Is WebTV still a thing? (2024)

What is WebTV explain how it works?

Web TV services enable a user to access the Web on a television set using a special remote control and a decoder that sits on top of the TV. Services are offered by various types of provider — e.g., TV broadcasters, satellite operators, and telecom operators.

Microsoft is pulling the plug on MSN TV, a service formerly known as WebTV, as Apple ramps up its set-top box efforts. The pioneering service, one of the first to offer Internet access via television sets, will shut down September 30, Microsoft revealed in an e-mail to subscribers and in an FAQ posted to its Web site.

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.

WebTV, now owned by Microsoft, was one of the first entries in the much publicized convergence of the World Wide Web with television. You buy a set-top box similar to a cable TV box, then sign up with the WebTV access service and browse Web pages using a WebTV's browser and a hand-held control.

Technology is advancing, and the lines between the two are starting to blur; many IPTV services now offer video on demand (VOD), and Netflix is looking into live broadcasts of its most popular shows.

REDMOND, Wash., and PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 1, 1997 — Microsoft Corp.

Getting started with WebTV [1998] - YouTube

A Web TV system typically incorporates Internet access, a Web browser, wired or wireless networking, a keyboard/keypad or mini-keyboard and a wireless control device such as a wireless mouse.

You can get rid of cable and still watch TV by using streaming apps, also called streaming channels. There are a few big streaming channels that most people have heard of, like Disney+, Netflix, and Hulu. But there are actually hundreds of streaming channels in 2021.

How can I stream live TV for free?

IPTV itself is legal, but not all IPTV services are. For example, legal IPTV services like Hulu, YouTube, and Sling abide by the correct copyright laws. With this, if a service provider doesn't hold the correct licenses for the content it provides, then it is considered illegal.

Some of the most popular verified IPTV apps include Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, Hotstar, YouTube TV, and more. Very often, you can also come across unregistered services when using IPTV.

IPTV Explained

To put this more simply – IPTV is the technical term for streaming video content via the Internet to your TV. Services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are examples of IPTV streaming services that you probably heard of and may already use.

As a major broadcasting industry conference kicks off in Las Vegas, Microsoft made a typical splash by announcing its US$425 million acquisition of WebTV Networks, the Palo Alto company that delivers the Net to ordinary TVs.

Peaco*ck Premium includes everything on the service and costs $5 per month unless you get your cable or internet via Comcast Xfinity or Cox. Ad-free Peaco*ck costs another $5 per month. Don't have Peaco*ck?

The best new thing of note is Roku has recently released The Roku Channel,which has hundreds of free movies.It is ad supported. And now Locast.org app gives you free local broadcast stations CBS,NBC,FOX,ABC and PBS.

YouTube TV Now Has More Than 5 Million Users, Topping Hulu's Live TV Service.