World Wide Web sites with nothing more than text and static pictures are quickly becoming relics of the past. Now the Web is a gateway to multimedia experiences where you can view enhanced television programs, hold online meetings with family and colleagues, listen to audio clips of CDs at online music stores, and more. You can even battle remote computer-game opponents at venues such as the MSN™ Gaming Zone.

• Windows 98 PC TV and WebTV
• NetMeeting conferencing software
• Windows Media Player 6.0
• MSN Gaming Zone
• Shockwave
• RealPlayer
• QuickTime

Windows 98–based PC TV and WebTV

Windows 98–based PC TV

WaveTop for Windows 98 makes it possible to watch regular and enhanced TV programs on your computer. To do this, you need:

• Microsoft Windows 98 operating system
• WaveTop software, which is part of Windows 98
• Compatible TV tuner card
• Antenna or cable-TV hookup

Windows 98 also includes TV Viewer, which allows you to watch programs full screen or in a window as you work in another application, and Program Guide, which lets you look up TV programs and schedule reminders to yourself to tune in.

WebTV

When you hook up the WebTV Plus service to your television set, you can surf the Internet, watch traditional TV programs, do both at the same time, or watch enhanced programs on your TV. So multimedia Web experiences aren't limited to those who have a computer. Just put the receiver on top of your TV and connect the two. Along with the WebTV Network™ service, several Internet service providers offer subscriptions for Internet access via WebTV.

Sites to visit

• Windows 98
• WebTV Networks

NetMeeting conferencing software

If your computer is equipped with a sound card, speakers, and a microphone, you can talk via the Web to family and colleagues worldwide using Microsoft NetMeeting® conferencing software. Add a Windows-compatible video capture card and/or camera, and you'll be able to see them, too. With NetMeeting, you also can exchange pictures and draw diagrams on an electronic whiteboard, communicate with text-based Chat, transfer files, and share applications.

NetMeeting is included in the full installation of Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.0 and 5.5, which you can download from the Internet Explorer Web site.

Sites to visit

• NetMeeting Home Page
• Download NetMeeting for free*
• Download Internet Explorer 5.0 and 5.5

Windows Media Player 6.0

Microsoft Windows^™ Media Player version 6.0 allows you to see and hear live and recorded broadcasts—such as concerts and breaking news—over the Web. And streaming technology allows you to see and hear the information as it arrives instead of having to wait for the entire file to download. Windows Media Player 6.0 is included in the full installation of Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 and 5.5.

Sites to visit

• Windows Media Home
• Download Windows Media Player for free*
• Download Internet Explorer 5.0 and 5.5

MSN Gaming Zone

On the MSN^™ Gaming Zone, 4 million gamers from around the world come together online to play against each other. If you like games, visit the Zone today and see why these players keep coming back.

What's your game?

On the Zone, you can play:

• Card and board games such as cribbage, spades, checkers, and backgammon
• CD-ROM-based games such as Microsoft Age of Empires® and Jedi Knight
• Premium made-for-the-Internet games such as the World War II online flight combat game Fighter Ace®

The card, board, and CD-ROM-based games are free*. With thousands of members online at any moment, you'll always find a worthy opponent. The Zone will even help match you with another player.

The Zone and Windows 98

Gamers (and anyone who wants incredible graphics performance from their computer) should check out the Microsoft Windows 98 operating system. It has built-in support for:

• 3-D acceleration—Provides 3-D realism and faster, smoother performance of games, graphics, and multimedia applications.
• Multimedia Extensions (MMX) —MMX processors contain extra commands designed to handle sound, video, and graphics much more efficiently.
• DirectX® 5.0 and 5.5—Provides higher quality and realism for game playing and multimedia experiences.

Sites to visit

• MSN Gaming Zone
• Windows 98 Web site

Shockwave

Shockwave technology, from Macromedia, is one technology that allows users to deliver and experience interactive multimedia, graphics, and streaming audio on the World Wide Web. Shockwave elements are created and played back with Shockwave Director, Shockwave Flash, Shockwave Authorware, and their players, which are plug-ins for Web browsers including Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 and 5.5. Internet Explorer 5.0 and 5.5 includes the Shockwave Director and Flash players.

Sites to visit

• Shockwave.com
• Download Internet Explorer 5.0 and 5.5

RealPlayer

RealPlayer, codeveloped by RealNetworks and Macromedia, is a client that allows you to listen to RealAudio clips, watch RealVideo clips, and view RealFlash animations live and on demand in real time. Like Windows Media, they start playing right away rather than making you wait until the entire file downloads.

Sites to visit

• Download RealPlayer for free

QuickTime

QuickTime®, from Apple Computer, Inc., is one technology that makes it possible for World Wide Web sites to feature audio and video clips. It allows site builders to author digital audio and video files for their site, and it allows users to get the intended multimedia experience. With QuickTime 3 and other streaming media tools, you can listen to and watch clips as soon as they start to download from a site, rather than having to wait until download is complete. QuickTime 3 can play more than 30 video and audio file formats.

QuickTime runs on the Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows NT®, and Macintosh® operating systems. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 and 5.5 supports QuickTime video playback.

Sites to visit

• QuickTime
• Download Internet Explorer 5.0 and 5.5

Macintosh, Power Macintosh and Quick Time are registered trademarks and the Mac OS logo and the Quick Time logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., used under license.