Adding superior color printing capability to the latest trend in digital convergence in the living room, Canon Computer Systems Inc. (CCSI) announced that it will support WebTV Networks Inc. next generation WebTV Plus System unveiled Tuesday at a press conference in New York.

The new printer-ready WebTV Plus Receiver now has a parallel port that allows printers to be connected directly to the WebTV Plus Receiver.

The new WebTV Plus Network Service will offer its subscribers native drivers for Canon's Bubble Jet printer models including its BJC-210/240/250, BJC-4100/4200/4300, BJC-4550, BJC-610/620 and the portable BJC-80. Next generation WebTV Plus Receivers will be offered by Sony, Philips and Mitsubishi this fall. Canon's new line of Color Bubble Jet printers, ranging in estimated street price from $149* to $499*, are already available.

"Canon and WebTV Networks are a perfectly matched pair," said Peter Bergman, vice president of marketing and customer care for CCSI. "We've been leading Internet printing solutions since February with our unique WebRecord software, a Windows 95-based application that ships with our desktop Color Bubble Jet printers, and now we've been chosen by WebTV Networks as one of its premier printers for its ever-advancing TV-based Internet technology. Both companies are dedicated to enhancing customers' lives in the home with digital products -- from the input of WebTV Network to the output of Canon printers."

The WebTV Network, which was launched last fall, has conducted research which shows that up to 70 percent of its current subscribers expect to be able to print with the WebTV Plus System device, and 40 percent have actually requested the ability to print from the Web. The Canon printer drivers, developed by Canon Information Systems (CIS), the software arm of Canon, will be available and downloadable from the WebTV Plus Network service and compatible with the new WebTV Plus Receiver by Thanksgiving.

"WebTV Networks has raised the bar with market-first capabilities that enrich the television experience without sacrificing the reliability and high viewing quality demanded by customers," said Chip Herman, vice president of marketing, WebTV Networks.

"Canon will be instrumental in helping WebTV Network offer a feature very important to our customers -- printing. Our alliances with industry leading printer manufacturers such as Canon offer customers the highest print quality available, as well as superior customer service support."

WebTV is delivering entertaining new experiences and information to consumers through the integration of television programming and the Internet. Subscribers to the WebTV Plus Network service will have the ability to hook up a Canon printer via the parallel port on the WebTV Plus Receiver and then select the print function from an on-screen menu, controlled via a special WebTV remote control or an optional keyboard, and instantly print the Internet information they want.

About CCSI

Canon Computer Systems Inc. (CCSI) is an industry leader in Bubble Jet technology and printing solutions for the SOHOME (small office/home) market. Its Bubble Jet technology, which Canon created in 1973, has yielded more than 10,000 patents and millions of Bubble Jet printers shipped worldwide.

CCSI's unique WebRecord software, is an Internet printing utility that intelligently gathers and formats Web site information for easier, faster, more efficient printing from the Web.

WebRecord is an important element of Canon's innovative printer software strategy, Canon Creative, that ships with all of Canon's desktop Color Bubble Jet printers and MultiPASS Canon Convertible color printers.

CCSI is a subsidiary of both Canon USA (Lake Success, NY) and Canon Inc. (Tokyo). The company has headquarters in Costa Mesa and was founded in 1992 to market Canon-branded computer peripheral products in the United States, including Color Bubble Jet printers, the MultiPASS line of Canon Convertible printers, PowerShot digital cameras, Faxphone Bubble Jet facsimile machines, Canon Creative and WebRecord software.

Customers are reached via the mass market channel -- a network of computer dealers, superstores and mass merchants. For more information, customers can call 800/848-4123 or visit the CCSI Web site at www.ccsi.canon.com.

Canon, celebrating its 60-year anniversary, is recognized as the world's largest computer printer manufacturer, a leader in imaging technology and a top worldwide patent holder. As a global technology leader, Canon achieved $22 billion in worldwide sales in 1996.

*Prices are estimates only, and final pricing is determined by individual dealers.