GoVideo Re-enters MP3 Player Market With Widely Acclaimed Rave-MP Brand

Market Wire, August, 2004

A new line of Rave-MP flash and hard disk-based MP3 digital audio players was introduced today by GoVideo, a consumer electronics pioneer with 20 years of industry experience and a commitment to great user experiences through innovation, simplicity, value, and support.

"Over the past few years, customers have chosen to purchase MP3 products that are easy-to-use and come loaded with the latest features. However, these products typically target an older age group and fall short on providing a quality user experience," said Kevin Brangan, vice president of product marketing, digital audio for GoVideo. "The key to creating an MP3 player for the mass market is to offer a great product at a great price without compromising on style, user experience or features. The new Rave-MP players we are introducing are 'no compromise' players."

The original line of Rave products was among the first MP3 players on the market in 1999. At the time, the Associated Press called the first Rave "the hands down winner for cool features, user-friendly software and performance." The players were the first to allow memory expansion and among the first to have USB connections. Rave went on to become one of the most recognized MP3 brands in the U.S.

"GoVideo has always stood for great user experiences at reasonable prices, and our upcoming line of Rave-MP MP3 players will continue this tradition and bring back a brand with a great heritage," said GoVideo CEO Ed Brachocki. "This year, as MP3 players become mainstream mass market products, a great user experience will become more critical to customers. GoVideo's commitment to designing products that customers love will ensure that the Rave-MP players will delight users from the moment they open the box, and this is really the best payoff of technology."

Great User Experience

The Rave-MP players come pre-loaded with music tracks by up-and-coming independent artists so users can start enjoying their players the moment they leave the store.

Organizing and transferring music is simple because the players are designed to use Windows Media Player 9 as the default jukebox. Most people will simply plug the players into their PCs and already have all the necessary software installed. In addition, getting music from a PC or a Mac onto the players is lightning fast and easy because of support for industry standard USB 2.0.

In addition to allowing customers to transfer music from their CD collection, the players work with music purchased from virtually every online music store so customers are no longer limited to shopping at an online store owned by or chosen for them by the company that made their hardware. The Rave-MP products have also been designed to work with Microsoft's upcoming Windows Media Digital Rights Management system.

Accessing and playing music is simple because of the carefully engineered user interface and the sharp, multi-line, backlit, white-on-black LCD screen.

Stylish Players

The Rave-MP players come in two designs -- the stylish ARC offers extreme convenience with its large music capacity and long battery life. The AMP has the size and durability for people on the go or in the gym. Each design is offered in two capacities.

Rave-MP ARC 2.5 and ARC 5.0

The hard disk-based ARC series, available in 2.5 gigabyte and 5.0 gigabyte versions, is the ultimate in sleek sophistication. The ARC 2.5 stores up to 83 hours of music, while the ARC 5.0 stores up to 166 hours of music.* Both ARC players are powered by a rechargeable 10 hour lithium ion battery.

Rave-MP AMP 128 and AMP 256

This flash-based AMP series, available in 128 megabyte and 256 megabyte versions, is rugged enough to go wherever sports enthusiasts and active people take it. The AMP 128 stores up to 4 hours of music, while the AMP 256 stores up to 8 hours of music.* Both AMP players are powered by one AAA alkaline battery and are expandable to one gigabyte of storage with SD or MMC memory cards.

All the Rave-MP MP3 players include a 5-band equalizer, an FM tuner, and the ability to make both FM and voice recordings.

To enhance the Rave-MP user experience, each player comes with carefully chosen accessories. High-quality earphones ensure great sound; the meticulously designed armband ensures worry-free mobility and the sleek cases offer additional protection.

Rave-MP Pricing and Availability

The rugged, flash-based Rave-MP AMP 128 and AMP 256 players are priced at $99 and $129 respectively. The sleek, high-capacity hard disk-based Rave-MP ARC 2.5 and ARC 5.0 players are priced at $199 and $229 respectively. The AMP 128 and 256 players will be on retail shelves by mid-August. The ARC 2.5 and 5.0 players will be on retail shelves by early-September. More information about the Rave-MP players can be found at www.rave-mp.com.

System Requirements

Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/Mac OSX
Intel Pentium III 300 MHz or above
128 MB RAM Minimum
150 MB available hard drive space
USB Port
CD-ROM Drive

Support

Support will be available on the Internet and through toll free telephone support available 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday - Friday, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.