Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

[Austinmusic]

Hi All,

Is anyone else saddened by the inevitable disappearance of Ceefax? I cannot help but feel that digital text/"the Red Button" is an inadequate replacement.

Foremost digital text takes a long time to load on my TV whereas Teletext/Ceefax was virtually instant.

Secondly, I dislike the use of unnumbered sub-menus. If one is to go to page 302 on Ceefax all the football headlines and other related page index numbers are visible at once making it easy to navigate to other pages quickly. Visiting the same page (302) on digital text requires scrolling to the option I would like and pressing another button. You then have to press “back” not “exit” to return to the previous menu and repeat the process again.

Longer loading time and longer input processes just make digital text hugely cumbersome and unfriendly in my opinion. Moreover, digital text is not that reliable and can freeze at random moments.

There is of course part of me that loves the visual appearance of Ceefax and Teletext but I accept that things must move on. I just wish the replacement service wasn’t so woeful. Maybe smart phones are negating the need for a television text service…

Is it just me or do others agree? I should probably stop moaning…

[memoman]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

Ceefax was online to check that out.
http://www.ceefax.tv/

http://www.ceefax.tv/txtmaster.php?p...de=&fontsize=2

[Sly]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

I love the blocky graphics of teletext. I was trying to explain to my American Missus that we had something called teletext since the 70's and it was sort of like a block 8 bit game version of the internet. They never had anything like that. Poor Americans, it's probably why loads of them have a chip on their shoulder. :P

[Trickyvee]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

I must admit I never use the red button stuff but always liked a look through good old Teletext. I don't really miss it though. Part of its charm was that it managed to last so long with its blocky old skool format.

[darren]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

Hi All,

Is anyone else saddened by the inevitable disappearance of Ceefax? I cannot help but feel that digital text/"the Red Button" is an inadequate replacement.

Foremost digital text takes a long time to load on my TV whereas Teletext/Ceefax was virtually instant.

Secondly, I dislike the use of unnumbered sub-menus. If one is to go to page 302 on Ceefax all the football headlines and other related page index numbers are visible at once making it easy to navigate to other pages quickly. Visiting the same page (302) on digital text requires scrolling to the option I would like and pressing another button. You then have to press “back” not “exit” to return to the previous menu and repeat the process again.

Longer loading time and longer input processes just make digital text hugely cumbersome and unfriendly in my opinion. Moreover, digital text is not that reliable and can freeze at random moments.

There is of course part of me that loves the visual appearance of Ceefax and Teletext but I accept that things must move on. I just wish the replacement service wasn’t so woeful. Maybe smart phones are negating the need for a television text service…

Is it just me or do others agree? I should probably stop moaning…

Tbe honest i still use ceefax and teletext regular.
i have the red buton and freeview and i find it hard to get to things i want to check.
i for one will really miss analogue.

Another thing i find i wonder do others is that the picture on the channels breaks up a lot.
sometimes if its windy or rainy.
I just hope when analogue is gone there is no more prblems with crasckly channels.

[jason h]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

Been ages since I used it as I made the switch to Freeview many years ago. Page 199 was A-Z (I think). 101 News Headlines. Sport 300. Used it a lot pre-internet to view Cinema Listings and also the John Peel track listing the day after his show was invaluable.

[Richard1978]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

I've had no really bit problems with digital text.

Being able to scroll through the multi-pages rather than having to wait for each one to change is a bit boon.

[trouser_mouse]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

Sad times - I was particularly distressed (kind of) by the loss of Digitiser many years ago, but they went out in style with Turner the Worm!

[DemonEyeX]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

Sad times - I was particularly distressed (kind of) by the loss of Digitiser many years ago, but they went out in style with Turner the Worm!

Haha, yeah I heard about Turner, well cheeky,
Digitiser is definitely missed.

By the way, BBC2 are still screening pages from Ceefax in the early hours, not sure for how much longer though.

[Richard1978]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

I used to like Digitiser & The Void.

[darren]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

digitiser was fantastic.
was so sad when it went.

i read it every day.
i think they replaced it with gamescentral.

is bamboozle still there.
there are 20 questions with 4 poossible answers.

[Sly]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

Digi was probably the best game related media I've ever had the fortune to read. Nothing ever really got that vibe right since. Gamecentral is quite good, but it's nothing without Mr.T. and his bins.

[ayrshireman]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

Well, thats it.

As of 6am, Ceefax not longer exists. After 38 years. Very sad.

Anyone else stay up to 6am (I was up for the American football on CH4 to 5am anyway, as today is a day off) to see Ceefax off?.

At 5.57, the sports page changed to a page with CEEFAX 1974-2012: THANKS FOR WATCHING in bright blue, yellow and white, until 6am when it cut to a BBC2 ident.

[darren]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

here in ireland/n irelandthe analogue finishes on wednesday.
we are the last pat od the uk to lose it.


it really is quite sad.
its something in yrs to come that wil count as nostalgia.

[shilton dipper]

Re: Losing Ceefax: The Analogue TV Switch Off

i really miss ceefax .........used it for so many things ........ tbh i forget about the coloured buttons on the remote anyway ......i love the fact that there are more channels now and that we are lucky with the picture not pixelling out anymore but ceefax was so useful.