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Philips introduces WebTV
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August 7, 1996: 4:40 p.m. ET
Company sets $329 price tag; product to be available nationwide by fall
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Philips Consumer Electronics Co. Wednesday unveiled the first in a series of planned products that will bring inexpensive Internet access devices to the market.
Philips Magnavox WebTV is one of the first products to display the results of the convergence of television and computers. It allows consumers to access the Internet through their television and a standard telephone line.
"Philips Magnavox WebTV -- the first Philips Magnavox branded product -- signals our clear move into the exciting digital interactive world," said Robert Minkhorst, Philips' president and chief executive officer.
"Utilizing both the Philips and Magnavox names on this innovative consumer electronics product heralds our ability to turn digital dreams into reality and represents an important new initiative for our company."
WebTV is the first of several Internet devices that will be marketed under the Philips Magnavox name. It uses plug-and-play technology to convert a television into an Internet access terminal.
The device uses a 33.6 kilobytes per second modem to deliver information from the Internet through the WebTV. A 112-megahertz 64-bit CPU will drive the device's operations. It also includes a PC-compatible keyboard port and16-bit stereo sound card.
Ed Volkwein, senior vice president and general manager of marketing and sales for Philips Consumer Electronics, said the product's $329 price tag should bring more people onto the Internet. Philips says the optional keyboard should be priced at about $69.
"Our research shows that while American consumers have a general awareness of the Internet, the cost of hardware is perceived to be prohibitive," he said.
Volkwein said that research the company has done shows that while parents want their children to be able to access the Internet, they are concerned about the chance that they might run into inappropriate content.
For that reason, Philips has included a parental control feature that lets parents lock out certain Web pages that they feel are inappropriate.
The device also contains a number of features that allows children to access a variety of resources including interactive field trips and reference resources.
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