MP3 Buying Guide, Educational Resources Added to CEA Consumer Website; MyCEknowhow.com Helps Consumers Choose the Right Digital Music Player

Business Wire, Jan 26, 2006

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA(R)) today announced that it has added a new section on MP3 players to its consumer website, MyCEknowhow.com. The section features interactive buying guides and educational resources designed to help consumers navigate the world of digital music players.

"Consumer interest and excitement around portable music players has reached a fever pitch," said CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro. "As manufacturers continue to innovate and create new products, it can be difficult for consumers to evaluate their choices and accurately compare features and pricing. MyCEknowhow is a trustworthy source of information that enables the consumer to understand their options and learn more about the technology before and after making a purchase."

According to CEA Market Research, more than 22 million MP3 players were sold in the U.S. in 2005 and that number is expected to top 27 million this year. Additionally, the popular devices topped the wish lists of adults as well as teens this past holiday season, according to CEA's Holiday Purchase Patterns Study, released in October, 2005.

In addition to a brief introduction to portable digital music devices, the new MP3 program also offers tips for choosing an MP3 player, managing digital music and taking music on the go. Users can find answers to a wide variety of questions regarding MP3 players, such as why memory determines price, how many songs a player can store, file size and sound quality trade-offs, easy ways to take music on the road, why your jukebox matters and how to rip CDs and join podcasts. Consumers visiting MyCEknowhow.com can print out PDF summaries that serve as a checklist they can take into the store.

MyCEknowhow.com, was launched during the 2005 holiday season with a digital imaging guide designed to help consumers find the digital camera and camcorder products best suited for their needs. The buying guides on MyCEknowhow.com are developed in partnership with CNET.com, a popular consumer website that helps people buy and use technology through unbiased product reviews, real-time pricing and interactive how-to content. CEA hopes to educate buyers, ease consumer confusion about technology and lessen returns by providing information before consumers even enter the store.

MyCEknowhow.com also features links to consumer-based initiatives from CEA including antennaweb.org, which helps consumers identify the best antenna for their geographic location, and CEAconnectionsguide.com, an interactive guide to connecting audio and video devices. Additional buying guides will be added to MyCEknowhow.com later in the year.

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA represents more than 2,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA's members account for more than $125 billion in annual sales. CEA's resources are available online at www.CE.org, the definitive source for information about the consumer electronics industry.

CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Defining Tomorrow's Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.

UPCOMING EVENTS

--  2006 CEA Winter Summit
    March 2-4, 2006, Vail, CO

--  CEA 2006 Winter Technology and Standards Forum
    March 6-10, 2006, Clearwater Beach, FL

--  CEA Spring Break
    March 14-17, 2006, Washington, DC

--  EHX Spring 2006
    March 28-April 1, 2006, Orlando, FL

--  CONNECTIONS (TM) - The Digital Home Conference & Showcase
    May 2-4, 2006, Santa Clara, CA

--  2006 PARA Conference
    May 3-7, 2006, Hilton Head, SC

--  The 10th Annual Consumer Electronics CEO Summit
    June 21-24, 2006, Southampton, Bermuda

--  2006 SINOCES
    July 7-10, 2006, Qingdao, China

--  2006 CEA Summer Technology and Standards Forum
    July 24-28, 2006, Coronado, CA

--  CEA Industry Forum
    October 16-18, 2006 San Francisco, CA

--  2007 PARA Conference
    May 16-20, 2007, Coronado, CA