Teletext to end

You've not used 'analogue' teletext on a modern TV, page access is instant once the set has cached every page (and sub page) in the magazine.

You absolutely right there, shame it has come too late.

Not every telly was (or maybe I should say "is"?) capable of caching the pages.

My cheap and cheerful Lodos TV-DVD Combi I bought when Sainsburys were flogging them off cheap at £99 a few years ago is capable of page caching. Not an entire magazine but a good chunk.

The bog standard TV in the kitchen purchased 18 months ago can't cache anything and doesn't even hold the page you were last looking at when you go back to the main picture. Our main TV, about three years old in the front room doesn't cache either but it doesn't lose the page you were looking at last.

Therefore I wouldn't automatically assume all modern TVs can cache teletext pages, not that it'll really matter by 2012 anyway.

God, I'm missing Teletext. Used to be able to just browse it whilst watching TV, but now having to switch channels to read the BBC or Sky Text and it's just not the same.

Breaking News, Ofcom have today revoked their licence

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/ifi/tvlicensing/pt/revocation_notice.pdf

Technical and Adminstrative move by Ofcom. This'll move the entire operation to Commercial status from PSB. I suspect that the effects on the rump service to be more or less nil. If they want to continue to use the routing MHEG to the remaining commercial services then agreements will be sought with ITV and Ch4 and the required bandwidth purchased from D3/4.

So the bookmaker ads service I can currently access on C4 analogue is technically now a pirate transmission?

I guess that's good news, though Teletext may have pre-empted it by putting deals in place with ITV/C4. Hopefully though Instead it will enable ITV and C4 to invite bids to offer some sort of service on their channels - ideally a basic service, but if not something programme related rather than money making schemes would be appreciated. Most of ITV's interactive content on Sky is text based and could quite easily be made available on Freeview IMO.

Well that's interesting, because it categorically stated on Teletext's pages that Ofcom are aware of the closure of the Teletext News Service and the painted impression was that it wasn't a problem to provide a reduced service.

I suppose one could argue by pulling the news service it would force Ofcom to terminate the licence, making the regulator the bad boy and the one to force teletext off the air as opposed to Teletext themselves simply pulling the plug.

As stated in the Ofcom email: "Subtitling provision and the page 100 index remain unaffected."

.... as I said technical and administrative move only, just clearing up the ends of the decisions made early last year. This revocation being fully expected by all parties as part of those decisions.

Not as such, as it's piggy backing on a legal transmission. Not really sure what the legal status is really or how easy it is for Ofcom to force them off air (the only equipment involved are computers and databridges at several TX sites). I expect it's more contractual rather than legal

What an extraordinary situation, that the UK's broadcasting and 'wireless telegraphy' agency can't simply instruct Arqiva to go in and disconnect the equipment. It's madness !