December 21st, 2005
Should You Buy MSN TV2 for the Newbie in Your Life? A Hands-On Review
By Alice Hill
RealTechNews
Note: Before you write and tell me that this product is so 2004, keep in mind 2 things. Microsoft re-vamped the platform again in early fall of 2005 and it is the holiday season when people give and get these types of gifts, or think about it. The question on the table is whether or not to advise anyone to take the Internet via TV plunge again now that broadband and photos and other enhancements are in play. Let’s find out! –Alice
Microsoft MSN TV2 - WebTv Revisited (Again..and Again)
The world may use email, but there are still a few stubborn holdouts who just will not embrace the PC, period. Case in point: my father. Even though he worked on mainframes, literally designed rockets and reactors, and even recalls the first Xerox machines that for some reason could not copy blue ink, he just will not step up to the PC plate. When I show him Google and we do some beyond-obscure searches, he glows and reacts like a small child who just got keys to the toy store, but that has never once prompted him to browse alone. Ever. (Am I adopted?!)
When Microsoft called and asked me to test out the re- re-vamped MSN TV2 and suggested I look at it with a newbie user in mind, let’s just say I knew just the person. But in addition to Dad, there’s my mother who loves the PC, even though she struggles when the system freezes or the printer is out of paper, and little things that should not be an issue for a retired Army Corps of Engineers civil engineer who worked on CAD applications, but there you have it – the perfect Petri dish for some targeted product testing. (Seriously, am I adopted?)
First The Bad News
I usually leave the bad news for last, but in this case, the bad news is what hits you first – setup. Microsoft did an incredible job packaging the documentation – with soft colors and rounded corners and larger print. The unit was approachable and nothing to be frightened by. But connecting the unit to the nearby router – a simple plug and play operation that prompted four or five classic Microsoft security certificate message windows - also required a complete restart and a software upgrade. I almost gave up when I tried it one last time, and the unit did indeed find the router and began setting itself up. Let’s just say my parents would have left the building on the setup we encountered.
Once up and running, I found the main screen a bit too busy for people who normally watch TV. There is the lower bar that has icons for mail and chatting and pictures and weather, but the middle section with news clips and video links was just too much. If the main screen had a giant email envelope on it and then all the rest relegated to the bottom, we’d be in business a lot sooner, but the clutter and jumble left everyone rather perplexed.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the next phase in this product life – email. Once my mother got her hands on the email app and mastered the very ergonomic and comfortable wireless keyboard, she was off to the races. My father even responded by asking why he did not have an email address and soon the unit was configured for two users. Switching between the two was only done by shutting the unit off (for my parents anyway… I won’t say it) but they loved reading email on the screen, re-sizing the fonts to a larger size that could be viewed from the couch and the animated icon of the letter flying away made them feel happy each time they sent an email. That sounds dumb, but those little touches are also what makes something connect with users, like the little TiVo character.
Web browsing was not bad once I set up and bookmarked a few favorites like the uncluttered Google screen. RealTechNews looked pretty awful in the MSN TV2 browser, but once you got used to sizing and resizing fonts, the browser was usable although very slow for a high speed connection. I cannot even imagine what it would be like on dial up.
Bottom line: at $199 and between $10 and $21.95 a month, this is somewhat cheaper than a PC or possibly a nice add on for people who already have high speed connections and want to email and surf from their couches. But PCs are not as pricey as they used to be. And like most UIs, getting used to navigating the system is easy once you get the hang of it, but there is still a learning curve on MSN TV much like anything else, despite the nice icons and colors. True, you don’t have to know how Windows works and can get through some basics with close to zero computer skills, but to get the most out of this system, it helps to have a basic knowledge of computing. In fact, this new system may be different enough to confuse people who have figured out basic PC survival skills - a remote is just not like a mouse for better or worse.
Highpoints were watching the email work its magic and basic Web browsing. The video clips were unwatchable – too slow for people used to channel surfing and too unnecessary for people who can watch real TV but want to be on the Internet. In the end, I’d say that for basic email this may be a lifeline to someone without a PC, and to a household that has all the bells and whistles, this is an add on that novicse may enjoy, and advanced couch potatoes may sneak onto when they get too lazy to leave the room and do some real computing.
So…the real question. Should you buy one? I would say, for $99 one time (maybe $150) and the chance to use my exisiting broadband connection, I could see adding this for a little change of pace. And for the person with no PC skills and no hope of buying a computer, this gets them at the table at least– assuming they want to be there. But for that group in between, this is just too pricey and tad too slow to add up.
More on MSNTV2 Here
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About the Pricing From Microsoft’s website
Broadband Service with your ISP $9.95/month
Use your existing broadband connection at home. You can connect to the MSN® TV service via high-speed cable or DSL service by setting up a home network to share your broadband connection between a PC and MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player. You’ll enjoy fast access to hundreds of Windows Media®-compatible video clips updated daily, MSN® Encarta® Premium for TV, 200 commercial-free radio stations, 11 e-mail accounts, 2 gigabytes of storage (primary account), automatic service updates and much more right on your TV.
Discounted Broadband Service* $99.95/year
Pay one low annual fee up front and save more than $19 annually compared to the equivalent monthly payment plan. You can connect to the MSN TV service using your existing broadband service by setting up a home network. You’ll enjoy fast access to hundreds of Windows Media®-compatible video clips updated daily, MSN® Encarta® Premium for TV, 200 commercial-free radio stations, 11 e-mail accounts, 2 gigabytes of storage (primary account), automatic service updates and much more—right on your TV.
Dial-up Access Plan $21.95/month
Get unlimited hours to access the Web, your e-mail and other features of the MSN TV service for one low monthly price using your phone line.
Discounted Dial-up Access Plan $199.95/year
Pay one low price up front and save more than $60 annually compared to the equivalent monthly payment plan! Use your phone line to get unlimited hours to access the Web, your e-mail and other features of the MSN TV service for one low monthly price.
Dial-up Service with Your ISP $9.95/month
Use this plan if you already have an existing dial-up connection or if you live in an area that requires a toll call to MSN TV. This fee is in addition to any fees for access you may have with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Discounted Dial-up ISP Service $99.95/year
Pay one low annual fee up front and save more than $19 annually compared to the equivalent monthly payment plan. Use this plan if you already have an existing dial-up connection or if you live in an area that requires a toll call to MSN TV. This fee is in addition to any fees for access you may have with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Dial-up Access Hourly Plan $9.95/month for 5 hours, $0.05/additional minute
Your first 5 hours of use are included in the $9.95 monthly fee; all access time in excess of 5 hours will be charged to you at the rate of $0.05 per minute.
Bill King says:
Re Note:
I’ve got a simple phrase for the people who’ve been nasty recently prompting said note: “If you don’t like it, don’t read it”. Add to that “If you’ve got nothing nice to say to a lady, don’t say anything at all”.
*chuckles* You tell them
My $0.02: I enjoy this articles that aren’t breaking “OMG!1!” news, I read enough on slashdot or digg or fark or… for that. I come here for the lighter side of the tech news, so keep up the good work.
December 21st, 2005 at 8:12 pm
Distant_guy says:
Bill, it sounds like you fall for the black and white arguments like “if you’re not with us, you’re against us.” It’s ridiculous (sp?) to tell loyal readers to not say anything negative. Would it be better for us to just abandon the blog? No, negative comments can help a blogger refine his/her writing so the established audience doesn’t leave.
Notice, nobody has commented on the actual question posed about the msn tv. Know why? ‘Cause it’s a boring topic.
I think I remember aliceandbill.com having more interesting topics and articles.
December 21st, 2005 at 8:54 pm
Bill King says:
Actually, not correct, negative comments are just that, negative comments, constructive criticism on the other hand, and if I thought solely in black and white I wouldn’t truly be a programmer (i’d be a code jockey), but that’s a whole other argument. Criticism doesn’t necessarily have to preclude courtesy, which it seems to in the previous comments to posts that I’ve seen.
December 21st, 2005 at 8:59 pm
ed3 says:
Very nice review. Helpful for those of us in the same situation (parents/grandparents who want to participate in the wired world, but figure they do not have enough time to learn a PC). Just wish there were more robust Internet appliances to choose from. Seems WebTV/MSN TV have been the only ones to successfully pull it off.
I’m wondering how this would compare to AMD’s Personal Internet Communicator?? Only $189 (after rebate) at Radio Shack and one is not forced to use a particular ISP…
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2146448&cp=&pg=2&y=9&kw=amd&x=13&s=A-StorePrice-RSK&parentPage=search
One disadvantage I can spot right off the bat is the PIC is designed to work with a standard PC monitor, keyboard, and mouse (none included). Small wireless keyboard/mouse (another $30) would solve input problem. Some additional adaptation would be needed to connect it to a TV. Oh, and it only has an ethernet connection. Would need a USB modem to use it with dialup (another $30). Already two strikes and we’ve not even gotten into the onboard software yet… Ahwell…
December 22nd, 2005 at 5:47 am
ed3 says:
PS - Best Buy has MSN TV2 for $99 after $100 mail in rebate. During the after Thanksgiving sales various stores were selling them for $50 after rebates. Might want to check again during the after Xmas sales.
December 22nd, 2005 at 5:51 am
Alice says:
Bill King - you are a gentleman!
December 22nd, 2005 at 9:23 am
A.doyle says:
Well this mainly for certain individuals who can’t afford a media center from MS,Dell,or gateway with the already built-in award winning Windows XP media center 2005 edition. Then again if you go to sam’s club for $600.
December 23rd, 2005 at 7:28 am
Alice says:
I really think it is meant for someone who is TV centric (hence the included remote) and just wants to email people without having a separate PC. The email and being by the TV part was really a hit with my parents and it was easy to set up email groups and so on. The wireless keyboard is also really nice. But the price needs to come down (especially for retiress on a fixed income)and I don’t think Microsoft can make it resonate if the price is too high. I would kill all the video and so on and just make a nice email and chat client, throw in the browser and then charge a flat fee, but then again, that’s just not enough $$$ to make it a vaiable product line. Hell, throw in some ads like hotmail and make the thing free.
December 23rd, 2005 at 8:39 am
Erin Findlay says:
What a well written and amazing article. Alice Hill should be asked to review every new gadget in the world. And what great parents she has…willing to be guinea pigs for all her experiments.
Anyway, sign me up for this new product, as soon as it hits $99 or less.
December 24th, 2005 at 6:42 pm
rich says:
Do not buy this, I have owned the msntv2 unit for afew years now and have had nothing but trouble.
January 12th, 2006 at 10:57 pm
Alice says:
Rich - more details. Tell us what happened.
January 12th, 2006 at 11:43 pm
LFL says:
I bought MSNTV2 for my elderly mother who lives in an attached apartment last Christmas and chose the $99 annual subscription since we already had DSL and ethernet jacks in each room. The MSNTV2 box had a $100 rebate and ended up costing $71 after rebate. She’s had it 9 months now and actually uses it. She reads and sends emails and does a little web browsing. I believe she plays music somewhat regularly too. All in all, I think it’s an ideal solution for those who are afraid of a PC (malware, security) or just can’t learn how to use one.
September 13th, 2006 at 5:40 pm
Pat says:
I purchased one for my mother who has had the sony plus for 10 yrs. The MSN tv2 is nothing but problems, can’t reply or send new email. It did not transfer favorite file folders.
Now you can’t stop it from scrolling. Also, cannot get any
help from MSN.
April 1st, 2007 at 6:18 pm
yogie says:
after leaving the first black box behind ( i shouldt have done that in the first place - BIG MISTAKE - ) i got a msn 2 . VERY DISSSSAAPPOINTED . SLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOW as hell . had a lot of problems and after 6 month i quitt AND RUN OVER WITH A 500 TON HAULTRUCK FROM A MINE WHERE I WORK . now im happier then ever AND i can use the machine for a tirestop . i wouldnt recomend this useless unite msn 2 TO NOBODY . YOGIE
April 17th, 2007 at 5:10 am
Helen says:
I want to get on eBay but can’t with my old Philips webtv. I’m 85 and have macular degeneration. I love my web and would like to buy and sell on eBay. What to do??
May 23rd, 2007 at 7:00 am
Mary Basombrio says:
My brother gave me a MSNTV2 two years ago. I also bought another in case I felt like giving one to someone who was isolated & not at all a PC person as myself. (I am am am ignorant folk as well. I ,not the keyboard, did mine in …sad. So now I have two media players. Any idea where to pick up just a keyboard, MY Friend is truly isolated, posibbly teminally ill. Along with seizure activity, little contact with the outside, no stimulation from surfing or just researching, I do worry . Any suggestions. Dumb question,eh. PLEASE lf you have a ny ideas …mbfreedom1@msn.com —-Mary .
June 10th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Randy Bowery says:
I just got my msn tv2 and looking to network it with my computer and dsl. So far I am not impressed, had a top of the line Sony, web tv, can’t watch tv while brousing the internet, but also no background music!
I cannot excess anymore web sites than before!
Only plus, hopefully after I network, it will be faster, and fee cheaper!
July 5th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
tom howley says:
Had an MSNTV Sony for years generally satisfied, fell for advertising bought MSNTV 2. HUGE mistake continuing various trouble. RCA unit inferior to Sony. absolutely no help fromMSNTV customer support, canned help responses do not work.
July 28th, 2007 at 3:00 am
Patsy says:
You people are scaring the daylights out of me. I just purchased a MSNTV 2. Called to get it connected. Lousy phone call but was told I could not transfer any accounts from my RCA WEBTV unit to the new one.
So now..am I stuck with a unit I can not use or stick with my old RCA and forget all else. PLEASE let me know by email as I may never be able to get back here. Am too old to play the “maybe” games.
Thanks,
Patsy.
August 28th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
chris says:
I have had webtv and msntv2 for last 6 years,
As I explained to the order takers at the MSN help number many times I want to point and click and want operational impeccability which this system does not have. It handles the mundane okay but when you go to a website and move around it pages do not load and have to be reloaded,and my system crashes every 20 minutes
.They have effectively redered my high speed internet access that i pay $45 a month for into a telephone hook up.
When i got the system i wanted to avoid the operational problems of a computer but now i might have to get one anyway.
The microsoft people do not understand the power of msn tv to do an end around on computer systems.but it will never happen unless it operates IMPECCABILLY
Another pleaant surprise was my printer which was compatible with WEBTV is now not compatible with MSNTV 2
.
The motto for Microsoft should be WE LOVE YOU WHEN YOUR MAD!!!!
MSNTV 2 is an embrassesment to the microsoft corp.
September 2nd, 2007 at 11:44 pm
john e olson says:
without a doubt msntv is a piece of junk made by rca that keeps the company busy making repairs . true to form the repair co. is incompetent to.
December 1st, 2007 at 7:35 pm
john e olson says:
without a doubt msntv is a piece of junk made by rca that keeps the company busy making repairs . true to form the repair co. is incompetent to.
December 1st, 2007 at 7:35 pm
David A Nemeth says:
Some people say they love the thing. What’s the deal? Sounds like there are good ones and bad ones to me. Some kind of product defect or something. Kind of like a lemon car. Now I’m getting aprehensive about getting one, if RCA doesn’t want to step up to the plate and replace the ones that don’t work properly. Didn’t have that problem with my magnavox unit when it didn’t work. They just sent me a new one, no charge.
January 24th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
jake says:
this thing is kinda cool
but even with the cable i still cant look at vidios or anything ud wanna go on the internet for except google mine crashes like 50 times a day and i have to unplug it and restart it again… no help from them no nothing whats the fuckin problem rich fucks that dont give a dam while we spend are money they scred up on this model and they need to make a 3rd one and give evryone thats ever bought a webtv one for free I seriously wanted to break evrything before cause of this thing thanks ahha
February 15th, 2008 at 12:06 am
John Butler says:
HI, I don’t know if you can help, but I SURE HOPE SO. I’m trying to find someone who has msntv2 and sells on ebay. I’ve listed before, but not with pics. I’ve joined a image host and still can get no pics on my listing. Do you know a person or a web site that I can talk to and –just maybe. ANY help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks VERY much,John
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:26 pm