Building on Worldwide Success, Company Expands MD Lines and Kicks Off Year-Long U.S. Marketing Campaign

LAS VEGAS. January 8, 1998 - Sony is expanding its presence in the MiniDisc market with new portable, home and car products in preparation for major industry expansion in this digital audio recording product category this year.

MiniDisc has experienced huge success in Japan and Europe with a two-fold growth in Japan in 1997, and nearly a three-fold growth in Europe last year. "MiniDisc is a hit in Japan and Europe with over 6 million units to be sold worldwide in 1997, and Americans have begun to realize the value of this highly portable, recordable digital audio format," said Mark Viken, senior vice president of Personal Audio/Video Products Group, Sony Electronics. "Sony believes sales of MiniDisc will greatly accelerate in the U.S. market during 1998." MiniDisc is ideal for the next generation of young music enthusiasts who want to digitally record their favorite music mixes for playback on-the-go.

Sony projects that total U.S. industry sales for MiniDisc hardware will exceed 500,000 units - more than double what was achieved last year. MiniDisc sales in the U.S. are projected to increase more than five-fold to five percent household penetration by the year 2000.

Make It With MD

To support this activity, Sony Electronics will launch the largest audio product advertising/marketing program in its U.S. history. Themed "Make it With MD," the year-long national advertising campaign, which will include extensive retail promotions, co-branding opportunities and sponsorships, kicks off in early February. The company will launch the first wave of a multi-millon dollar ad campaign in February that will communicate the Make it With MD theme with an "edgy, fun and cool" approach, he said. Details will be announced following WCES.

MiniDisc at Home, in the Car, Anywhere

At WCES '98, Sony is showing and announcing the broadest array of home, portable and car MiniDisc lines to date. The new lines include three new MD home recorders/players, two new bookshelf systems, and four new portable MD players that expand the current line to deliver even smaller sizes, more variety, and improved battery life. Two new car MD players, with improved user interface, and more affordable, recordable MD media round out the MD line up for Sony.

To promote MD's re-recordability, Sony demonstrated a prototype of an advanced recording and editing system that streamlines the CD-to-MD recording process using a computer.

MiniDisc Format

MiniDiscs are 2.5-inch optical discs that can record and re-record digitally, more than one million times with no loss of sound quality. Encased in a protective shell, MiniDiscs are extremely durable, perfect for use at home, in the car or on-the-go. All Sony MiniDisc portable players include a 10 or 40 -second shock-resistant memory, which allows the MD to play even if the unit is bumped or jarred.

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Sony Electronics Inc. Background: Headquartered in Park Ridge, N.J., Sony Electronics has more than 24,000 employees in North America. Sony is the co-developer of CD and DVD technologies, and is noted for such product developments as the MiniDisc digital audio system, digital video camcorders and Trinitron television technology. The company's annual sales for fiscal 1996 exceeded $9.6 billion.

Editor's Note: For information regarding the nearest Sony authorized dealer or service location, your readers can call 1-800-222 SONY (7669). For photographs of Sony products, editors can call 201-930-6097. On the Internet, you'll find Sony at http://www.sony.com.

NEW SONY 1998 MINIDISC PRODUCTS AND FEATURES

Portable MiniDisc Players

MZ-R50 -- Portable MiniDisc Recorder/Player

• 40 second shock resistant memory
• Up to 22 hours playback using supplied rechargeable battery and AA batteries
• Sampling rate converter for recording from various digital sources
• Vertical jog dial for easy editing
• Track name search/select with jog dial

Price: $549.55 (MSRP)

Available: January

• New top-loading slot in design for easy insert/eject operations
• Up to five hours of extended playback
• Powerful Digital Mega BassÒ Sound System

Price: $249.95 (MSRP)

Available: March

• Ultra slim, compact design, slightly larger that a 2.5-inch MiniDisc itself
• Up to six hours playback with one AA battery
• Unique style LCD headphone remote

Price: $349.95 (MSRP)

Available: April

• Smallest Sony MD player
• 40-second shock-resistant memory
• Single Battery Playback, Unique Style LCD Headphone Remote

Price: $449.95 (MSRP)

Available: May

MDS-JB920 -- MiniDisc Recorder/Player

• Variable Pitch Control adjusts the music to the signing voice or musical instrument during playback
• Digital Record Level Control makes possible fade in/fade out playback and recording
• Two-Line display on front panel for viewing expanded track and title information
• CD Text and Custom File Transfer automatically records and displays disc and track information when recording from MD to CD
• Powerful Editing features
• R-Core Power Transformer, 20-Bit Analog-to-Digital Converter, Current Pulse Digital-to-Analog converter and Anti-resonant Aluminum Front Panel for superb and precise digital audio reproduction
• Two optical and one coaxial digital inputs for digital-to-digital recording from CD, DAT or DSS
• S-Link^TM circuitry allows intelligent, integrated operation with other S-link equipped Sony A/V products
• Remote Commanderä remote control

Price: $480 (MSRP)

Available: July

• Digital Record Level Control makes possible fade in/fade out playback and recording
• Two-Line Display on front panel for viewing expanded track and title information
• Headphone Jack with Volume Control
• Convenient Jog Dial for track selection and text entry
• Powerful editing features
• Two optical and one coaxial digital inputs for digital-to-digital recording from CD, DAT or DSS
• Remote Commanderä remote control

Price: $360 (MSRP)

Available: August

• Compact footprint for matching with mini Hi-Fi systems
• Optical digital input and output
• Powerful Editing features
• Remote Commanderä remote control

Price: $360 (MSRP)

Available: August

• 3-disc MiniDisc changer
• 3-disc CD changer
• Detachable control panel acts as full-function remote control
• CD Text automatic display of disc and track names with compatible CDs
• Tuner with 20 FM and 10 AM station presets
• 2-way speakers with 6-inch woofers

Price: $800 (MSRP)

Available: June

• MiniDisc recorder
• 3-disc CD changer
• Tuner with 20 FM and 10 AM station presets

Price: $700 (MSRP)

Available: June

MDX-C7900 -- MD Receiver with CD Changer Control

• 10 second shock resistant memory
• 8x oversampling, 1-bit memory
• SSIR-EX AM/FM stereo tuner rotary encoder level control
• Detachable front panel, remote supplied

Price: $450 (MSRP)

Availability: February 1998

• 10 second shock resistant memory
• Wide Bit Stream processing
• SSIR-EX Adaptive Reception tuner
• Voice Confirmation of control input
• Fold down detachable front panel

Price: $600 (MSRP)

Availability: July 1998

• 10 second shock resistant memory
• 8x oversampling, 1-bit D/A
• Ex-Change function
• MD titles easily viewed through clear door

Price: $550 (MSRP)

Availability: February 1998

• Available in 60- and 74-minute lengths
• Encased in a durable, plastic sleeve case
• Rerecordable up to a million times
• New lower pricing and packaging configurations:

2-pack at $13.00

3-pack at $17.99

5-pack at $29.99

10-pack at $55.00