Best Buy and Avnera Unveil Rocketboost Wireless Audio Technology that Enables Products to Operate Across Categories and Brands

Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) and Avnera™ Corporation today announced a broad initiative to deliver "wired-quality” wireless whole-home audio across multiple devices and brands. Best Buy’s Rocketboost™ wireless audio technology, developed with Avnera, delivers breakthrough wireless audio that is designed to enable uncompressed HD-quality audio streaming throughout the home without the need for expensive and unsightly wiring. Rocketboost wireless technology brings to the consumer for the first time a true multipoint-to-multipoint wireless audio solution that is not only extremely easy to set up but also offers high-quality sound at an affordable price. It is currently available exclusively at Best Buy retail stores nationwide and online at www.bestbuy.com under the Rocketfish™ label, a Best Buy Exclusive Brand, but will also be available from top-tier manufacturers in 2010.

"As the leading electronics retailer in the world, we believe it is our responsibility to bring to market the solutions customers want,” said Fernando Silva, vice president of Best Buy Exclusive Brands. "Rocketboost wireless technology was developed as a result of the customer insights we gained from our first generation of Rocketfish wireless audio products. Consumers are interested in streaming music from any audio device throughout their home from a variety of sources such as an MP3 player or PC to any audio device, regardless of the manufacturer. Customers will now be able to buy audio products that inter-operate across categories and brands.”

Products featuring the Rocketboost logo are powered by Avnera’s AudioMagic™ 2G technology, also announced today (see news release: Avnera Announces AudioMagic 2G - the World’s First Multipoint to Multipoint HD Wireless Audio Platform). AudioMagic 2G is the world’s first and only solution for multipoint to multipoint HD wireless whole-home audio, enabling consumer electronics manufacturers to support multiple simultaneous streams of uncompressed HD-quality audio in any wireless send/receive combination. AudioMagic 2G is built on the foundation of the first generation of AudioMagic technology, so it offers the same "wired quality” audio sound without drop-outs or interference.

"Networking a home to stream audio is a significant pain point for consumers,” said Manpreet Khaira, CEO, Avnera. "Rocketboost wireless audio, the result of a three-year partnership between Best Buy and Avnera, incorporates the many significant technology breakthroughs we’ve made in developing next-generation wireless audio chips. Our technology is easy to set up, offers high-quality audio and is a true multipoint-to-multipoint solution, making for a great consumer experience.”

True Multipoint-to-Multipoint

Rocketboost-enabled products can support up to five simultaneous stereo audio streams that can be received and played on up to nine independent receivers. Any Rocketboost-wireless audio receiver can receive audio from any Rocketboost-enabled sender. Users can quickly switch between streams with a single press of a button.

Wired-Quality Audio Without the Wires

Rocketboost wireless audio products support HD-quality audio without wires. The wireless signal from a Rocketboost-branded transmitter is uncompressed and can transmit 24 bit, 96 KHz digital audio, which supports CD- and HD- audio signals such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Additionally, Rocketboost wireless audio products operate in the 2.4GHz band and are designed to work without interference with other 2.4GHz devices such as wireless routers, cordless phones and microwave ovens.

Easy Setup, Easy to Use

Unlike most wireless home audio equipment on the market today, any and all devices bearing the Rocketboost logo are inter-operable and can be supported on a single Rocketboost wireless audio network within a home, whether each piece of equipment is made by the same or different manufacturers. A Rocketboost wireless audio network requires very little setup, simply press two "pairing” buttons and the network is ready to go. The system is even easier to use. Up to nine Rocketboost-branded receivers can simultaneously work with up to five Rocketboost wireless audio broadcasting devices by simply selecting the next source.

Rocketboost Products Now Available

Four Rocketboost products from Rocketfish are currently available at all Best Buy retail locations and at bestbuy.com. Each product delivers on the promise of a new standard of quality, value, interoperability and functionality in wireless audio.

• Rocketfish Wireless HD Audio Starter Kit – The Rocketfish Wireless HD Audio Starter Kit features Rocketboost wireless audio technology for wireless connectivity between a transmitter, which is connected to the home theater system, and a rear channel amplifier, connected to the rear speakers. The kit enables 5.1 and 7.1 wireless surround sound configurations, as well as multizone, whole-home wireless audio distribution. $199.99
• Rocketfish Wireless Sender/Receiver – The Rocketfish Wireless Sender/Receiver transmits audio wirelessly from any 3.5mm or stereo RCA audio device, allowing wireless audio streaming throughout a home. The sender/receiver features Rocketboost wireless audio technology for crisp, low-interference sound. $59.99
• Rocketfish Wireless Outdoor Speaker with Wireless Sender/Receiver – The Rocketfish Wireless Outdoor Speaker is a weather-resistant wireless speaker that makes it easy to equip a home theater or audio component system with crystal-clear Rocketboost wireless audio outdoors. $179.99
• Rocketfish Wireless Amplified Audio Receiver – The Rocketfish Wireless Amplified Audio Receiver is ideal for connecting to and powering traditional home theater speakers. It features two stereo L/R speaker outputs for easy connection and Rocketboost wireless audio technology for bright, low-interference, HD audio-compatible sound. $99.99

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China and Mexico, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $45 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy, Audiovisions, The Carphone Warehouse, Future Shop, Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star, Magnolia Audio Video, Napster, Pacific Sales, The Phone House, and Speakeasy. Approximately 155,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in its communities. Community partnership is central to the way business is done at Best Buy. In fiscal 2009, Best Buy donated a combined $33.4 million to improve the vitality of the communities where its employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com.

About Rocketfish

Designed to provide customers with enhanced connectivity to people, products and content, Rocketfish delivers simple solutions to consumers’ increasingly complex digital needs. The Rocketfish product line includes cables, audio products, and mobile, gaming and computer accessories. In October 2009, Rocketfish launched a new line of audio products with Rocketboost™ wireless audio technology. Rocketfish products are available at Best Buy, and online at www.bestbuy.com. Become a Fan at www.facebook.com/rocketfishproducts.

About Avnera Corporation

Avnera is a venture-backed fabless semiconductor company based in Beaverton, Oregon that has pioneered Analog Systems-on-Chip (ASoC) technology for wireless audio consumer electronics. The company’s ASoC, which delivers "wired-quality” wireless high-fidelity audio, incorporates the highest level of system integration, enabling very fast time to market. Avnera is funded by Altien Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Best Buy, DAG Ventures, Intel Capital, JAFCO Ventures, Panasonic Venture Group, Polycom and Redpoint Ventures. More information is available at www.avnera.com.