The company WebTV network, Inc. in the middle of the 90's offered an unlimited entrance to the Internet against a monthly fee of scarcely 20 dollar.

Five mailboxes for the E-Mail accounts of the relatives were contained in the basic charges. A condition was on the one hand a special set top box, which by Sony (Sony INT-W100 Sony Internet terminal) and Philips (Magnavox) was offered, on the other hand a conventional television; the Sony box cost scarcely 350 dollar, lay thus concerning the price in the order of magnitude of a favorable video recorder; the monthly WebTV fees moved likewise in the context of the typical video bar budget.

For US-American conditions monthly ISP costs of nearly 20 dollar of an Internet entrance were however very high by modem, since Flatrates were far common there.

The enterprise was taken over 1997 by Microsoft. Microsoft counted according to own statements () in the years between 1997 and 1999 on a billion US Dollar loss by the commitment within the ranges Internet and intelligence services. This strategy adds itself into the commitment of Microsoft within the range of multi-median oh impact works for the Home range (starting from 1994/1995), the structure of the own on-line service Microsoft network (MSN, starting from 1995), the assumption of numerous picture agencies (starting from 1996; see Corbis) as well as co-operation with NBC and the Second Channel of German Television smoothly.

Technology

The set top box contains a V.34bis-Modem, a CCU and a sound map; WebTV is served over a wireless remote maintenance; a likewise wireless keyboard is optionally available; the fees are completed over an ISO smart card.

The set top box has an integrated Web Browser, which supports the common Internet standards such as HTTP, MIME and HTML; beside the Surfen in the Web a E-Mail function is intended.

Target group

WebTV focused the typical passive viewer, who has neither computer knowledge, still technical understanding as a target group; WebTV became as simple and "“reliable"” complete solution angepriesen; from the advertisement for WebTV: "“You're surfing the Web with A remote control into one hand and A handful OF cheese puffs into the OTHER. Now that's progresses"” (from an advertisement in Wired 12 (1996): P. 210 f.). At the same time however also one states: "“WebTV. It isn't the idiot box anymore"” (a.a.O.).

Competitor

Comparable products presented end of the 90's the companies Samsung, Sony and Dual Technology; with the dual Mediabox of dual Technology concerns it as with WebTV an TV-accessory equipment, which connects the television with the ISDN telephone network. Samsung developed a new line of Internet-suited televisions with inserted modem together with the company Diba.

See also

• Multimedia
• Interactive television
• Streaming Media

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