RIP, WebTV: Microsoft to shut down MSN TV on Sept. 30 (2024)

FAQs

Why did Microsoft WebTV fail? ›

"WebTV achieves a very high level of usability given its design constraints," Nielsen wrote in 1997. "Unfortunately, the constraints are so severe that even this great design ultimately fails to provide an optimal Web user experience."

The WebTV/MSN TV service lasted for 18 years, shutting down on September 30, 2013, and allowing subscribers to migrate their data well before that date arrived.

The device design and service was developed by WebTV Networks, Inc., a company started in 1995. The WebTV product was announced in July 1996 and later released on September 18, 1996.

Support for Windows 8.1 is discontinued, but the software will continue to function. However, after January 10, 2023, your computer running Windows 8.1 will no longer receive security updates. In addition, Microsoft customer service will no longer be available to provide Windows 8.1 technical support.

(MicroSoft Network TV) A pioneer Internet TV service and set-top box from Microsoft. Developed in 1996 by WebTV and acquired by Microsoft in 1997, it was rebranded MSN TV in 2001.

Origins. The oldest broadcasting network in the United States, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) came into being on November 15, 1926, with a gala four-hour radio program originating from the ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

HBO was the first true premium cable (or "pay-cable") network as well as the first television network intended for cable distribution on a regional or national basis; however, there were notable precursors to premium cable in the pay-television industry that operated during the 1950s and 1960s (with a few systems ...

In 1928, WRGB (then W2XCW) was started as the world's first television station. It broadcast from the General Electric facility in Schenectady, New York. It was popularly known as "WGY Television".

You can get free HD content, including sports, news, dramas and comedies, just about everywhere in the US. ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS and more are broadcasting their shows right now, and all you need to get them is an antenna and maybe a separate, inexpensive, tuner.

Who bought WebTV? ›

The WebTV kit (box, keyboard, remote) browsed the web and checked email without requiring a lot of extra and expensive hardware, and in April of 1997 Microsoft bought the company in order to integrate it with Windows CE and take over living rooms across America.

W3XK was the first commercially licensed television station in the US, owned by inventor Charles Francis Jenkins. The company broadcast just outside Washington, D.C., and continued to air “radio movies” to the general public five nights a week until 1932.

History. The first and oldest major broadcast network in the United States, NBC was founded in 1926 by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), then owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation, and United Fruit Company.

If you continue to use an unsupported version of Windows, your PC will still work, but it will become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Your PC will continue to start and run, but you will no longer receive software updates, including security updates, from Microsoft.

The end-of-support date—Jan. 10, 2023—means Microsoft will no longer supply security patches or technical support to the operating system, leaving those still running the aging OS vulnerable to potential security threats. Also today, Microsoft is ending support for enterprise users on Windows 7.

Promo Protect all your devices, without slowing them down. Microsoft will retire the Windows 10 operating system on October 10, 2025. It's the first time the company puts an expiration date on its current operating system, paving the way for its successor, Windows 11.

What happened with msn Messenger? Msn Messenger was not able to survive so many changes and lost users quickly, until Microsoft decided to replace it with Skype, announcing its final closure on October 31, 2014 (it's time for Msn Messenger fans to cry).

What TV channels no longer exist? ›

In the United States, for most of the history of broadcasting, there were only three or four major commercial national terrestrial networks. From 1946 to 1956, these were ABC, CBS, NBC and DuMont (though the Paramount Television Network had some limited success during these years).

The world's first regular television service was launched by the BBC in November 1936. The Marconi-EMI 405-line "high definition" service transmitted around four hours of programmes each day from Alexandra Palace, available only to owners of sets in the London area.

Basic Cable in 1990: $18.50. 1991: $19. April. 1, 1992: $19.95.

Television's first drama,The Queen's Messenger, is broadcast from Schenectady, New York station WGY on September 11, 1928. Russian-born, American scientist Vladimir Zworykin demonstrates the first practical electronic system for both the transmission and reception of images in 1929.

Originally called “community antenna television,” cable TV had been around almost as long as television itself. In its early days, it had been available almost exclusively in communities in which geographic conditions made television reception difficult.

September 23, 1962..."The Jetsons" Debuts As First Color For ABC - Eyes Of A Generation...

At the 1939 World's Fair, RCA laboratories–now a part of SRI International–introduced the all-electronic television system. The invention of the television created an industry that forever changed the world. By 1953, RCA devised the first complete electronic color TV system.

On June 1, 1980, CNN (Cable News Network), the world's first 24-hour television news network, makes its debut.

Over-the-Air TV. Over-the-air (OTA) TV is a great way to catch your local channels without spending the big bucks for cable. OTA TV offers high-definition television broadcasts from your local television stations. All you need to start is a TV and a digital antenna.

What is the cheapest way to watch TV without cable? ›

The cheapest live TV services for cord-cutting are the free ones: Pluto TV, Xumo, and Local Now. There are paid ones that cost very little, like Philo, Frndly TV, and Sling (especially the individual Blue or Orange plans).

Best Free TV Streaming Services: Tubi, Sling Freestream, Pluto TV and More. Tubi and Pluto are among the top choices if you need a break from Netflix, HBO Max and others. Kourtnee covers TV streaming services and home entertainment news and reviews at CNET.

ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and The CW are available in all major US cities. Various other networks including independent, international and faith based channels are also available but differ by city.

A year before the launch of Windows 8, then-Windows boss Steven Sinofsky justified the decision to leave out Media Center by citing economics and low usage. Today, usage of Windows Media Center is "infinitesimal," as measured by Microsoft's automatic telemetry.

The strategy worked: Microsoft succeeded in exterminating Netscape, but in the process also nearly destroyed itself, because the campaign triggered an antitrust (unfair competition) suit which looked like breaking up the company, only to founder at the last moment.

There has been no secret about why Media Center was dropped. It's a simple question of demographics and cost. Microsoft sees the user base as vanishingly small and the costs of maintaining the program correspondingly high. It's no longer a profitable proposition.

Incremental improvements to Internet Explorer couldn't match the general improvements to the web at large, so we started fresh. Microsoft Edge is a faster, more secure and modern browser—the best browser for Windows—designed for today's internet.

Is Office going away entirely? No, as part of Microsoft 365 you will continue to get access to apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. We will also continue to offer one-time purchases of those apps to consumers and businesses via Office 2021 and Office LTSC plans.

Are there any Microsoft stores left? ›

All Microsoft Store locations are closed, but you can still access virtual workshops, trainings, and products at microsoft.com, or contact us for help.

Microsoft Sued by Gamers Over $69 Billion Activision Deal (2) Activision Blizzard Inc.

In 1998, Netscape started the open source Mozilla project, which eventually resulted in the Firefox Web browser. Netscape Communications is now part of America Online (AOL).

After 27 years, Microsoft is officially shutting down the Internet Explorer Browser this week. The browser's death is not a surprise nor is it especially inconvenient for a large majority of internet users in 2022. Microsoft started ringing the death knell for its old internet portal last year.

Microsoft was formally charged with constituting a market monopoly by making it difficult for users to install competing software and simultaneously making it difficult to uninstall the company's browser, Internet Explorer.

The simplest thing to do is to disable the widget area entirely. On Windows 11 you can do this by right-clicking the taskbar, then clicking Taskbar Settings. From here you can disable widgets. On Windows 10 you need to right-click the taskbar, then click News and interests > Turn off.

On June 7, 2000, the District Court ordered a breakup of Microsoft as its remedy. According to that judgment, Microsoft would have to be split into two separate units, one to produce the operating system and one to produce other software components.

Internet Explorer (IE) 11 is the last major version of Internet Explorer. On June 15, 2022, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application ended support on certain versions of Windows 10*. Customers are encouraged to move to Microsoft Edge, which provides support for legacy and modern websites and apps.

Please note that the Internet Explorer (IE) 11 desktop application ended support for certain operating systems on June 15, 2022. Customers are encouraged to move to Microsoft Edge with IE mode. IE mode enables backward compatibility and will be supported through at least 2029.

Microsoft is finally retiring the consumer version of Internet Explorer. It announced the plan last year, making Internet Explorer 11 its final version. Internet Explorer debuted on Windows desktop computers in 1995 and by 2004, had cornered 95% of the market.