23-10-2012, 08:04 AM
Ceefax 1974-2012
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23-10-2012, 09:34 AM
Actually a lot longer than 1974. The current system started in 1974 after testing for around a year but there was an abotive first attempt back in the late 60s using a Muirhead fax machine. A halfway decent article on the subject can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceefax .
23-10-2012, 10:17 AM
What was that PressTel thing about? I remember hearing of it as the next 'Big Thing' as a child but it seemed to go the same way as Disc cameras. From what I recall it sounded like an internet twenty years ahead of its time.
- Joe
23-10-2012, 10:29 AM
The frogs had a similar system, Minitel I think, but magain you needed a box attached to the telephone line to get anything. Just a fancy basic computer connected to a television as I recall.
23-10-2012, 10:32 AM
Ah, here we go, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel , it was comms at V23 (1275) standard and not via television a la Ceefax. Prestel was similar, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prestel .
23-10-2012, 10:35 AM
I've just been reading the Prestel article. It lasted longer than I'd though but, as it says, never achieved a domestic mass-market.
- Joe
23-10-2012, 10:37 AM
Killed by p*** poor marketing and trying to squeeze the maximum costage out of the user by the looks of it.
23-10-2012, 11:27 AM
I remember some of the Philips TV's had prestel.
I'm supprised that Ceefax dragged on for so long, it was limited by the info you could sqeeze into the frame blanking period. It was the cause of many an argument between the bench techs. and the aerial riggers..."My signal strength meter shows full scale so the signal must be ok, it's the TV thats duff" Err, no. It was the reason for many a call out..."flashing dots at the top of the telly" I did the teletext C&G exam. (and passed) During it's heyday it was popular so that speaks for itself. I enjoyed the one day tech seminars put on by the set manufactures (It was a day out and expenses paid...yipee) It had it's beneficial points etc. Just some observations. Lawrence.
23-10-2012, 11:57 AM
24hr news availability, before the advent of Sky News and BBC News 24, that's what sold ceefax for me. Always available, whatever time I came in from work and needed to catch up on the world. Will be sadly missed.
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