Microsoft to shut down MSN TV on Sept. 30

Microsoft will shut down the MSN TV, the service that allows users to access the Internet and email on their televisions using a wireless keyboard.

The pioneering service, one of the first to offer Internet access via television sets, will shut down September 30, Microsoft revealed in an e-mail to subscribers and in an FAQ posted to its Web site. WebTV, which was founded by Web entrepreneur Steve Perlman in 1996, was acquired by Microsoft for $425 million in 1997.

"WebTV (later called MSN TV) started in 1996 with the goal to bring new people 'online' and to give those already online an easy, hassle-free means of accessing the internet from the comfort of their homes. Later, MSN TV 2 was released with vastly greater power and features. 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 30th, 2013. We are working with our customers to ensure the transition is as seamless as possible," Microsoft said.

MSN TV users will be able to continue to access their email through Microsoft's Outlook.com website and can transfer photos to the company's SkyDrive service.

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