1999-01-07 ,
Press Releases From Customers/Partners

Philips High Definition Television Brings Brightest, Sharpest 64-inch Picture and CD-Quality Sound to Market

Consumer Electronics Show, LAS VEGAS -- Jan. 7, 1999 -- In a demonstration of continued leadership as clear as its new digital television picture quality, Philips Consumer Electronics is showing at CES its HDTV, a 64-inch, high definition, rear projection unit. Now available in major markets nationwide for a suggested retail price of US$ 9,990, the Philips 64PP9901 high definition television (HDTV) is one of the first, fully-integrated digital televisions to come to market, offering consumers access to the crystal clear digital broadcasts which began in November in major markets.

"As evidenced by CEMA's Innovations Award, the Philips HDTV receiver is simply one of the best available", said Robert Minkhorst, President and CEO, Philips Consumer Electronics North America. Based on years of extensive R&D in television, we have now brought to the U.S. market a truly innovative HDTV - 2 million pixels of unparalleled picture clarity, and CD-quality sound. Our goal at the outset has been to set the industry benchmark in picture quality, audio performance, styling, and integration. Our big challenge in 1999 is to help consumers understand what HDTV means, and what it means on an entertainment level. Philips fully intends to lead this educational effort among retailers, broadcasters, and consumers alike." Minkhorst emphasized that aggressive consumer education will be the cornerstone to DTV sales growth. "We at Philips are not only raising the bar in terms of the product itself", Minkhorst said, "but we are also leading the market in educating consumers about this exciting entertainment breakthrough. At CES, for example, we are sponsoring the Harris/PBS DTV Express, and launching DTV for Dummies, an educational book on digital television, that will help consumers across the U.S. get their first - and most exciting taste - of HDTV."

Consumers who want the most from of a home cinema experience and enthusiasts who build home theaters with the latest technologies are expected to be the first customers for Philips high definition television. The set represents the first in a series of Philips digital television offerings that will help consumers transition to a new digital decade. Philips also plans to offer in 1999 a set-top box that will bridge the transition from analog to digital television, thus protecting consumers' investments in analog TV, while also maximizing their digital TV experience.

Better than the Best

Heralded by industry experts as the greatest advent in television since color television, digital television yields a dramatic impact to the home entertainment experience, and Philips' first digital television maximizes the experience. The rear projection television uses a maximum high definition display of 1080 inter-laced x 1920 lines of resolution with a 16:9 wide screen format to create a true-to-life cinema experience. The result is over 2 million pixels of breathtaking picture quality, compared to the current analog standard of 250,000 pixels. With Philips HDTV, a viewer will now appreciate details he/she has never been able to see before, such as the freckles on a child's cheeks. Further distinguishing its HDTV from competing models, Philips uses three 9-inch cathode ray tubes versus the industry average 7-inch tubes - and first-surface mirrors to eliminate light refraction, creating the brightest, sharpest picture available on the market.

Rounding out the cinematic experience for the home viewer, the Philips 64-inch rear projection TV comes equipped with state-of-the-art theater quality sound. True home cinema enthusiasts and novices alike will recognize the stirring power of the Dolby Digital surround sound and internal 120-Watt amplifier in the Philips digital television. The set also features easy, clip-on style center channel input to enable consumers to use additional external amplification sources. For convenient and easy connection to additional peripheral home theater equipment, the Philips HDTV includes an extensive jack panel comprised of side and rear A/V inputs and outputs. Philips' HDTV also has an easy-to-use, built-in programming guide. Its Guide Plus+™ programming can capture and display advanced information such as onscreen channel review, program summaries, and category sorting.

Finally, a Philips digital television inside and out, the Philips HDTV contains the Philips TriMedia single chip, programmable media processor designed to support DTV, broadcast data services, a reverse communications channel and internet browser.

Adding Even More Value to Every HDTV Purchase

Because a distinctive television deserves a distinctive remote control, each Philips high definition television purchase includes Philips' new Pronto programmable universal remote control. Unlike any other universal remote control available, Pronto is an easy-to-use, learning, remote control with touch screen that can replace all of the other remote controls in the home providing a more organized, clutter free home entertainment environment.

About Philips

Philips Consumer Electronics Company designs, markets and services consumer and business electronics products. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, it is a division of Philips Electronics North America Corporation, with more than US$ 7 billion in annual sales and corporate headquarters in New York. The company is also part of Philips Electronics N.V., with nearly US$ 41 billion in annual sales and based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.