Welcome, teletext fanatics! I'll just leave this here...

Monday, 29 October 2007

Selection of information

Info collected in this weblog organised into some headings. Some of the more important stuff.

Teletext technical history
  • Conception and invention of medium.
    • Early 1970s. Developed and created by the BBC, who were initially researching a method of closed captioning.
  • Technological updates/upgrades
    • Mid-1970s update to include 8 colours.
    • Level 1.0 and 2.5 teletext - more updated graphics but not used by any TTX broadcaster in Britain.
  • Significant dates and events in TTX's technical history.
    • 1980 - Pages From Ceefax first broadcast. 2005 - service ended. (Case study for the lifespan of the medium?
    • Relaunches and redesigns. 1996.
    • The birth and death of teletext. 2012 switch off, gradual phasing out of the medium.
Constituent media
  • Teletext
    • 'Ceefax' (BBC) coming first in 1973
    • 'ORACLE' (ITV) following soon after
  • Viewdata - Post Office's method of transmitting text via telephone lines. 'Prestel'.
  • The teletext umbrella.
    • Collaboration of Ceefax, ORACLE and Prestel to create the collective term teletext, 1976 - 'Broadcast Teletext Specification'.
    • The single aesthetic which was agreed upon - 40x24 grid of text with some graphic characters - CEPT1.
  • 1980s - Videotex. Minitel - TV with computer keyboard incorporated used to control. Not adopted in Britain.
Similar media (chronlogical?)
  • 1960s. ARPANET. Information retrieval service/communication method. Early network. Precursor to internet.
  • Late 1960s. Arcade video games. Precursor to teletext.
  • 1970s. Development of the computer GUI. Similar aesthetic to teletext, pixel medium. Moved away from this similarity, however.
  • 1990s. The early Internet. Transmission of plain text information. Few images.
  • 2000. Internet boom. Teletext and internet - comparisons/contrasts.
  • 2000. Interactive television - successor to teletext. Retains many features/functions
    • Function of each medium, with regards to teletext.
Societal impact
  • Popularity.
    • First electronic information retrieval system.
    • Regular updates at the peak of its popularity.
    • Sep 11 01 attacks - when Internet down, TTX provided people with service. Probably last thing TTX will be known for.
  • Uses.
    • Transmitting/finding information - pools news, lottery, football results.
    • Playing games. Bamboozle multiple choice. Quiz questions - reveal button.
    • Discussion 'forum'. Viewer opinions on music, TV, entertainment etc.
    • Closed captioning method to aid hard of hearing.
  • Peoples' opinions on the phasing out and subsequent 'death' of the medium.
    • Sad to see it go. Nostalgic reasons, preference - simplicity.
    • Many don't use it anyway. Internet and interactive TV used instead. 24hr news channels.
  • Teletext humour.
Teletext art
  • The teletext aesthetic emulated within the internet browser
    • Jodi - 'Text'. Teletext style font set formatted for web browser.
    • Unterberger-Probst - 'Framed'. TTX aesthetic emulated and embedded into web browser.
    • Tarmo Tanilsoo - ES5DWXL. Personal web site. TTX aesthetic emulated and embedded into web browser.
  • Work broadcast on teletext
  • The pixel - works that share a similar pixellated aesthetic.
    • Paul Slocum - Windows GUI formatted for Atari. Use of Atari emulator.
    • Cory Arcangel - Landscape series, video game art. Pixellated aesthetic similar to teletext.
    • Eboy - Pixellated aesthetic borrowing from Sim City video game idea/aesthetic. How contemporary artists use the pixel aesthetic originally employed by teletext as a commercially successful format.

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