Amazon.com Unveils ''High-Def 101'' Customer Knowledge Center

Amazon.com, Inc. today unveiled a new customer knowledge center, Amazon High-Def 101, which will help customers navigate the mountains of information available about the high-definition (HD) home entertainment marketplace. As a one-stop education and shopping destination, Amazon High-Def 101 allows visitors to explore a comprehensive lineup of HD-related products -- including HDTVs, movie players, game systems, PC options, accessories and movies -- while getting the facts on how to "high-def" their homes. Visitors also have access to other HD product offerings and new content, including educational videos and weekly blog posts highlighting the latest trends.

"There are few resources today where the public can find simple and concise information about high definition," said Peter Faricy, vice president of movies and music at Amazon.com. "Our goal with the Amazon High-Def 101 customer knowledge center is to provide our customers with centralized, easy to-understand information that will help demystify high-definition entertainment. Amazon High-Def 101 is a place where anyone can come to learn and ask questions about the complex HD landscape. We will continue to expand and evolve the site to meet our customers' needs."

In a confusing high-definition marketplace, there are many different TVs, DVD players, DVD formats, cable boxes (and cable companies), and surround sound systems (which include receivers, tuners, speakers, sub-woofers and more) to choose from -- and they all have to be installed. The goal of High-Def 101 is to alleviate confusion and present the facts about HD products in a clear and simple way to Amazon customers, as well as help them achieve the high-quality entertainment experience they deserve from their home theater investments.

"This holiday season is critical for high definition, and as an industry we need to place the focus on helping consumers understand the extraordinary benefits of HD media and how to get the most value out of their home entertainment investments," said Ron Sanders, president, Warner Home Video. "We appreciate Amazon.com's aggressive efforts to educate the consumer."

Amazon High-Def 101 provides a comprehensive destination where the less technically inclined can get all the information they need about HD home entertainment. Key features of the High-Def 101 customer knowledge center include:

• An interactive, intuitive layout that allows customers to easily access and find information
• A library of consumer-friendly articles aimed at helping the average person configure their HD home entertainment experience
• A dictionary of HD terminology that explains commonly used phrases and abbreviations
• A community of home theater professionals who regularly post blog entries and participate in forums to help answer customer questions and provide direction
  

"Many consumers remain unaware of the details and benefits of the HDTV experience, and this has been a challenge for the industry to overcome," stated Paul Erickson, director of DVD and HD Market Research at DisplaySearch, an NPD Group company. "With consumers shifting towards flat displays, HD content availability increasing from pay-TV providers and movie studios, Blu-ray and HD DVD player prices falling, and popularity growing for HD game consoles, the potential has never been higher for this market. By helping to raise consumer understanding of both the benefits of HDTV and the advantages of next-generation disc formats over regular DVD, consumer education efforts like Amazon's 'High-Def 101' will help both consumers and the industry to take full advantage of this potential."