| ★ HARDWARE ★ TELETEXT ADAPTOR AND TUNER ★ |
Teletext Adaptor and Tuner for AMSTRAD CPC (Amstrad Computer User) | Interfaces Teletext Adaptor And Tuner (Amstrad Action) | TELETEXT ADAPTOR AND TUNER (Popular Computing Weekly) |
COMMS UP TO DATE CHRIS JENKINS ON NEW VERSIONS OF ESTABLISHED COMMS PRODUCTS FOR THE SPECTRUM, AMSTRAD CPC AND COMMODORE 64 While business communications is among the fastest-growing area of computer use, it's worth remembering that home computers form most people's introduction to the subject of comms.
This development of the Spectrum, CBM 64 and other machines as gateways to bulletin boards, E-mail and information services continues, with the production of new and more powerful versions of existing packages. Many Spectrum users will be familiar with the Spectre Comms Pack. The system was designed for use with the popular Prism VTX5000 modem, by ex-Prism employees who were aware of both the potential and the limitations of the modem. The Comms Pack essentially replaced the modem's limited tape based software with a ROM. The pack functioned as an interface between the computer and the modem, and the ROM software supported Prestel, Micronet, CET format software downloading, the 2X printer, cassette or microdrive file handling, and a scrolling terminal mode for bulletin boards. Connection to the Spectrum was via a 56-way ribbon cable, and the pack was designed to be compatible with most RS-232 devices operating at 300/300,1200/75 or 1200/1200 baud. ZX and Epson compatible printers are supported, using an interface such as the Kempston E. There's an offline screen and mailbox editor with a 26 frame RAM storage area, an improved Prestel screen handler with full colour and 40 columns, CET software downloader and scrolling terminal software for bulletin boards. The ROM is compatible with cassette, microdrive and disc (for instance the Opus Discovery) and will be compatible with forthcoming Spectre comms utilities. At £19.95, the Comms ROM will boost the efficiency of any VTX5000 user's system. Also new is the Teletext Tuner from Microtext. The company's Teletext Adaptor, which works with the CBM 64 and Amstrad CPC, allows Teletext signals to be displayed on your computer monitor. However, it requires a video recorder to provide the signals. The Tuner automatically searches for up to sixteen TV stations, and allows you to allocate each one a channel number using the software supplied. The tunings are then saved when the operating system software is backed up. The Tuner has connections for the TV aerial, power supply and Teletext adaptor, and costs £48.85 on its own. Together with the Adaptor, the whole system with power supplies and software costs £114.80. While Teletext doesn't have quite the cachet of an interactive system such as Prestel, it's a huge information provider and is worth investigating. The Microtext System is a cheaper and more flexible alternative than purchasing a Teletext TV! PCW |
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