Toshiba Inks Vongo Deal For PMCs

GREG TARR -- TWICE, 6/19/2006

Englewood, Colo. — Starz Entertainment Group and Toshiba have officially signed an agreement to offer Starz’ Vongo movie download service on Toshiba’s forthcoming S series Gigabeat portable media centers (PMCs) with video capability.

Purchasers of new Gigabeat S-series portables will be able to subscribe to Vongo to access video downloads of recent and classic films for playback on up to three devices, including the Gigabeat.

Toshiba’s new PMCs, are based on Microsoft’s Portable Media Center v2.0 software and will be available in capacities of 30GB and 60GB.

The partnership will provide consumers with greater choice and flexibility for their overall entertainment experience, the companies said.

Vongo launched at the 2006 International CES and emerged from beta earlier this month. The new line of Gigabeat products, which are shipping now, are the first portable media devices certified for the Vongo service.

“Building on our recent service announcement, Vongo continues to look for new partnerships and opportunities to increase the value proposition,” said Bob Greene, executive VP of advanced services for SEG. “We look forward to making more partnership announcements in the future, ultimately making Vongo a crucial element for movie and entertainment enjoyment.”

The Gigabeat PMC is available with 30GB and 60GB of storage capacity, a 2.4” QVGA color screen with 320 x 240 resolution, a PlusTouch button and the Windows Mobile Portable Media Center interface.

Models also include a built-in FM tuner and the ability to transfer digital images for viewing directly from most digital cameras. The Gigabeat PMC models are available now at $299.99 (30GB - MES30VW) and $399.99 (60GB - MES60VK), respectively.

For a $9.99 per month subscription fee, Vongo users will have access to more than 1,600 movie and video selections as well as a live, streaming Starz TV channel. The service is currently offering a 14-day free trial for new subscribers. Additionally, select popular pay-per-view titles are available for $3.99 a movie.

In addition to Windows-based PCs, laptops and portable devices, Vongo subscribers can also transfer their Vongo content onto a TV for optimal viewing. Vongo is currently available as a free download for broadband subscribers in the United States at www.vongo.com.