Mass Media & Technology

Interesting and unusual uses of teletext

(November 2017)

RI
Riaz
Technologist posted:
In Singapore there was a use of full field teletext to send back pages of information over the air as the return path if a Prestel like system. You had your own page address for “your” page
A sort if very early internet/ google like system


How actually did this work and what did the user end equipment look like?
NG
noggin Founding member
Riaz posted:
Technologist posted:
In Singapore there was a use of full field teletext to send back pages of information over the air as the return path if a Prestel like system. You had your own page address for “your” page
A sort if very early internet/ google like system


How actually did this work and what did the user end equipment look like?


I'm imagining you tuned the channel that had the full-frame teletext, entered text mode, dialled an access number and used the tone keypad on your phone as the reverse channel - either being given a page number when you called or having your 'own'?

Prestel in the UK ran using 1200/75 baud modems - but AIUI the system could have run with a 1200 baud half-duplex modem only, and a touch phone for the user control for the basic page selection (which were based on *800# style page numbers. However email was already becoming a thing - and a 75 baud modem back-channel allowed for alpha numeric text entry.
RI
Riaz
It's difficult to deny that teletext was a successful technology in Britain and several other nations but, unlike HTML, it was never deployed to its full potential.

The Ceefax and Oracle services were worthy and befitting for a 'main' TV channel but I see them as only the tip of an iceberg of what the chipsets could have been used for.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member Central (West) Midlands Today
Riaz posted:
The Ceefax and Oracle services were worthy and befitting for a 'main' TV channel but I see them as only the tip of an iceberg of what the chipsets could have been used for.


Come on then clever clogs, what else could the chipsets have been used for?
RI
Riaz
Neil Jones posted:
Come on then clever clogs, what else could the chipsets have been used for?


I'm sure that you are able to come up with something...

Semiconductor manufacturers are known to give away free samples of a particular IC as part of a competition to design and build the most ingenius gadget with it.

I'm surprised that nobody has followed up my comment about the smart TVs with integrated MSX computers and how they can run apps using software distributed by incorporating the code into the VBI.
TE
Technologist London London
For those who care about Teletext can I report that Bernadette Rogers
who led the UKs Standardisation of Teletext has passed away.
Obit in RTS journal
https://rts.org.uk/article/obituary-bernadette-rogers-1929-2019
(also an Fellow of IET)

His role in getting Teletext on the International stage is often overlooked,
.. partly due to his great personal Interest in getting it documented in all its forms.
The "Green Book" is one of my Treasured Possessions.

11 days later

DV
DVB Cornwall West Country (West) Spotlight
Not unusual but worthwhile putting here rather than anywhere else




(via DIMBLEBOT)
IS
Inspector Sands
Meanwhile, this has to be one of the most unusual uses of teletext:


8 days later

GE
thegeek Founding member London London
This video about Closed Captioning touches on Teletext - and partly on why it didn't catch on in the US.



(He's promised a Teletext video at some point in time)
AndrewPSSP and WW Update gave kudos
AP
AndrewPSSP London London
thegeek posted:
(He's promised a Teletext video at some point in time)

He's been promising that for quite some time now 😂 The content on that channel is brilliant, though!
At school they taught me how to be
So pure in thought and word and deed
They didn't quite succeed

22 days later

BK
bkman1990 UTV Newsline
I just found an interesting concept from broadcasters ARD in Germany & ORF from Austria. It's called teletext art.

Full story here >> https://www.rxtvlog.com/2019/08/1970s-tech-meets-art-teletext-art.html

*

Here are the two websites that show it.

https://teletext.orf.at/channel/orf1/page/840/1

https://www.ard-text.de/mobil/840
EL
elmarko STV Central Reporting Scotland
Lots of folk from the Teletext FB group make art for these European galleries, it's very cool.

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