Why can't we just keep the existing analogue text services on the Freeview digital platform?
QVC seem to manage very well using the old analogue text service on their satellite service.
The QVC Analogue Text service shut down a few weeks ago, but there is still QVC Active on satellite and cable. QVC were interested in launching QVC Active on Freeview, but I'm not sure if they still are.
I suppose the only thing stopping QVC is the return path - they want people to be able to press a few buttons and order something. They could offer a basic service, but they would need a lot of bandwidth. They could just offer information about the TSV, it would be better than nothing.
Teletext Digital has always been an absolute shambles. Both they and the BBC launched their digital text service in 2000. The BBC produced something fairly simple which worked. Despite a bit of tarting up over the years, present day BBCi Text is pretty much the same now as it was 5 years ago. Teletext on the other hand when it launched was a nasty, buggy thing which crashed the box frequently (although it did have page numbers). Eventually they completely gave up on it and started again with a new service which appeared when the Teletext logo changed. That service looked pretty, but was short on content and deathly slow to use and removed the page numbers which were so useful.
Now they've ditched that and gone for yet another new start. It re-instates page numbers, and it's been designed for speed rather than pretty graphics, but it's still useless. It's frequently out of date and inaccurate, and whilst page numbers have been re-instated, it's been done as some sort of quaint harking back to the past rather than as a useful feature (i.e. not every page has a number, meaning you still can't jump directly to certain sections but instead have to wade through a menu system). And for no particular reason, they've wasted the green button on a silly, redundant 'exit' feature which serves no useful purpose.
They've been hacking around with this thing for 5 years now, and it's still crap. As indeed is most digital teletext.
Depends what you mean, really. I first encountered 'BBCi' <what a CRAP name, isn't 'digital Ceefax' better?? least folks understand what that means> a few years back, on sky. I was immediately disappointed that some pages were missing, and that they weren't in the same order as Ceefax. Also there were no page numbers.
Fast-forward 3 years, and we unpack our brand new DTT set. I turned on and... there it was!! Hadn't changed a bit. I turned over to digital Teletext, and my impressions were the same as with BBCi previously. Bits missing, could do better.
But the services have been improved a bit since. Some things like page numbers are coming back. I don't know why everyone keeps making out text services are out-of-date; no more so than on analogue, surely??
The only Teletext which ITV has is the few surviving ancillary services and the GMTV pages on analogue. They have nothing else at all. How can that be considered 'closing in' on the BBC?
erm, the ancilliary pages have closed!! :eek: :eek:
Been like that a few months now. The GMTV means they just 'manage' the service whilst they're on air, it's part of their contract <same as your ITV region used to appear on the screen>
What exactly are Teletext Ltd supposed to do then since they don't operate any TV channels to link from? And the BBC do provide a direct link to the services, you don't have to use the LCN.
Teletext is like Oracle - it just complements ITV/C4 services. It's advertised independently <like GMTV>, that's the way it is. I guess you could call Teletext Holidays/Cars channels, if you wanted to...
BBCi for me, except when looking at tv listings, the BBCi method of splitting it BBC channels and the rest, just annoys me, plus you can access the channel from digital teletext.
I tend to use Teletext, as BBCi content seems to be spread over far too many pages (check out the news section for instance), and the TV guide is split up a bit weird.
It's a shame that all the main text broadcasters (BBC, Teletext and Sky) can't allocate much more bandwidth to their services on Freeview. They really need five to ten times as much IMHO just to serve the current limited content.
As Internet users convert to broadband, Freeview digital text just seems to get even slower.
Depends what you mean, really. I first encountered 'BBCi' <what a CRAP name, isn't 'digital Ceefax' better?? least folks understand what that means> a few years back, on sky. I was immediately disappointed that some pages were missing, and that they weren't in the same order as Ceefax. Also there were no page numbers.
I do agree that getting rid of the Ceefax brand was silly. It was previously called 'BBC Text' which might have been simple and dull but still a better name than 'BBCi'. I do actually think it possible that the text service might eventually be renamed to Ceefax - the BBCi brand is a gimmicky nothing which they are allready backpedalling from (BBC Online > BBCi > bbc.co.uk), it might well just end up being used as the name given to their little menus that change your box between BBC1, 701 and 702 (oh sorry, I mean 'interactive services').
erm, the ancilliary pages have closed!!
Been like that a few months now. The GMTV means they just 'manage' the service whilst they're on air, it's part of their contract <same as your ITV region used to appear on the screen>
Only ITV plc-owned stations have lost their ancillary services, those outside of their control still have them. The GMTV pages are still working, and my ITV region still does appear on the screen.
Teletext is like Oracle - it just complements ITV/C4 services. It's advertised independently <like GMTV>, that's the way it is. I guess you could call Teletext Holidays/Cars channels, if you wanted to...
Oracle was an IBA provided service designed to be independent television's answer to Ceefax. Teletext on the other hand is the national commercial teletext operator - a properly licenced broadcaster (which Oracle never was). They happen to be carried on the VBI allocated to Channel 4 and the channel 3 licencees on analogue, but on DTT they are present in their capacity as a commercial broadcaster, and are not directly affiliated in any way with ITV or C4. That's why they have their own LCN in such a prized position (as an existing analogue broadcaster they were entitled to the same 'due prominence' as the TV channels).
I prefer BBCi over Teletext on LCN9 or Teletext on 4. I like it because:
- BBCi is much faster on my Goodmans GDB3 than the other text services.
- you can watch/listen to TV at the same time
- the layout is good
However, I wish BBCi would have more content. They should put on the TV features, gaming section etc. from Ceefax, a lifestyle section (like on Teletext on LCN9) and have more kids (CBBC) stuff - they currently only have newsround pages. The content seems to have decreased rather than increased over the last year. The "Today in History" section used to have famous birthdays and quotes of the day. Where have these things gone?
I use BBCi most of the time but do like teletext on ch9 for local weather and local news for ch9 gives news for my ITV area(Scottish TV) BBCi gives news for the hold of Scotland witch is good at times but I like more news for my area. I may use teletext on Digital ITV a bit also when it starts. A very odd once in a while I still use Ceefax and Teletext on analogue.
Let em review (please bear in mind my comments regarding Teletext are from August last year).
BBCi :
Super Fast - once you are in the main service
Having two interfaces (Bridge and content) is bad. The iBar was better (could read the most common stuff in the iBar)
Dumps you on the help pages when it can't find certain services (e.g. News Multiscreens) if it can does this than a "Service unavailable" screen would be neater (with a "more" link to find out about tuning options).
Page numbers very useful - just need to add them to weather and they are sorted.
Sky Text
Slow to load
Clunky to use (them damn adverts at fault)
Text doesn't exii the service.
Teletext on 4
Pretty useful, like BBCi
Slow
Teletext on 9
Sloooooow
No page numbers, annoying
TV guide was useful, e.g. makes it surples to requirements.
One thing that really does my head in is the lack of fastext standardisation.
BBCi still my first chice, or http://www.ceefax.tv/ if i want to view the legacy service.
Comments
The QVC Analogue Text service shut down a few weeks ago, but there is still QVC Active on satellite and cable. QVC were interested in launching QVC Active on Freeview, but I'm not sure if they still are.
digiperson
Depends what you mean, really. I first encountered 'BBCi' <what a CRAP name, isn't 'digital Ceefax' better?? least folks understand what that means> a few years back, on sky. I was immediately disappointed that some pages were missing, and that they weren't in the same order as Ceefax. Also there were no page numbers.
Fast-forward 3 years, and we unpack our brand new DTT set. I turned on and... there it was!! Hadn't changed a bit. I turned over to digital Teletext, and my impressions were the same as with BBCi previously. Bits missing, could do better.
But the services have been improved a bit since. Some things like page numbers are coming back. I don't know why everyone keeps making out text services are out-of-date; no more so than on analogue, surely??
erm, the ancilliary pages have closed!! :eek: :eek:
Been like that a few months now. The GMTV means they just 'manage' the service whilst they're on air, it's part of their contract <same as your ITV region used to appear on the screen>
Teletext is like Oracle - it just complements ITV/C4 services. It's advertised independently <like GMTV>, that's the way it is. I guess you could call Teletext Holidays/Cars channels, if you wanted to...
I know, I'm weird.
The weather maps on BBCi are nice though.
As Internet users convert to broadband, Freeview digital text just seems to get even slower.
John
Only ITV plc-owned stations have lost their ancillary services, those outside of their control still have them. The GMTV pages are still working, and my ITV region still does appear on the screen.
Oracle was an IBA provided service designed to be independent television's answer to Ceefax. Teletext on the other hand is the national commercial teletext operator - a properly licenced broadcaster (which Oracle never was). They happen to be carried on the VBI allocated to Channel 4 and the channel 3 licencees on analogue, but on DTT they are present in their capacity as a commercial broadcaster, and are not directly affiliated in any way with ITV or C4. That's why they have their own LCN in such a prized position (as an existing analogue broadcaster they were entitled to the same 'due prominence' as the TV channels).
- BBCi is much faster on my Goodmans GDB3 than the other text services.
- you can watch/listen to TV at the same time
- the layout is good
However, I wish BBCi would have more content. They should put on the TV features, gaming section etc. from Ceefax, a lifestyle section (like on Teletext on LCN9) and have more kids (CBBC) stuff - they currently only have newsround pages. The content seems to have decreased rather than increased over the last year. The "Today in History" section used to have famous birthdays and quotes of the day. Where have these things gone?
According to
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi/newsid_4200000/newsid_4205300/4205357.stm
the quotes got removed cos of "reorganisation".
Teletext for info.
BBCi for Interactive video feeds.
Darren
BBCi :
Super Fast - once you are in the main service
Having two interfaces (Bridge and content) is bad. The iBar was better (could read the most common stuff in the iBar)
Dumps you on the help pages when it can't find certain services (e.g. News Multiscreens) if it can does this than a "Service unavailable" screen would be neater (with a "more" link to find out about tuning options).
Page numbers very useful - just need to add them to weather and they are sorted.
Sky Text
Slow to load
Clunky to use (them damn adverts at fault)
Text doesn't exii the service.
Teletext on 4
Pretty useful, like BBCi
Slow
Teletext on 9
Sloooooow
No page numbers, annoying
TV guide was useful, e.g. makes it surples to requirements.
One thing that really does my head in is the lack of fastext standardisation.
BBCi still my first chice, or http://www.ceefax.tv/ if i want to view the legacy service.
Thanks for the link, kev.
digiperson
http://medianetwork.blogspot.com/2005_03_27_medianetwork_archive.html#111192769958755284
Been around for 6 months or so!