MSN for TV Versus PCs This page was created to show the differences and simiarities between MSN for TV set-top boxes and personal computers regarding the building and viewing of web pages. I hope this will help both MSN for TV and PC users to create pages that are viewable to both genres and create a better understanding of the "little black box" that is the MSN for TV browser. What MSN for TV set-top boxes CAN'T Do. 1) Our set-top box's hard-drive is different from that of a PC. We can't download into it...only the folks at MSN for TV can. So any new programs have to come from them. 2) We can't read Java...the boxes are programmed for javascript. So we can't see Java Applets or use pages that are written in Java. 3) We have a hard time with some frames pages. While we CAN access most frames sites, we can't access those that are very complicated. 4) We also have a hard time viewing sites that use Cascade Sheet Styling for graphic content. CSS text works ok, but graphics usually don't appear properly on the page if at all, especially when a lot of graphics are used. 5) We can't see all Shockwave and/or Flash sites. Some of them simply contain too much information for our boxes to process. 6) We can't make original graphics because we can't download the software needed to make them. So we have to rely on the kindness of PC users who create graphics and place them on the internet for everyone to use. 7) We can't upload files directly by using FTP. We need the use of a transloader which does the uploading for us. 8) We are limited as to the size of a page we can view. While the page length does not matter, any page over 650-700 pixels wide becomes distorted when our browser reads it as it "squashes" everything on the page to fit into this size range. So what CAN our boxes do? With our set-top boxes we can do almost everything a PC can do when it comes to making great web pages. This site is proof of that! 'LOL' Because of the many online tools and utilities that have been created for us by some very talented set-top box users and set-top-friendly PC users, we can: 1) Use a transloader to upload graphics and midis to our sites. 2) Use an image mogrifyer to change a graphic's size or color, annotate (write) on it, change the speed of an animation, create an animation from an exisiting graphic...the possibilities are endless! The only thing is that we need to start with a graphic that already exists. We can even make graphic sets...check mine out! 3) Make slide shows. 4) Create designs using audioscopes...something a PC CAN'T do! (they can't even view them) 5) Use border backgrounds, tables, and simple frames. 6) Place things on our sites that are made with javascript, such as clocks, forms, counters, etc. 7) Hear and use midis, wavs, RAMs and MP3s. 8) Make our email letters our own by adding a text or graphic "signature" to the form...we can even put music into our emails! We can also use IRC chat, and we have MSN Instant Messenger. At times, MSN for TV's limitations can be frustrating, but take the time to check out some of my pages and you will see that we can make web pages that are very bit as terrific as those made with a PC!