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Toshiba Gigabeat(R) Portable Media Players Now Available at Retailers Nationwide

Posted on: Monday, 19 June 2006, 12:00 CDT

NEW YORK, June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. ("Toshiba"), announced today the availability of its new line of gigabeat Portable Media Players. Based on Windows Mobile(R) Portable Media Center Version 2.0 software, the two new models available in 30GB* and 60GB* capacities offer consumers a vast array of content and a stunningly simple device to enjoy it with. By partnering with four of the content industry leaders, gigabeat users are not limited to the entertainment selections from one content provider and are not locked into a single service.

"The new gigabeat line of Portable Media Players offer consumers access to hundreds of content delivery services," said Yoshi Uchiyama, Group Vice President of Toshiba's Digital Audio Video division. "Consumers are no longer tethered to one service with limited choices. We've partnered with the industry leaders and pioneers to ensure that consumers have immediate access and can choose the delivery service that is best suited to their needs."

For consumers seeking full length movies for their gigabeat, Toshiba has partnered with Starz Entertainment Group LLC (SEG) to offer their new Vongo(SM) service. Unveiled at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show, Vongo delivers movies and other video content over the Internet for playback on Windows-based PCs, laptops and select portable media devices as well as on a TV. Vongo subscribers have unlimited access to more than 1,600 movie and video selections as well as a live, streaming Starz TV channel for a monthly cost of $9.99. Additionally, select popular pay-per-view titles are available for $3.99 a movie. Vongo began a universal 14-day free trial earlier this spring providing consumers with access to the service which can be downloaded by broadband subscribers in the United States at http://www.vongo.com/.

The partnership with Toshiba fulfills Vongo's promise of entertainment on the go by offering premium movie content on the Toshiba gigabeat, the first commercially available, next generation Windows Mobile-based Portable Media Center device. This groundbreaking partnership will enable consumers to simply download movies onto Toshiba's gigabeat and access them whenever and wherever they want.

"Vongo certifying the gigabeat as its first approved portable device and associated agreement with Toshiba is a major development for Starz and the digital entertainment industry," said Bob Greene, Executive Vice President of Advanced Services for SEG. "Vongo and Toshiba deliver together true 'on the go' portability for movies, TV episodes and concerts with a true next generation device. Even better, we do so at no additional charge for Vongo subscribers."

In addition to movies, TACP is providing consumers with a simple way to obtain their favorite music for their gigabeat. This year, Toshiba will continue their relationship with Napster(R) and is pleased to announce two additional partnerships that offer consumers access to a broad array of musical content. Both eMusic(TM) and RealNetworks'(R) Rhapsody(R) service have entered into joint marketing agreements with Toshiba for the gigabeat device.

In addition to the new Napster.com, an interactive music destination where music fans can hear and share over two million major and independent-label tracks for free, Napster also offers two premium music subscription services, Napster and Napster To Go. Napster subscribers pay one low monthly price and enjoy unlimited access to CD-quality music and advanced discovery, community and programming features. Napster To Go subscribers enjoy those same premium benefits plus the power to transfer an unlimited amount of music to compatible MP3 players, like the Toshiba gigabeat, without having to purchase individual tracks and albums a la carte.

eMusic will offer more than 1.2 million tracks from established and emerging artists in every genre from the world's leading independent labels. Unlike other download services, eMusic is the only one to deliver music in the universally compatible MP3 format, which allows consumers to burn CDs, transfer music to MP3 players and make as many copies of songs or albums as they like for personal use.

"We're excited to provide new gigabeat owners with a fantastic selection of great music and to welcome them to eMusic's community of music fans," said David Pakman, CEO and President of eMusic.

Rhapsody, RealNetworks' award-winning online music service, gives consumers access to over 2 million songs from every major label and thousands of independents, along with thoughtful music recommendations and unique editorial content from some of the most experienced music experts around. With Rhapsody To Go, users can fill and re-fill their gigabeat Portable Media Player with music from this tremendous library using a fast and intuitive interface, creating the perfect solution for enjoying virtually any song on the go. Consumers can take advantage of a 30-day free trial of the Rhapsody To Go service with their gigabeat at http://www.rhapsody.com/toshiba.

The gigabeat Portable Media Player also has the ability to download recorded television content from a consumer's Windows Media(R) Edition PC, or from their TiVo(R) Series2 DVR using the TiVoToGo(TM) feature. Either method lets consumers take their favorite TV shows with them wherever they go for the ultimate in flexibility.

To complement the full array of content choices available, the gigabeat Portable Media Players are available with 30GB and 60GB of storage capacity, a 2.4" diagonally measured QVGA color screen with 320 x 240 resolution, a new more tactile PlusTouch(TM) button and thanks to the Windows Mobile Portable Media Center software, one of the most intuitive interfaces available today. An FM Tuner is built in and gigabeat also offers the ability to transfer digital images for viewing directly from most digital cameras. Finally, a TV Audio and Video output lets users connect their gigabeat to a television for the ultimate in convenience.

Models, Expected Pricing and Expected Availability

The gigabeat PMC models are available now at $299.99 (30GB - MES30VW) and $399.99 (60GB - MES60VK) respectively.

* When referring to hard drive capacity 1 GB = 1 Billion Bytes. Available capacity will be less with preloaded content and operating system. Actual formatted capacity may vary.

TiVo is a registered trademark of TiVo, Inc. Series2 and TiVoToGo are trademarks of TiVo, Inc.

Windows Mobile and Windows Media are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

About Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C.

Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. is owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, a world leader in high technology products with subsidiaries worldwide. Toshiba is a pioneer in DVD and DVD Recorder technology and a leading manufacturer of a full line of home entertainment products, including flat panel TV, rear and front projection and direct view televisions, combination products and portable devices. Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. is headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey. For additional information please visit http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/.

Toshiba respects the rights of others. Our products are only intended for lawful recording, storage and playback of authorized content and any other lawful use.

About Vongo About Vongo and Starz Entertainment Group

As one of the largest content aggregators in Hollywood, Starz Entertainment Group has access to thousands of theatrical films that it makes available on Vongo including Sin City, The Aviator, Hostage, The Incredibles, Are We There Yet?, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Bewitched, and Flightplan and coming later this year, Rent, Chicken Little, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Additional programming available to Vongo subscribers includes full-length music concerts (INXS: Live Baby Live, The Hives: Live from Las Vegas, Jay-Z: I Will Not Lose, The Who: Live in Boston, Phil Collins: A Life Less Ordinary), TV series (The Green Hornet and Edgemont) and extreme sports (Warren Miller's Storm, Warren Miller's Journey, Real Action Sports, Ride Guide).

Starz Entertainment Group is the exclusive subscription provider of first- run, classic and favorite films from leading Hollywood studios; these include Walt Disney Pictures, Miramax Films, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Films, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Tri-Star, Screen Gems and Revolution Studios. Select recent films are available exclusively from Universal Pictures and New Line Cinema, and library and classic titles are provided by a wide array of Hollywood studios.

Starz Entertainment Group LLC (SEG) is a premium movie service provider operating in the United States. SEG offers 16 movie channels including the flagship Starz(R) and Encore(R) brands with approximately 14.6 million and 26.4 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment Group airs more than 1,000 movies per month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HDTV, Starz On Demand and Vongo(SM). Starz Entertainment Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation that is attributed to Liberty Capital Group , http://www.starz.com/.

Eric Becker David Coates/Kate Powers Starz Entertainment Group Brodeur for Starz Entertainment Group (720) 852-4065 (617) 587-2927/617-587-2010 eric.becker@starz.com dcoates@brodeur.com kpowers@brodeur.com About Napster

Napster is committed to making great music experiences more accessible to all music fans. Napster.com gives web users the power to legally listen on-demand to a massive catalog of music from major and independent labels, wherever they are on the Web- for FREE. The Napster music subscription service offers a premium experience that includes unlimited access to CD-quality music and advanced discovery, community and programming features in an advertising-free environment, and Napster To Go subscribers also enjoy unlimited transfer of music to a compatible MP3 player. Napster Light, an a la carte download store, and Napster Mobile, a hosted music service featuring artist images, ring tones and full-length songs, round out the Napster digital music lineup. Napster is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, New York, San Diego and Tokyo. For more information, please visit http://www.napster.com/.

About eMusic

eMusic (http://www.emusic.com/) is the world's leading digital retailer of independent music, second only to iTunes in number of downloads sold. Delivering more than 4.5 million downloads per month, eMusic offers over 1.2 million tracks from established and emerging artists in every genre from the world's leading independent labels. The eMusic Web site is created by music experts for music fans, with acclaimed editorial content, a vibrant online community and unrivaled music discovery tools. A subscription-based service that offers 25 free downloads at sign-up, eMusic gives consumers an inexpensive, low-risk way to explore great new music they wouldn't find otherwise, and unlike other download services, its universally compatible MP3 files play on any device including the iPod. Based in New York, eMusic.com Inc. is wholly owned by Dimensional Associates, Inc., the private equity arm of JDS Capital Management, Inc.

About RealNetworks

RealNetworks, Inc. is the leading creator of digital media services and software including Rhapsody(R), RealPlayer(R) 10 and casual PC and mobile games. 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. Consumers can access and experience audio/video programming and download RealNetworks' consumer software at http://www.real.com/. RealNetworks' systems and corporate information is located at http://www.realnetworks.com/.

NOTE: RealNetworks, RealPlayer and Rhapsody are registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Toshiba

CONTACT: Alejandro Arango of Brodeur, +1-617-587-2034,aarango@brodeur.com

Web Site: http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/http://www.vongo.com/http://www.starz.com/http://www.napster.com/http://www.emusic.com/http://www.realnetworks.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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