Bbc Teletext To Be Switched Off

[Justin Smith 10]

I don`t know how many people have seen this but apparently BBC Teletext is due to be switched off. I`m pretty annoyed about it because we use it quite a bit, including for checking eth weather forecast without having to fire up the laptop or when we`re on holiday. Neither me nor my wife want Smart phones.

One has to ask what we`re actually going to be getting for our licence fee, the fact is if they turn of text I may actually cross the Rubicon, and go from a BBC / TV licence supporter to some body who thinks they should scrap the TV licence and leave the BBC to fend for itself. The BBC are playing a dangerous game here.....

 

Complain here.

Edited September 22, 2019 by Justin Smith

[Lockdoctor 10]

It makes sense for BBC to switch teletext off because it is old technology which can only have a very small number of users nowadays.

[altus 538]

39 minutes ago, Lockdoctor said:

It makes sense for BBC to switch teletext off because it is old technology which can only have a very small number of users nowadays.

It's not the old teletext from pre-digital days. It's the news/weather/etc. via the red button.

 

I'll be annoyed to see it go as I use it quite a bit. The Beeb seem to be assuming everyone is either constantly online these days or has the time to watch the rolling news channel for 15 minutes until the next weather forecast comes round.

[Arthur Ritus 30]

It's only old technology (the current bbc digital text is 20 years old now the old ceefax analoge service died years ago) because it is streamed rather than on demand, if a streamed service is adequate as this is then why does it have to be on demand.

It might not get a lot of use now but there is a massive amount of customers that have access to it should other systems fail. 

Look how often websites "go down " when over  patronised, everybody in the country could be reading the same teletext page at the same time.

 

With an income of  5 billion pound, running a data service that the cost of will be a drop in the ocean i would think it is less about it's cost and more about overpaid administration wanting to get rid of things that they don't like.

 

To me it's still worth keeping.

[Lockdoctor 10]

29 minutes ago, altus said:

It's not the old teletext from pre-digital days. It's the news/weather/etc. via the red button.I

 

I'll be annoyed to see it go as I use it quite a bit. The Beeb seem to be assuming everyone is either constantly online these days or has the time to watch the rolling news channel for 15 minutes until the next weather forecast comes round.

Our big 20 year old analogue television died earlier this year and was replaced with a new big screen smart television. It's  good not to have to use a set top box to convert the signal to digital anymore.  Access to all the free services via the internet makes teletext redundant.  It makes sense for the BBC to concentrate on services via the internet which more people are using nowadays due to modern televisions.

[Janus 28]

As the majority of posters so far have said, it is a worthwhile service that I value too, and use every day. 

 

At the press of a button information is right there. From news items that have ocurred in Sheffield and  South  Yorks. Local & world news, share prices & business news, technology & science pages. All this without searching the Internet. 

 

Another nail in the coffin of the licence fee.

Edited September 22, 2019 by Janus

[Justin Smith 10]

1 hour ago, Lockdoctor said:

It makes sense for BBC to switch teletext off because it is old technology which can only have a very small number of users nowadays.

It depends on whether they want to maintain public support for their services, As I said if they turn it off I think I`ll change my attitude to scrap the licence fee.

You may be surprised how many people use text, and I can`t imagine it costs that much for the BBC to facilitate.

[Lockdoctor 10]

5 minutes ago, Justin Smith said:

It depends on whether they want to maintain public support for their services, As I said if they turn it off I think I`ll change my attitude to scrap the licence fee.

You may be surprised how many people use text, and I can`t imagine it costs that much for the BBC to facilitate.

With the BBC IPlayer and their BBC website they are offering a much better service than they did 20 years ago.  I don't begrudge paying the TV licence but I don't subscribe to SKY or any other pay channels.

[Padders 2,850]

15 minutes ago, Janus said:

As the majority of posters so far have said, it is a worthwhile service that I value too, and use every day. 

 

At the press of a button information is right there. From news items that have ocurred in Sheffield and  South  Yorks. Local & world news, share prices & business news, technology & science pages. All this without searching the Internet. 

 

Another nail in the coffin of the licence fee.

Same here Jan, I use it every day.. will be lost without it.

[altus 538]

1 hour ago, Lockdoctor said:

Our big 20 year old analogue television died earlier this year and was replaced with a new big screen smart television. It's  good not to have to use a set top box to convert the signal to digital anymore.  Access to all the free services via the internet makes teletext redundant.  It makes sense for the BBC to concentrate on services via the internet which more people are using nowadays due to modern televisions.

Lots of people don't connect their "smart" TVs to the internet because TV manufacturers seem to think that you buying a product from them gives them the right to spy on you. Search for "smart tv spying" for more details.

 

You might be happy with encouraging surveillance capitalism, with companies routinely monitoring everything you do, some of us think differently.

[Justin Smith 10]

There seem a few on here who`d miss it, I think we should all try to give the BBC some "feedback" on it, if enough people complain they`ll keep it, I`m sure of that.

[Lockdoctor 10]

33 minutes ago, altus said:

Lots of people don't connect their "smart" TVs to the internet because TV manufacturers seem to think that you buying a product from them gives them the right to spy on you. Search for "smart tv spying" for more details.

 

You might be happy with encouraging surveillance capitalism, with companies routinely monitoring everything you do, some of us think differently.

I don't think any TV manufacturer will be interested in monitoring or spying on what content is viewed via the smart television in our household.