WebTV Browser Specifications

The new WebTV Plus has addressed a lot of the complaints of users of its earlier version coming up with a beefed up, versatile browser.

• Patent-pending caching downloads

HTML documents sent from the WebTV proxy to the Internet terminal are compressed. This improves the transmission time for HTML documents by50-80%.

• Thin-client operating system with optimized access to WebTV and Internet servers
  
• Compatible with HTTP, MIME, HTML 3.2 and all Netscape Navigator 4.0 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0-J extensions; produces high-quality TVimages from virtually all Web pages.
  
• Secure multimedia email with graphics and sound capability
  
• Flash ROM auto-update keeps the WebTV Browser current with latest HTML extensions and plug-ins.
  
• Automatic URL completion
  
• European font compatibility (including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, etc.)
  
• Anti-Flicker is one of WebTV's key technologies.

WebTV uses TV lens(tm) technology. Patent-pending TV lens(tm) image enhancement technology eliminates interlace flicker without blurring, while perceptually enhancing image detail. In addition, the WebTV Networks custom ASIC, Solo, provides advanced graphics, video effects, and image enhancement for the WebTV Plus Receiver.

Solo includes the following capabilities:

• On-the-fly decompression, 3-D transformation, and compositing ofcompressed images and multiple simultaneous live video feeds withantialiasing and translucency.
  
• Enhanced graphics mode to generate extremely complex screens, suchas those found in video games.
  
• 10:1 on-the-fly image decompression engine provides for efficient useof system memory
  
• Anti-aliasing for smooth text and graphics
  
• Translucency capabilities for graphic overlays (full 8-bit alphachannel).
  
• On-chip flicker elimination for NTSC or PAL interlaced displays.
  
• Integrated I/O including: SmartCard, infrared, parallel port, and system memory interfaces.

Comments or suggestions?
Contact cjmaster@cjmag.co.jp