CEA PROJECTS 3 MILLION DIGITAL CABLE READY HDTV SETS
WILL BE SOLD IN 2005

URGES ALL DTV INDUSTRIES TO PROMOTE HDTV AND EDUCATE CONSUMERS

Arlington, Va., March 10, 2005 - Three million Digital Cable Ready (DCR) sets will be sold factory-to-dealer in 2005, building on the installed base of more than one million sold last year, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced today. CEA also repeated its call for all industries to help promote digital television (DTV) and educate consumers about the transition.

"The DTV transition is booming with more than 16 million DTV units sold since introduction," said CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro. "But while consumer education remains key to the successful completion of the transition, a few key educational efforts are completely missing. For instance, it's a no-brainer that broadcasters should be promoting DTV on their analog channels. Unbelievably, they are not. And cable - the industry that by law must create a competitive retail market for cable equipment - must join in promoting Digital Cable Ready sets and the requisite CableCARD. Beyond that, the CableCARD must be made readily available by the cable operator at an affordable cost."

CEA will host its annual HDTV Summit next Tuesday where industry and government leaders will consider these DTV issues and more. The 10th annual HDTV Summit: The Analog Cut-off: What will it take? What are the opportunities? will be held on March 15th at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center. The event will open with two congressional keynote addresses by the Honorable Fred Upton (R-MI), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, and the Honorable John Ensign (R-NV), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Technology, Innovation and Competitiveness.

A complete conference schedule and registration for the event is available online at www.CE.org/hdtvsummit.

Posted by Dale Cripps, March 11, 2005 8:17 AM