Attention all MSN TV users out there, Microsoft is shutting down the service which allows users to access the internet via their televisions starting from September 30.
Microsoft made the announcement in an e-mail to subscribers and an FAQ posted to its Web site. WebTV.
"The web has continued to evolve at a breathtaking pace, and there are many new ways to access the internet," an FAQ on the termination on the MSN TV website reads.
In a bid to make the transition easier, Microsoft is offering current subscribers free access to MSN Premium through December 31st. After that, customers will have to pay the standard rate of $10 per month or $90 per year.
MSN TV led the way when it was first released as WebTV by Steve Perlman in 1996. It was purchased by Microsoft a year later and rebranded MSN TV in 2001. However, the market has been experiencing increased competition, particularly from Apple which is currently revamping their own Apple TV set-top box offerings.
Apple is reportedly near a deal with Time Warner Cable that would bring new a significant influx of new channels to the computer maker's set-top box, Apple TV, for subscribers of the cable television service. Last month, Apple TV lassoed Time Warner Inc.'s HBO GO and Disney's WatchESPN apps.
