Internet Tv Essay, Research Paper
ZENITH TO LAUNCH INTERNET TV PRODUCTS
BASED ON NC TECHNOLOGY FROM ORACLE
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 1997 — Zenith Electronics Corporation (NYSE:ZE) has joined forces with Network
Computer, Inc. (NCI), a subsidiary of Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ: ORCL), to launch a new generation of
convergence products designed to enhance the entertainment experience of television.
Zenith plans to offer a family of Internet TV products – set-top boxes and integrated TV sets – with
interactive capabilities based on NCI’s powerful N|C System Software. This move marks an important
new direction for Zenith’s Internet TV product strategy and is another step toward establishing the
software developed by NCI as the industry-standard platform for Internet appliances.
“Say good-bye to the passive couch potato,” Zenith President and CEO Peter Willmott said here today on
the eve of the Winter Consumer Electronics Show. “Working with Oracle, Zenith is redefining the
experience of television and marrying channel surfing and net-surfing in a new and exciting way. NCI’s
System Software will bring a new level of power and simplicity to Internet TV.”
Larry Ellison, chairman and CEO of Oracle Corp., said, “Tapping the Internet should be as easy as using
a television or telephone. Consumers want an inexpensive, easy-to-use appliance that combines the
power of the Internet and the simplicity of television. Zenith’s Internet TV and NCI’s software technology will
bring the information age and World Wide Web to millions of consumers everywhere.”
Zenith’s “NetVision” Internet TV products, planned for introduction in 1997, will allow TV viewers to surf the
World Wide Web, send and receive multimedia e-mail, and participate in a variety of interactive and
electronic commerce services – all using Zenith’s unique “Z-Trak” track-ball remote control, which
operates like a computer mouse. (An optional wireless keyboard also will be available.) The set-top
boxes and TVs will feature a printer port and smart card slot for home shopping, banking and other
transactional services. In addition to a built-in 33.6 kilobit-per-second telephone modem, the products will
include an Ethernet port for connection to high-speed cable modems.
The N|C System Software is the powerful software inside Zenith’s “NetVision” Internet TV products. It
allows the Internet TV products to quickly connect to the network, run feature-rich software programs,
browse the World Wide Web and access multimedia content such as audio and video. Easy to use, like a
television set, the N|C System Software is simple to set up and requires no maintenance.
Network Computer, Inc. (NCI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oracle Corp., develops, licenses and markets
all software and support services for the network computer, including the N|C System Software and other
N|C applications. For more information about Network Computer, Inc., please call 415/631-4600. NCI’s
World Wide Web address is http://www.nc.com. Zenith Electronics Corporation, based in Glenview, Ill., is
a leading manufacturer and marketer of television and video products for consumer and professional
markets; display devices including color picture tubes, components and computer monitors; and network
systems products, including digital and analog set-top boxes and cable modems. Zenith is a leader in the
development of digital high-definition television.
TRADEMARKS:
Zenith and its famous lightning-bolt logo are registered trademarks of Zenith Electronics Corporation, and NetVision and Z-Trak are trademarks of Zenith
Electronics Corporation. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. Oracle OpenWorld is a trademark of Oracle Corporation. N|C is a trademark
of Network Computer, Inc.