|
REALNETWORKS ANNOUNCES AGREEMENTS WITH D-LINK, PINNACLE SYSTEMS EXTENDING RHAPSODY THROUGHOUT THE HOME
Partnerships w/Leading Device Manufacturers Make Rhapsody the Leading On-Demand Digital Music Service available on greatest number of Home Entertainment Systems, Expanding Consumer choice and ability to listen to More than 60,000 Albums on their Choice of Living Room Device
SEATTLE and NEW YORK — October 14, 2004 — RealNetworks®, Inc. (Nasdaq: RNWK), the leading creator of digital media services and software, announced today that its award-winning Rhapsody® Internet jukebox service is now interoperable with both D-Link® on the D-Link MediaLounge™ Wireless Media Player and Pinnacle Systems, Inc. Pinnacle ShowCenter™ 1.7, digital media receiver. Both of these products make it easy for consumers to link their PC and home entertainment systems and enjoy the Rhapsody service throughout their homes. With the addition of D-Link and Pinnacle Systems, there are now eight companies offering Rhapsody-compatible consumer electronics devices.
Rhapsody is the first on-demand digital music service to enable consumers to control and listen to the service via their home entertainment systems. In the past year, many of the country’s leading home networking and consumer electronics companies have introduced digital audio components that are compatible with Rhapsody. In addition to relationships with D-Link and Pinnacle Systems announced this week, GoVideo, Linksys, NETGEAR, PRISMIQ, Rockford Fosgate and SMC Networks have developed "Rhapsody-Ready" products, and continue to work with Real Networks. Consumers using these devices with Rhapsody can build a single, vast library of music that's accessible both on their PC and through their high-fidelity home stereo and home theater systems.
"We believe that the combination of Rhapsody and these new devices is an irresistible offer for music fans: instant access to a library of more than 60,000 CDs they can access virtually anytime they want, from anywhere in their home," said Rob Glaser, founder and CEO, RealNetworks. "These latest agreements with D-Link and Pinnacle Systems are proof that Real is making strong headway in positioning Rhapsody as an essential part of consumers’ digital home."
Partners in Rhapsody
There are currently eight "Rhapsody-Ready" products available to consumers from leading manufacturers, with more scheduled for introduction this fall. This wide variety of devices gives Rhapsody users the flexibility to choose the device that is best suited to their lifestyle. Each device enables consumers to effortlessly browse their personal Rhapsody library by artist, album, and song title, or quickly review the custom radio stations and playlists they have created using Rhapsody. The Rhapsody-enabled products currently available to consumers include devices from:
D-Link
The D-Link MediaLounge Wireless Media Player (DSM-320) resides within a home entertainment center and connects to the television and/or stereo using standard A/V or S-video cables. For users with high-end entertainment systems, the D-Link DSM-320 supports component video, optical digital audio and coaxial digital audio connections. Using the included remote control and step-by-step TV interface, it is then easily connected to a home network via 802.11g wireless, or if preferred, through standard Ethernet cabling.
GoVideo
The D2740 Wireless Media Receiver + DVD Player from GoVideo connects people with their entertainment. With the D2740, users can stream the Rhapsody service, JPEG, Tiff, PSD, PICT, and Bitmap image files, MP3 and WMA music files, and MPEG1, MPEG2 and MPEG4 video files from the PC to the living room for the first time through a home network.
Linksys, a division of Cisco Sytems, Inc.
The Linksys Wireless-B Media Link for Music System (WMLS11B) is a home audio component that uses Wireless-B (802.11b) networking to send digital audio content stored on a PC or other storage devices to a home stereo. Customers can also use the included powered speakers to move their music anywhere in their home — like a WiFi boom box. Using the Wireless-B Media Link for Music System, Rhapsody subscribers can browse their library by artist, album, or song title, and access the custom radio stations and playlists they have created using Rhapsody.
NETGEAR
The NETGEAR Digital Music Player (MP101) streams and plays MP3s and Windows Media format digital files from all of your networked PCs directly to your home stereo. The remote control and vivid LCD interface make it easy to browse an entire music collection and listen through your stereo, boom box, headphones, or powered speakers. The device is compatible with 802.11b or 802.11g wireless networks and includes a free 30-day trial of Rhapsody service.
Pinnacle Systems
Pinnacle ShowCenter is a digital media receiver that connects to wireless and wired home local area networks (LAN) and enables streaming of multimedia files from any PC on the network to a television or home entertainment system connected to ShowCenter. Using the ShowCenter remote control, consumers can easily find and play their digital audio, video and photos stored on the PC - all from the comfort of their living room sofa.
PRISMIQ
In addition to allowing users to browse and play all the music in Rhapsody's vast library via any home audio system, the PRISMIQ MediaPlayer enables people to enjoy a broad array of digital media including movies, music and pictures, and access to the Internet through TVs, stereos, and entertainment centers anywhere in the home. PRISMIQ's MediaPlayer has won "Product of the Year" from PC Magazine, C|NET, TechTV, Computer Shopper magazine, Electronic House magazine, and the Consumer Electronics Association.
Omnifi
Omnifi, a division of Rockford Corporation, offers wireless home and mobile audio models that give consumers the music they want, where they want it, without being tethered to wires or cumbersome equipment. The DMS1 home streamer moves music from personal computers to home audio systems via a wireless 802.11b network, or an existing LAN network. Omnifi's mobile DMP1 features a removable 20GB hard disk drive and controller that wirelessly syncs with a Wi Fi-enabled PC located within 150-feet of the player. (Users can also download direct to the removable drive via a USB connection.) Upcoming products include a wireless headphone player with flash memory and a home audio/video streamer.
SMC Networks
The EZ-Stream Wireless Audio Adapter from SMC Networks brings cutting-edge technology to your home entertainment center. The new EZ-Stream 11 Mbps Wireless Audio Adapter is UPnP compliant and designed to be fast and easy to install, providing for a seamless integration into an existing 802.11b or 802.11g wireless network. The device has a large LCD display that provides for easy reading and the easy-to-navigate user interface allows for fast audio content selection. In addition to support for the Rhapsody service, the EZ-Stream gives you the freedom to play the MP3 and WMA music stored on your PC in any room of your home.
Making it All Possible
Rhapsody uses an open architecture called Universal Plug and Play (UPnP™), which makes the service interoperable with the devices listed above. In 2003, RealNetworks integrated support for UPnP technology into Rhapsody, enabling the service to communicate with a new generation of digital audio products that enable consumers to access music from their PC via their stereo and home theater systems.
RealNetworks' goal is to make Rhapsody compatible with all new, UPnP-compliant digital media adapter devices, giving consumer electronics companies a compelling service that can make these new devices more attractive and valuable to consumers. In support of this goal, RealNetworks is an active member of the UPnP Forum, an association of more than 500 companies from a variety of consumer industries working to develop interoperable specifications and standards for easy-to-use home networking.
Availability
"Rhapsody-Ready" products can be found at leading retailers including CompUSA, Best Buy, Circuit City, Good Guys, Target.com, iQVC, and Amazon.com among others. For more information about the Rhapsody service and Rhapsody-enabled products, please visit www.rhapsody.com.
For More Information, contact:
Matt Graves, RealNetworks, 415-934-2159, mgraves@real.com
Maureen (Moe) Farley, RealNetworks, 206.892.6653, mfarley@real.com
ABOUT REALNETWORKS, INC.
RealNetworks, Inc. is the leading creator of digital media services and software including the award-winning Rhapsody Internet jukebox service and RealPlayer 10. Consumers can access and experience audio/video programming and download RealNetworks' consumer software at http://www.real.com. Broadcasters, network operators, media companies and enterprises use RealNetworks' products and services to create and deliver digital media to PCs, mobile phones and consumer electronics devices. RealNetworks' systems and corporate information is located at http://www.realnetworks.com.
|
Contact Us
