MSN TV is Closing in September

Those of you who have parents or grandparents who are currently using MSN TV 2 may have some family requested free tech support in your future. Microsoft has announced that MSN TV 2 will close, forever, as of September, 30, 2013. People who are using the MSN TV set-top box will not have to return it to Microsoft. In fact, they prefer you recycle it instead of attempting to return it to them (if you find you no longer have a use for it).

What is now called MSN TV 2 started out as WebTV back in 1996. It was intended to be a way for people who were not very internet savvy to have an easy way to get online. Why has Microsoft decided to end the MSN TV service? They put it this way:

…Since then, the web has continued to evolve at a breathtaking pace, and there are many new ways to access the internet. Accordingly, we have made the difficult decision to end the MSN TV service on September 30, 2013. We are working with our customers to ensure the transition is as seamless as possible.

The set-top box can still be used to access videos and music from a PC, for those who have a home network that uses broadband. It also will still have photo albums stored in it, which will remain viewable. Microsoft recommends that people save the photos that they care about before the service ends.