By Matthew Henry
SYDNEY: A three-month-long educational roadshow hosted by Philips and Discovery Networks Asia to demonstrate high definition TV to consumers throughout the Asia Pacific region will touch down in Sydney this weekend, with a technology showcase at Westfield Bondi Junction.
The Australian leg of the tour will begin this Friday at the shopping centre, located in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, and will be supported by Harvey Norman Bondi Junction which will offer a free Philips set top box, an extended five-year warranty and free delivery and installation with any Philips flat screen TV 32-inches and above.
The demonstration area will feature two booths showing high definition video content from the Discovery Channel, and a third booth where consumers will be able to experience the full audio and video capabilities of HDTV and learn more about the differences between standard and high definition.
Philips Consumer Electronics Australia general manager, Matthew Moran, said the Philips/Discovery showcase will be an excellent opportunity to generate consumer interest in high definition digital TV, and the products associated with it.
“There has been a lot of talk about HDTV but not enough education about what this means to the average viewer,” said Moran.
“It’s about creating a fully immersive experience for viewers and our proprietary technologies such as Ambilight, Pixel Plus, Digital Natural Motion and Clear LCD add to that experience. Partnering with Discovery Networks made sense to us because they have a long commitment of helping viewers better understand the world in which they live.”
The technology showcase began touring the Asia Pacific region in July, visiting key cities to give consumers a close-up view of high definition broadcasting and technology. The next destination will be Shanghai.
As part of the joint-campaign, Philips has committed to a 12-week programming block across Asia Pacific on the Discovery Channel, called Discovery Encore, which showcases the best of the Discovery Channel’s content.
“This campaign reinforces Discovery’s commitment to providing our audiences with the best viewing experience, both in terms of quality content and visual imagery,” said Discovery Networks Asia senior vice president – advertising sales, Mark Whitehead.
“Through campaigns such as this, we intend to maximise the potential of HD technology to bring audiences even closer to their world with breathtaking imagery and expansive detail.