[SoundBox]

Last week I was given some used blank tapes (S-VHS) with the idea that I would re-use the tapes for my own interests. On looking at one it was 'Tina Turner day' from November 1999 on VH1. My TV displayed the text from the original broadcast and I could look up the charts, competitions and TV listings. Since I have never recieved VH1 it left me wondering - how was this 'teletext' distrubuted? Was it on satelite or cable? Is it still used or did it finish?

It was odd to see the old blocky style TV text again but interesting.

Thanks for any help.

[logiciel]

I'm surprised that TT recorded at all. It would have been analogue satellite at that time and it had TT, as some European digital channels still do.

[Tight Git]

Originally Posted by logiciel

I'm surprised that TT recorded at all.

Although I never used it, I believe S-VHS was just about capable of recording the teletext data stream so it could be decoded on a normal teletext tv.

With bog standard VHS, no chance!

[davemurgatroyd2]

Originally Posted by Tight Git

Although I never used it, I believe S-VHS was just about capable of recording the teletext data stream so it could be decoded on a normal teletext tv.

With bog standard VHS, no chance!

Standard VHS also recorded the teletext data - it was a couple of lines of the transmitted picture. Although decoding from a VHS recording was a bit hit and miss it was usually at least possible on a decent recorder to read the page headers with the channel name, date and time.

[logiciel]

Maybe I could then - I recorded a lot and still have the tapes.

[Tight Git]

Originally Posted by davemurgatroyd2

Although decoding from a VHS recording was a bit hit and miss it was usually at least possible on a decent recorder to read the page headers with the channel name, date and time.

Thanks to Hamming code!

[SoundBox]

Originally Posted by logiciel

Maybe I could then - I recorded a lot and still have the tapes.

I just tried a plain VHS tape of VH1 - 1997's '1960's special' and interview with Richard Carpenter and the text works quite well - I could read the TV listings and news but some letters were wrong and scrambled.

[logiciel]

That could have been due to the original reception conditions rather than caused by the recording.