★ HARDWARE ★ TELETEXT SERVICES FROM YOUR AMSTRAD (POPULAR COMPUTING WEEKLY) ★![]() |
Teletext services from your Amstrad (Popular Computing Weekly) |
It's just a frame-up Chris Jenkins explains how you can access teletext services from your Amstrad, Spectrum or BBC monitor Fiddle with the frame hold on your TV and you may well find a row of flickering lines at the top of the screen. Far from being unwanted interference, they are in fact the carrier signals for teletext, and with the aid of a suitably equipped TV you can translate them and access Oracle, Ceefax and 4-Tel services. Like Micronet and Compunet, teletext services provide hundreds of pages of information on current events, entertainment, finance and many other subjects. Although the service is free, you need a relatively expensive TV to access it. The alternative is to use a micro equipped with a suitable teletext adaptor, in which case you can also download BBC B, Spectrum and Amstrad CPC computer programs from some teletext services. Two teletext adaptors have now been made available for a wide range of micros. The Volex TTX2000, already available for the Spectrum and BBC B, is now available for the Amstrad CPC at a reasonable £79.99, while the Microtext adaptor at £69.95 is available for the Spectrum, Amstrad and CBM 64. The Microtext Commodore 64 unit comes with cassette software, which can be transferred to disc, and a suitable lead for connection to the TV. The unit slots into the micro's user port. Using teletext is very simple. Once you have connected up the hardware and loaded the software, you simply enter 100 on the micro's keyboard to access the index, then a three-figure number to reach the desired page. The computer scans until the page is transmitted, then displays it on the screen. The display is 24 x 40 column with full colour. "Using teletext is very simple. Once you have connected up the hardware and the software, you enter 100 on the keyboard... " " .. then a three-figure number to reach the desired page. The display is 24x40 column with full colour " The Microtext software allows you to go forward or backwards a page at a time, hold pages, reveal hidden sections such as the answers on the puzzle pages, print out to an MPS-801 compatible printer or save pages to tape or disc. It's also possible to write your own routines in Basic, allowing you to, for instance, print out the TV pages each day. Microtext requires a one volt composite video signal, which older TVs may not output. Most video recorders, however, will. A page from the BBC's Ceefax teletext service >> Despite some initial difficulty in loading the cassette software, the Microtext module worked well, and can be recommended if you are interested enough in teletext to spend the money. Many computer users, however, may well prefer to invest in a modem to obtain the interactive services of Compunet or Micronet. The Volex system appears much more substantial, with a modem-type unit to sit under the micro, an interface plus an 18-volt power supply terminating in a connector unfortunately similar to the Amstrad's. The interface has a follow-on connector for the disc drive, while the software is in Eprom. The Volex unit saves downloaded programs directly on to disc or tape rather than storing them in memory, and has facilities for printing out teletext pages, changing channels, and, like the Microtext, creating your own Basic routines from the keyboard. While the Microtext is cheaper, the convenience of the Volex's Eprom software may be the deciding factor in your choice of purchase.
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