World CallNet Inc has developed a low-cost method of connecting to the internet through a TV set which, the company claims, will make set-top boxes redundant. The Texan firm, along with its UK subsidiary, has developed the M@il.TV chip, which sits inside a TV and connects to the internet via a phone line. Users of the system connect to the net via World CallNet’s own service provider and can send and receive email, view web pages and enter online chat rooms. Viewing web pages on a standard TV can be a murky experience, because of the analog nature of the television screen. World CallNet says that the chip overcomes this problem by reformatting web pages and stripping out any graphics. According to a spokesperson for the company, web surfing can be controlled by a standard remote control, but the company is developing a $55 keyboard for more advanced control. Two European TV manufacturers, Bush and Alba, are already testing the M@il.TV chip. Sets that use the chip will be launched in the run up to Christmas.
