LAS VEGAS, NV – January 7, 2008 – RealNetworks®, Inc., (NASDAQ: RNWK) and Control4, the leader in affordable IP-based control and entertainment systems, today announced plans to integrate Rhapsody®, the official digital music service of RealNetworks and MTV Networks, into the full line of Control4 Smart Home Automation Systems. In a first for home automation systems, Control4 customers will enjoy unlimited access to millions of songs from Rhapsody’s digital music service via Control4’s touch screens, keypads and any television. During the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show, visitors to the Control4 booth (#21407) or RealNetworks booth (#36200) can preview the Control4/Rhapsody integration. “Rhapsody gives consumers the freedom to create a truly personalized home music experience through instant access to over four and a half million songs,” said Rob Williams, SVP music software, RealNetworks. “We are thrilled to be working with Control4 to, for the first time, offer consumers the Rhapsody music experience as part of a complete smart home automation system.” Control4’s intuitive Navigator software extends Rhapsody’s vast music selection beyond the PC and gives consumers the freedom to access their personal library of playlists and albums in any room of their home. The Rhapsody/Control4 integration also gives music fans the ability to play back music from Rhapsody’s robust 4.5 million song catalog, enjoy Rhapsody’s professional programmed music channels and discover new music through personalized music recommendations. The extension of Rhapsody’s music experience to Control4’s hardware is made possible by Rhapsody DNA, a platform of technologies that enables seamless integration of Rhapsody into a broad range of consumer electronics devices. “Integrating Rhapsody into our system adds an important new dimension to Control4’s whole-home automation and entertainment experience,” said Will West, CEO at Control4. “We’ve been successful by meeting the growing desire of homeowners to access multiple media forms through a single simple interface. Working with RealNetworks on this first-of-its-kind, ground breaking digital home initiative has been a fantastic opportunity for our company and the entire home automation category.” As part of the launch of the Rhapsody/Control4 integration, Control4 users will have access to an automatic free 30-day trial of Rhapsody. Consumers can choose to continue their Rhapsody service beyond the trial period for $12.99 per month. Current Rhapsody subscribers can access their existing Rhapsody music libraries (including artists, albums, playlists and channels) at no extra charge. Control4 home automation systems are available through Control4 certified dealers. To locate a dealer or for more information about the systems, visit www.control4.com. |