control over their television viewing experience. It allows viewers to pause, rewind, slow-motion and instantly replay live TV, automatically record favorite shows and other programs fitting a user-selected profile, and enjoy high-quality digital recording. "The dream of a device that would let you watch whatever you want, whenever you want, has been part of our collective consciousness," noted reviewer Cliff Roth in his etown.com review of the Philips Personal TV Receiver and TiVo Service. "TiVo brings that dream one step closer to reality by providing its service with the Philips Personal TV Receiver, one of the most amazing new products I've seen in my 20 years of reviewing video equipment."

"By marking innovative products with an objective stamp of approval from our army of industry experts, we believe our etown.com. Product of the Year awards help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions," stated Robert Heiblim, CEO of etown.com. "Additionally, they are a way to recognize manufacturers' ingenuity and encourage them to continue to strive for excellence."

At etown.com, people interested in investigating consumer electronics products can find out from the most experienced, knowledgeable and opinionated home electronics writers anywhere what's so great -- sometimes not so great -- about the latest products and technologies. To learn more about the etown.com 1999 Product of the Year award-winners and other items in each of the product categories, go to www.etown.com.

"As the creator of personal television, TiVo is very pleased to be named etown's 'Product of the Year,' said Mike Ramsay, president and CEO, TiVo. "This award validates what TiVo subscribers have been telling us - the TiVo service has not only enhanced their television viewing experience, but has provided them a control and convenience that frees their schedules and improves their lifestyle, as well. So at the end of a busy day all our viewers have to do is sit down in front of the television and watch programming they enjoy on their own time, not the networks."

"Philips is proud to be recognized by etown.com with its prestigious 'Product of the Year' award," said Willem de Zoete, president of Philips Home Access Solutions. "The Philips Personal TV Receiver with TiVo Service is the latest in Philips' history of innovative, cutting-edge products. It revolutionizes the way we watch TV because it helps consumers select their preferred information and entertainment out of thousands of hours of television programming, and watch it whenever they want it - no matter when it was broadcast."

About etown.com

Founded in 1995, etown.com is the leading online information and shopping resource for buyers of consumer electronics (CE) products. Through its website, etown.com provides consumers with the most comprehensive, award-winning CE content, commerce, and community in any medium. Its DealerWeb(TM) of fulfillment partners gives consumers access to the Internet's largest selection of consumer electronics gear. Additionally, etown.com provides state-of-the-art customer support on and off-line, before, during and after any purchase. Co-branding and content partners include Yahoo! and Lycos. etown.com has offices in New York, NY and San Francisco, CA. For more information visit www.etown.com.

                The 1999 etown.com Products of the Year

etown.com 1999 Product Of The Year ...Philips Personal TV Receiver
                                       with TiVo Service

Home Theater Category Winner.......Philips Personal TV Receiver
----------------------------        with TiVo Service
                                   ----------------------------
VCR ...............................Sony SLVM91HF 4-head hi-fi VCR
Satellite TV ......................EchoStar DISH Player 7100
                                    satellite TV receiver
DVD ...............................Toshiba SD9100 progressive scan
A/V Receivers .....................Denon AVR-3300
Personal Video Recorder............Philips Personal TV Receiver
                                    with TiVo Service
Surround Speakers .................Definitive Pro Cinema 80
                                    surround speaker system
Surround Separates ................B&K AV5000 Series 2
Packaged Systems ..................Polk RMDS-1 home theater in a box
Remote Controls ...................Marantz RC5000 programmable
                                    universal remote control

Home Audio Category Winner.........JBL HLS610
--------------------------         ----------
CD Players ........................Sony CDP-CX350 300-disc CD jukebox
Stereo Speakers....................JBL HLS610
Integrated Amps ...................Tact Millennium MK2 digital
                                    amplifier
Stereo Separates ..................Linn Kolektor stereo audio preamp
Phonograph ........................Technics SL1200 M3D turntable
Tape/Disc Recorder ................Marantz DR700
Compact Systems ...................Denon DM3

Television Category Winner.........DreamVision DL500
--------------------------         -----------------
Direct-View TV ....................Samsung TXJ2767 27-inch
                                    direct-view TV
Rear-Projection TV ................Sony KP-61XBR200
Front-Projection TV ...............DreamVision DL500
Flat-Panel TV .....................Sony PFM500A2WU
DTV/HDTV...........................Zenith IQB64W10W
Personal TV .......................Olympus FMD-150W Eye-Trek
                                    video headset

Camcorder Category Winner..........Canon GL-1
-------------------------          ----------
8mm/Hi8/Digital8 ..................Sony DCR-TRV310 Digital 8 camcorder
VHS/Compact VHS ...................Panasonic PVL859 VHS-C
                                    camcorder/digital still camera
Digital Video (DV) ................Canon GL-1

Portable Tech Category Winner......Handspring Visor
-----------------------------      ----------------
Boomboxes .........................Philips AZ2010
Personal Cassette .................Panasonic RQ-SW88V Shockwave
                                    Metal Personal Cassette Player
Personal CD .......................Philips Activ 7580 personal
                                    CD player
MiniDisc...........................Sharp MDMT515
Portable Radios  ..................no award
Handheld/Palm PC ..................Handspring Visor
Digital Cameras ...................Olympus C2000
PDAP ..............................Diamond Rio PMP500

Telecom Category Winner............Nokia 8800 cell phone
-----------------------            ---------------------
Corded Telephones .................no award
Cordless Telephones................Sanyo 957A
Cellular Phones....................Nokia 8800
Pagers ............................Research In Motion RIM
                                    Inter@ctive 950 pager
Phone/Answering Combos.............Siemens Gigaset 2420 CCS