press releases

PortalPlayer "Media Service Framework" Supports Today's Leading Music And Audiobook Services With Video In The Future

PortalPlayer-Enabled Media Players support Audible, Microsoft Windows Media Technology, Musicmatch, Napster, RealNetworks and More

Las Vegas, Nev., January 8, 2004—PortalPlayer, Inc., the company that enabled the fast-growing music jukebox market, today announced that the Media Service Framework found in its new Personal Media Player: Photo Edition development platform will support all of the leading downloadable media service providers (MSPs), including Audible®, Microsoft® Windows Media® 9 Series, Musicmatch®, Napster®, RealNetworks® and more. This unique integration enables PortalPlayer to deliver the industry's first standards-compatible platform for designing personal media players that work with the majority of today's music and audiobook services.

"With our track record in supporting multiple media formats, PortalPlayer is in an ideal position to enable industry-standard compatibility for downloadable video in the near future," said Gary Johnson, president and CEO of PortalPlayer. "Hollywood has a keen eye on video content protection, and since digital rights management technologies are in their infancy, PortalPlayer will build its next-generation platforms to integrate the predominant standards adopted by the leading movie studios and online media services."

About the Media Service Framework
PortalPlayer's Media Service Framework provides customers with the flexibility to select from a variety of media service providers that offer music and audio books today, and video in the future. The Media Service Framework includes a range of certified services featuring:

• Enhanced decoders with extensions for digital rights management (DRM) metadata.
• API and Protocol between the PortalPlayer Operating System (PPOS) in the device and the Windows®-based media player application, which enable secure downloads to the device, synchronization, and firmware updates.
• Digital rights management for encryption/decryption and copy management. Additional services will be rolled out in 2004 expanding DRM capabilities beyond purchased download or CD-burning services.

The digital entertainment consumer who acquires content from various types of online services expects to be able to use it wherever they are - in their car, on their PC or from their portable device," said Susan Kevorkian, senior analyst with IDC. "Consumer electronics manufacturers that support multiple file formats and DRM technologies in their new products are better able to meet and exceed those expectations, and thus compete more effectively in a rapidly maturing market."

Media Service Provider Platforms
Various options exist for a consumer audio product to become download-aware and supported. Audible offers a rich set of features including its DRM, chapter support, bookmarks, and resume-at-last-listen capability. Microsoft Corp. offers Windows Media DRM supported by a wide range of music services including Liquid Audio® Digital Downloads, Musicmatch, MusicNow®, Napster, Wal-Mart®, and OD2® in Europe. RealNetworks offers RealAudio® 10, Helix™ DRM 10, and the RealPlayer® Music Store. Additionally, PortalPlayer offers its own PPI Crypto Services that will make non-DRM'd content secure in the device to support the individual content security policies of its customers.

This flexibility marks a significant change in the industry, where each portable device has been dedicated to one media service. Using PortalPlayer's Media Service Framework, customers will be able to deliver personal media players that work with a multitude of media services, and ultimately will offer the consumer the ability to take advantage of the exclusive content provided by each download service and thus removing a potential barrier to purchase.

"Anyone buying music or audiobooks from a download service should be able to enjoy their content as they would with any CD or tape-based purchase," added Johnson. "Our goal is to make that possible and totally transparent to the end consumer."

About PortalPlayer
PortalPlayer, Inc. is personalizing digital entertainment by providing complete platforms for computer and consumer electronics manufacturers to design innovative portable products that integrate audio and photo capabilities. The company's award-winning, flexible silicon and software platform has been adopted by the majority of leading audio jukebox manufacturers worldwide by providing superior features and unmatched flexibility, and enabling rapid time to market. Founded in 1999, PortalPlayer is a privately-held company with offices in Santa Clara, California; Charlotte, North Carolina, Seattle, Washington; and Hyderabad, India. For more information, visit www.portalplayer.com.

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