Jan 04, 2006

Akimbo Teams with Thomson to Develop Co-Branded Internet VOD Player

Las Vegas, NV

--In a groundbreaking move, Akimbo(TM) and Thomson have partnered to design and manufacture a new co-branded Akimbo Player. Movielink, the leading broadband VOD (video-on-demand) download movie service, will provide Hollywood movies and other entertainment. Available in national retail channels by early spring, the new Akimbo Player will offer recently released films and classic movies in addition to 8,000 titles already available on the Akimbo Service.

"Today is a milestone for Akimbo as we join with the legendary consumer electronics brand - RCA, and Movielink, a leading broadband VOD movie service which offers premium Hollywood content," said Chief Executive Officer Joshua Goldman. "It has always been our vision to supply consumers with a robust video collection and the combination of Thomson's latest technology and Movielink's broad film library will provide an unparalleled entertainment experience."

"We are committed to offering consumers as much flexibility as possible to access movie content online securely and legally," said Movielink Chief Executive Officer Jim Ramo. "We are very happy to work with Akimbo to make it easy for consumers to download movies and watch them directly on their televisions."

"Thomson's goal is to provide consumers with great technology in products that make entertainment easier and more enjoyable," said Karsten Verhaegan, Vice President, IP Video Solutions, Thomson Access Platforms and Gateways of Thomson. "Akimbo's Internet video-on-demand service, now enhanced by Movielink's outstanding entertainment library, exemplifies the kind of industry-changing innovation that gave birth to the RCA brand and that we continue to strive for."

The new RCA Akimbo Player, priced at $199 with rebate, will offer a high quality audio and video experience, broadband connectivity and a powerful processor for improved UI performance. Its Ethernet and dual USB ports will provide consumer options for peripherals and home networking connectivity, such as through the use of wireless 802.11g adapters. The hard disk drive will allow Akimbo subscribers to store up to 150 hours of movies and video for on-demand playback. The RCA Akimbo Player is based on Thomson's next generation IP1100 IPTV platform which offers an array of advanced compression codecs to deliver improved video performance at lower bandwidths.

Akimbo is providing the software and service for the new RCA Akimbo player, based on the existing Akimbo Service. Akimbo's award-winning Internet video-on-demand service bridges the gap between broadcast and broadband and offers a complementary service to existing broadcast, cable and satellite systems. The Akimbo collection includes on-demand video and movies from 150 providers in 85 different categories and some 8,000 titles, with more added each week. Programs include well-known film and television fare as well as hard-to-find specialty video in areas like extreme sports, education, music, healthy sustainable living, independent films and foreign languages.