Toshiba Gigabeat Portable Media Players Now Available at Retailers

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June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba announced today the availability of its new line of gigabeat Portable Media Players. Based on Windows Mobile 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 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 and is pleased to announce two additional partnerships that offer consumers access to a broad array of musical content. Both eMusic and RealNetworks' Rhapsody 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 www.rhapsody.com/toshiba.

The gigabeat Portable Media Player also has the ability to download recorded television content from a consumer's Windows Media Edition PC, or from their TiVo Series2 DVR using the TiVoToGo 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 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.

For additional information please visit www.tacp.toshiba.com.

SOURCE Toshiba