Panasonic Creates Ultimate HDTV and Blu-ray Entertainment Devices With Amazon Video On Demand

Panasonic Creates Ultimate HDTV and Blu-ray Entertainment Devices With Amazon Video On Demand

VIERA CAST Functionality Expanded To Provide Amazon.com's Massive Selection of Movies & TV Shows On Demand To Consumers

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Panasonic announced today a collaborative relationship that adds Amazon Video On Demand to Panasonic's line of 2009 VIERA CAST(R) enabled HDTVs and Blu-ray devices. Bringing unique internet enabled services to VIERA HDTV and Blu-ray owners, VIERA CAST will enable customers to instantly shop and watch their favorite movies and TV shows, selecting from Amazon Video On Demand's huge selection of more than 40,000 titles. Panasonic is a leader in built-in TV web entertainment via VIERA CAST and its award winning line of VIERA HDTVs and Blu-ray players, while Amazon.com is a leader in video-on-demand entertainment.

For 2009, Panasonic's VIERA CAST feature has been extended to three VIERA Plasma HDTV series as well as Panasonic's 2009 line of Blu-ray devices. In addition to Amazon Video On Demand, VIERA CAST will continue to provide access to YouTube(TM), Picasa Web Albums(TM), Bloomberg News and a weather channel. The consumer will have automatic access to additional sites as they are added to the service. The newly expanded VIERA CAST with Amazon Video On Demand is expected to launch in early 2009.

VIERA CAST was widely acknowledged last year for its distinctive internet application, allowing the consumer to view targeted sites on a large HDTV, rather than a small computer screen. VIERA CAST is also unique in the industry in that, unlike other IPTVs, it has a built-in Ethernet interface -- no external box or PC is required. VIERA CAST is accessed via a single button on the television remote control and there is no fee to use the VIERA CAST functionality.

Accessed through the main VIERA CAST interface, Amazon Video On Demand has an easy to use customer experience that will enable customers to watch the latest new release movies the same day that they are released on DVD, and more. Customers will be able to watch titles right away with no downloading or waiting, and they can rent or purchase titles on a la carte basis with no subscription fees. Using the Your Video Library feature, customers can keep a virtual library of their purchases and re-watch them anywhere, including their VIERA TV, Panasonic Blu-ray player, or via the web on any PC or MAC.

Amazon Video On Demand delivers the best quality video possible through the use of the advanced h.264 codec and an automatic bandwidth detection feature that seamlessly plays back the best quality file at either 300, 600, 900, or 1200 kbps. Customers can choose from thousands of movies to rent from $1.99 to $3.99, purchase from $9.99 to $14.99, or thousands of television shows to purchase for $1.99 per episode.

"We see this as another step in providing the ultimate entertainment experience for the consumer," said Merwan Mereby, Vice President of New Business Development, Panasonic. "It's fitting that Panasonic and Amazon have joined creative forces to create this unique entertainment vehicle. Panasonic's HDTVs and Blu-ray players have garnered numerous best of awards, while Amazon is a pioneer in transforming in-home movie entertainment. The consumer will be able to instantly purchase, rent and watch, choosing from a massive selection of movie and TV entertainment at their finger tips with just a click of a button. Last year VIERA CAST was incorporated into one series of Plasmas, the PZ850. The success and acceptance of VIERA CAST was a motivating factor in increasing the penetration of the unique internet technology to additional model lines and the inclusion of the feature in our 2009 Blu-ray devices"

"Amazon Video On Demand is excited to enable its huge selection of movies and TV shows on Panasonic's internet connected HDTVs and Blu-ray players," said Bill Carr, Amazon.com Vice President Digital Media. "These are mainstream devices that customers want in their living rooms, and the addition of movies and TV shows on demand gives consumers another reason to purchase and enjoy Panasonic's industry leading products."

About Panasonic

Based in Secaucus, NJ, Panasonic Corporation of North America markets a broad line of digital and other electronics products for consumer, business and industrial use. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE:PC) , and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a unit company of Panasonic Corporation of North America. Information about Panasonic and its products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom

About Amazon.com-Amazon Digital Services

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) , a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as books, movies, music & games, digital downloads, electronics & computers, home & garden, toys, kids & baby, grocery, apparel, shoes & jewelry, health & beauty, sports & outdoors, and tools, auto & industrial.

Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Examples of the services offered by Amazon Web Services are Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), Amazon SimpleDB, Amazon Simple Queue Service (Amazon SQS), Amazon Flexible Payments Service (Amazon FPS), and Amazon Mechanical Turk.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and the Joyo Amazon websites at www.joyo.cn and www.amazon.cn.

As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements -- This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, significant amount of indebtedness, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, and subsequent filings.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
jamie_hodin@cohnwolfe.com,gia_doron@nyc.cohnwolfe.com,ken.zanet@cohnwolfe.com

Source: Panasonic

CONTACT: Jeff Samuels, +1-201-392-4571, samuelsj@us.panasonic.com, or
Chris De Maria, +1-201-348-7182, demariac@us.panasonic.com, both of Panasonic;
or Alix Dunn of Cohn & Wolfe, for Panasonic, +1-212-798-9795,
alix.dunn@cohnwolfe.com

Web Site: http://www.panasonic.com/

---

Profile: International Entertainment