Microsoft adds MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player

Microsoft's MSN TV division has introduced its MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player, a broadband-enabled device designed to bring MSN content, PC-stored digital media and email to televisions.

It includes a wireless keyboard and remote control and has a recommended US retail price of $199.95 plus a monthly subscription fee that ranges from $9.95 to $21.95.

The unit is scheduled to arrive at major US consumer electronic retailers by mid-October.

The MSN TV 2 hardware runs an enhanced version of the MSN TV service designed to enable broadband households to play Windows Media-compatible music, video and photos on their televisions from the web or from shared files on their networked PCs.

Users can choose from news, sports and entertainment video clips updated daily and play them back on their TVs automatically.

The service also includes access to 200 commercial-free radio stations, a primary MSN email account with 2GB of storage, 10 secondary email accounts with 250MB of storage, and spam protection.

According to Microsoft, the MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player is a complete overhaul and replacement for its earlier MSN TV Internet receiver.

With an Intel 733MHz Celeron chip set, it includes 128MB of Ram and 64MB of flash memory. The device also has Ethernet port and two USB ports for accessories such as digital media card readers, wireless network adaptors and printers.

Based on the Windows CE operating system, MSN TV 2 comes preloaded with Windows Media Player for TV, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 and Windows Media Connect, a technology for sharing media across a home network.

"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," said Sam Klepper, general manager of MSN TV at Microsoft, in a statement.