# ONmail > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/ONmail > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/ONmail.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ONmail > Source revision: 1228548141 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|British email service}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}} {{Multiple issues| {{refimprove|date=July 2018}} {{more footnotes|date=January 2011}} }} '''ONmail''' was a [television](/source/TV)-based [email service](/source/email_service) run by [ONdigital](/source/ITV_Digital) via their [set-top boxes](/source/Set-top_box) (STBs). It was launched on 7 March 2000{{ cite web | url = http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=53031 | title = ONDIGITAL ON COURSE FOR 1 MILLION CUSTOMERS | publisher = PR Newswire }} and required the user to purchase a new [remote control](/source/remote_control) with a slideout [keyboard](/source/Keyboard_(computing)) to type on. It used the built-in 2400 bit/s [modem](/source/modem) in the set-top box to connect to the ONdigital [email](/source/email) centre. The service continued until 22 May 2002, when the [phone line](/source/phone_line) stopped accepting incoming calls following the collapse of the then-now rebranded [ITV Digital](/source/ITV_Digital) on 3 May 2002. ==Service launch== The service became available via an [over-the-air](/source/Over-the-air_programming) update to the ONdigital set-top box which added the OnMail interface. This was in addition to the already existing 'Inbox', which could be accessed via the main menu. This menu was never used due to limitations of the existing [software](/source/software). ==Interface== The onscreen interface was accessed via the ONdigital [menu system](/source/User_interface) (as opposed to the system menu which access the 'Inbox' described above). The interface was in a purple colour, as opposed to the standard green that the rest of the ONdigital software used. The user could thus distinguish it from the television functionality of the box, and because the [contrast in colours](/source/Contrast_(vision)) made text easier to read. ==Limitations== The system had clear limitations in many aspects. The main one was that it could only be used to access ONmail accounts, which had the addresses @onmail.co.uk. Additionally, a problem that became increasingly salient as the service aged was that there was no way of accessing [attachments](/source/Email_attachment) via the set-top box interface. This was not only because of the limited interface, but also because of the slowness of the inbuilt modem. ==Move to ONnet== With the launch of the ONnet Service in June 2000, and the replacement of the 2400bit/s modem with the plug-in 56K modem of the new ONnet plug-in box, the ONmail service became accessible on set-top boxes through the ONmail web site. The website (www.onmail.co.uk) provided additional features that were lacking in the set-top box interface. Though this caused most users to switch to accessing the service through ONnet, many people still used the original [interface](/source/Interface_(computing)) as not all users had purchased an ONnet box. This was exacerbated by the impending launch of [broadband](/source/broadband) services and the comparatively limited modem integrated in the new box. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.onhistory.co.uk/timeline/onmail ONmail Timeline] *[http://www.onhistory.co.uk/timeline/onnet ONnet Timeline] Category:Email devices Category:Digital television Category:Telecommunications-related introductions in 2000 Category:Computer-related introductions in 2000 Category:Products and services discontinued in 2002 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [ONmail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ONmail) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ONmail?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.