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LOS GATOS, Calif.—Broadband Networks Inc., driving DVD-quality media content over the Internet to TVs and PCs, today launched its timeshifTV(TM) player a new digital video recorder (DVR) for viewing Internet delivered broadcast programming, as well as music, home videos, and digital photography on a home TV.  Broadband Networks also revealed plans for its timeshifTV service that will provide foreign and specialty media content to the timeshifTV player, allowing consumers to "time shift" their favorite programs for viewing at their leisure.

The timeshifTV service works with any broadband Internet connection.  Users simply connect their home network to their timeshifTV player for delivery of media content, photos, home movies and stereo through standard A/V cables.  The player comes with a remote control for fast forward, reverse and pause options, much like a DVD or VCR.   The timeshifTV player supports media playback standards, including Microsoft Windows. Media 9 Series, for delivery of high-quality media over the Internet and playback from files stored on PCs. 

"The penetration of broadband service throughout the U.S. has reached a level where it now makes sense to offer content downloaded from the

Internet," said Sean Badding, president of The Carmel Group, a well-known telecom consultancy located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif.  "With the right business model, products like timeshifTV could hold lots of potential for delivering new types of content via IP networks."

Broadband Networks will initially offer its timeshifTV service with programming in Chinese, (including Mandarin), Korean, Spanish, Japanese, Filipino, French, Hindi and Portuguese.  This content offering has broad appeal to the 62 million U.S. residents, either foreign born or first generation, who speak a language other than English at home and are seldom able to get TV from their native countries or in their first language.  Media content will be protected with digital rights management software built into the timeshifTV player and service.


"It's really about choice," continued Badding.  "Traditional broadcast programming can sometimes be limited in the amount of choice it can offer a consumer.  One example of this challenge is the general availability of foreign language programming.  If delivered effectively, it could bring vast new choices to an underserved market."

Broadband Networks is able to deliver video media content in an extremely cost effective manner through its Service Preference Architecture (SPA) technology.  The technology transports data over the Internet at pennies per Gigabyte, a genuine breakthrough in the industry.  Broadband Networks has patents pending on over 20 new techniques to better control the flow of data through the Internet and profitably deliver it to customer television sets.  The same technology will allow carriers, ISPs and cable companies to offer TV content over their Internet Access Networks at a profit for the first time.

According to Bob Burke, CEO of Broadband Networks, "Our technology for delivering Internet-based content to the TV bridges the gap between the computing and consumer electronics worlds.  timeshifTV is secure, convenient for customers and extremely cost effective for content and service providers."

Availability and Pricing
The timeshifTV player is priced at $299, includes a remote control, and 40G storage capacity for approximately 35 hours of timeshifTV programming.  The player also offers data storage on the user-writable hard drive partition.  The timeshifTV player can be ordered in July from the timeshifTV Web site see www.timeshiftv.com for details.  The timeshifTV service can also be pre-ordered at that time.  The player will be available in retail outlets in mid-2004. 


About Broadband Networks, Inc. (BNI) and timeshifTV
Broadband Networks, Inc. combines the best operational features of the Internet, cable TV and telephony networks in the company's timeshifTV solution enabling DVD-quality content over the Internet to TVs.  BNI's patent pending Service Preference Architecture (SPA) enables ISPs, carriers and cable TV providers to effectively control the flow of media over the Internet and profitably deliver it to consumers.  timeshifTV(TM) is the trademark for BNI's foreign TV and specialty video service.

Broadband Networks, Inc. is a privately held company with headquarters in Los Gatos, California.  The company is founded and managed by executives from AT&T, Charter Cable and the Special Opportunities Group.  For more information, visit www.bbns.us, or www.timeshiftv.com

timeshifTV(TM) is the trademark for BNI's Foreign TV and specialty video service.  All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.