PC
Nice idea - I do like the sound of that!
They should have named it something like "Digifax" and then we could have "Pages from Digifax"
Nice idea - I do like the sound of that!
GE
The Ceefax decoder itself is in CCA - it's just a 3U box which sits in a bay and gets ignored. It's unlikely the engineers on nightshift over the weekend will do much to mark the occasion* - nor is there much they can do: I'm not sure where the remote control is.
It looks like the EPG team are getting in on the act, though - (on Sky at least) this weekend's Pages from Ceefax has the billing "Providing news and information from the BBC since 1974, this is Pages from Ceefax"
* in fact, it's quite likely they won't even know. Maybe I'll email them and let them know.
thegeek
Founding member
It would be equally nice if someone at the BBC were to scroll through the entire range of Ceefax pages at least once during the final broadcast (for those of us who are recording it for posterity), instead of just leaving the decoder on P152 with the usual (very limited) page selection repeating over and over again.
It looks like the EPG team are getting in on the act, though - (on Sky at least) this weekend's Pages from Ceefax has the billing "Providing news and information from the BBC since 1974, this is Pages from Ceefax"
* in fact, it's quite likely they won't even know. Maybe I'll email them and let them know.
PC
So it does - on Freeview as well as Sky, I note. Lovely stuff, although I cant help feel this description should have been the standard on the EPG for all these years!
It looks like the EPG team are getting in on the act, though - (on Sky at least) this weekend's Pages from Ceefax has the billing "Providing news and information from the BBC since 1974, this is Pages from Ceefax"
So it does - on Freeview as well as Sky, I note. Lovely stuff, although I cant help feel this description should have been the standard on the EPG for all these years!
PC
Apologies for the double post, but a fine - and interesting - sign-off from Dean Lydiate tonight:
"A few surprises", hmm? Not sure what that will be, but time for me to close down for the night as well, I think!
"A few surprises", hmm? Not sure what that will be, but time for me to close down for the night as well, I think!
MW
Why 'Digifax' why not 'Ceefax'? Just because Ceefax was an analogue medium/teletext service doesn't mean the brand should be dropped - look at Teletext on ITV!
They should have named it something like "Digifax" and then we could have "Pages from Digifax" with a more memorable name that rolls off the tongue easier than BBCi or BBC Red Button.
Why 'Digifax' why not 'Ceefax'? Just because Ceefax was an analogue medium/teletext service doesn't mean the brand should be dropped - look at Teletext on ITV!
MA
The Ceefax decoder itself is in CCA - it's just a 3U box which sits in a bay and gets ignored. It's unlikely the engineers on nightshift over the weekend will do much to mark the occasion* - nor is there much they can do: I'm not sure where the remote control is.
I trust you mean the remote control for it' rather than an actual remote control 2 x AA cell handset !?
First rule of installation work is you ensure nothing in equipment racks relies on a free roaming RC for its operation, coz it's the first thing to go walkies, or have its batteries nicked.
I assume it's some bit of BBC 'homebrew' kit from the 1980s ?
It would be equally nice if someone at the BBC were to scroll through the entire range of Ceefax pages at least once during the final broadcast (for those of us who are recording it for posterity), instead of just leaving the decoder on P152 with the usual (very limited) page selection repeating over and over again.
I trust you mean the remote control for it' rather than an actual remote control 2 x AA cell handset !?
First rule of installation work is you ensure nothing in equipment racks relies on a free roaming RC for its operation, coz it's the first thing to go walkies, or have its batteries nicked.
I assume it's some bit of BBC 'homebrew' kit from the 1980s ?
Last edited by Markymark on 20 October 2012 9:40am
VM
Why 'Digifax' why not 'Ceefax'? Just because Ceefax was an analogue medium/teletext service doesn't mean the brand should be dropped - look at Teletext on ITV!
Because having the same name would imply it's the same service with the same pages, when it's obviously not. It helps differ it from the analogue service.
They should have named it something like "Digifax" and then we could have "Pages from Digifax" with a more memorable name that rolls off the tongue easier than BBCi or BBC Red Button.
Why 'Digifax' why not 'Ceefax'? Just because Ceefax was an analogue medium/teletext service doesn't mean the brand should be dropped - look at Teletext on ITV!
Because having the same name would imply it's the same service with the same pages, when it's obviously not. It helps differ it from the analogue service.
NG
It helps differ it from the analogue service.
Never quite sure how to describe WST (aka CEEFAX and Teletext) and NICAM 728 (and RDS for that matter) - as they are digital services used alongside a main analogue service. Think describing them as "services on analogue" rather than "analogue services" (which they aren't) is possibly less incorrect - though this is pedantry of the highest order.
I'll get my coat.
(It's only really in the UK (and a few other places) where WST is seen as an 'analogue' service - in most other countries they've continued with it on digital platforms, just as the BBC did initially on DSat)
noggin
Founding member
It helps differ it from the analogue service.
Never quite sure how to describe WST (aka CEEFAX and Teletext) and NICAM 728 (and RDS for that matter) - as they are digital services used alongside a main analogue service. Think describing them as "services on analogue" rather than "analogue services" (which they aren't) is possibly less incorrect - though this is pedantry of the highest order.
I'll get my coat.
(It's only really in the UK (and a few other places) where WST is seen as an 'analogue' service - in most other countries they've continued with it on digital platforms, just as the BBC did initially on DSat)
JA
I suppose the Ceefax team could simply add more pages to the P152 carousel, but it's unlikely they'll bother as you say.
Cool. They used a different one during the 1990s fwiw, with smaller text (larger black border around the active picture) and fastext links visible at the bottom. (I presume they switched it in an effort to compensate for the BBC's deranged policy of pillarboxing all 4:3 content in the centre of a 16:9 SD frame with only 540 active samples per line).
BBC1 Scotland continued using the former decoder, however.
The Ceefax decoder itself is in CCA - it's just a 3U box which sits in a bay and gets ignored. It's unlikely the engineers on nightshift over the weekend will do much to mark the occasion* - nor is there much they can do: I'm not sure where the remote control is.
I suppose the Ceefax team could simply add more pages to the P152 carousel, but it's unlikely they'll bother as you say.
Free-roaming? Please! This is an ancient relic - the remote control is on the end of a cable!
I'll try to get a picture of it on Monday.
I'll try to get a picture of it on Monday.
Cool. They used a different one during the 1990s fwiw, with smaller text (larger black border around the active picture) and fastext links visible at the bottom. (I presume they switched it in an effort to compensate for the BBC's deranged policy of pillarboxing all 4:3 content in the centre of a 16:9 SD frame with only 540 active samples per line).
BBC1 Scotland continued using the former decoder, however.
DA
They should have named it something like "Digifax" and then we could have "Pages from Digifax" with a more memorable name that rolls off the tongue easier than BBCi or BBC Red Button.