Microsoft Unveils MSN TV 2

 Yesterday, Microsoft unveiled its next-generation MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player, a set-top box that displays on your television set Internet content such as the Web and email and digital media content from your networked home PCs. MSN TV 2 comes with a wireless keyboard and remote control and requires a subscription service to take advantage of its Internet-related functionality.
  
"The new MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player frees consumers from their home offices so that they can enjoy Web or PC-based photo slide shows, music, or videos with their families in their living rooms," Microsoft General Manager of MSN TV Sam Klepper said. "Our service is unique because it offers a vast array of entertainment, information, and communication services, yet it is easy to set up and use. It is the result of 8 years' experience developing and delivering interactive television services to consumers."
 
The new MSN TV service that powers the device lets families enjoy PC-based digital photos, music, and videos in the den and access a host of online content, including MSN Video, MSN Radio, MSN email, MSN Messenger, and Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 6.0-style Web browsing. The device is based on Windows CE .NET and features a 733MHz Celeron microprocessor, 128MB of RAM, and 64MB of flash memory. It includes two USB ports, a 56Kbps modem, an Ethernet port, and S-Video and composite video ports.
  
MSN TV is the successor to Web TV, which Microsoft purchased in 1997. Back then, the Web TV set-top box was designed for Internet newcomers and didn't include a keyboard or require a broadband connection. MSN TV 2 targets a more technically savvy group. The device costs about $200. MSN TV service plans start at $9.99 a month or $99 annually for users with broadband connections and $21.95 a month or $199.95 annually for dial-up users.