From Ceefax to digital text
People living in London and its surrounding areas on Wednesday joined those in other parts of the country who have gone through .
One of the effects of this is that they will no longer have access to Ceefax, which is broadcast via the analogue signal.
Although we won't be saying our proper goodbyes to Ceefax until later in the year when switchover is complete across the country (viewers in Northern Ireland, for instance, will still be able to see it until October), I wanted to send a note of reassurance and a reminder: to people who use cable, satellite or Freeview, provides national, local and international news, plus sport, weather and much else besides.
And it is still produced by the editorial team which has long provided Ceefax and the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ News website.
UPDATE 20 April 11:25 BST
Q Reading your article I immediately want to scream out NOT TRUE! For those of us who use their Tivo service, when we press the red button all we get is iPlayer, hence missing a lot of content. I am assured that by the time the Olympics come around we will have access to Red Button content; I am not holding my breath given Virgin's history of delivering late.
A As of last week, we now offer a Red Button ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ News service on Tivo. It's a full-screen experience that also offers on-demand video, so not an exact replacement for Ceefax, but we hope it offers an innovative and useful way to keep up with the News.
Q The digital equivalent of Ceefax is far inferior mainly due to the fact that you have to watch telly on the screen along with the text - there is no way of switching the telly screen part off. I find that infuriating! Please, Beeb, can you fix this?
A The Red Button service is designed to allow viewers to read content while keeping in touch with what is on the TV channel they were watching. We do not currently offer any means to turn the TV off in the background - apologies to those who find this annoying.
Q The beauty of Ceefax was you could quickly take it in while watching a programme. With Red Button it takes you away from the programmes for a very long time, and this seems a backward step. With smartphones I can access more information quickly without having to switch off the show I'm watching, which makes it look like the Red Button service is almost obsolete before it's barely begun.
A It's true that in many ways smartphones offer a handy way to consume information while watching TV, and it would not be sensible for us to develop Red Button services in a way that simply tries to replicate this. With the design of the new News IPTV service, we are offering a service which prioritises video on-demand over text (though you can get both). We'd be interested to know people's feedback on this approach.
Q I did write about this to the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ but have had no reply. Last week during the second test there was no run-by-run coverage as there was on page 341. Why is this? If it is as good as Ceefax, why are they not carrying this page? There would never be an issue of live footy scores being carried.


A I'm afraid I don't know the answer to this, but have passed on the question to colleagues at ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Sport.
Steve Herrmann is editor of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ News website.
Comment number 1.
At 18th Apr 2012, brat wrote:The deaf community mourns your loss Ceefax. 'Farewell to thee, but not farewell to all that you have meant to me...'
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 18th Apr 2012, Simon Lewis wrote:I did write about this to the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ but have had no reply. Last week during the second test there was no run by run coverage as there was on page 341. Why is this? If it is as good as Ceefax why are they not carrying this page? There would never be an issue of live footy scores being carried.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 18th Apr 2012, Ian Robinson wrote:The beauty of Ceefax was you could quickly take it in while watching a programme. With Red Button it takes you away from the programmes for a very long time, and this seems a backward step.
With smartphones I can access more information quickly without having to switch off the show I'm watching, which makes it look like the Red Button service is almost obsolete before it's barely begun.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)
Comment number 4.
At 18th Apr 2012, Don wrote:Ceefax served the UK well in pre-Internet times but with, I estimate, an average page of only 150 words & page load times in 10s of seconds I have no problems seeing it consigned to history.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 4)
Comment number 5.
At 18th Apr 2012, cgpage wrote:One of the useful features that I shall miss is the accurate time on the top line. The digital replacement only gives time to the nearest minute. I really need to set my watch more accurately than this e.g. to catch trains. It would be very nice if the digital replacement showed more accurate time, though I realise the delay in compressing and de-compressing the signal makes this difficult.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 5)
Comment number 6.
At 18th Apr 2012, gmbathome wrote:The Digital equivalent of CEEFAX is far inferior manily due to the fact that you have to watch telly on the screen along with the text, there is no way of switching the telly screen part off. I find that infuriating!!!! PLEASE BEEB CAN YOU FIX THIS???
Complain about this comment (Comment number 6)
Comment number 7.
At 18th Apr 2012, Max Eaves wrote:Goodbye Ceefax - from an old Ceefax engineer
Complain about this comment (Comment number 7)
Comment number 8.
At 18th Apr 2012, Grim wrote:Ceefax was quick and neat (most of the time). Have had the digital version here in the south west for a couple of years and it is slow and clunky both on Freeview and Freesat - so only use it rarely - I used to use Ceefax every day.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 8)
Comment number 9.
At 18th Apr 2012, Lorraine wrote:I live in the High Peak and although we went digital a few years ago I can still access Ceefax. All I do is go to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ 1 with the remote and then press the text button.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 9)
Comment number 10.
At 18th Apr 2012, lostInthedetails wrote:I'll miss Ceefax, it had such a distinct look that just cannot be replicated by the red button version. :(
Complain about this comment (Comment number 10)
Comment number 11.
At 18th Apr 2012, Junoman wrote:@2
Unfortunately football & F1 are as poorly served as cricket. At 13:00 hours on Sat 14th went to check FA cup semi final score & F1 qualifying results. Both pages were showing information for Friday afternoon/evening, at least 16 hours out of date.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 11)
Comment number 12.
At 18th Apr 2012, Simon Lewis wrote:@11. That'll be their excuse for getting rid of it..
Complain about this comment (Comment number 12)
Comment number 13.
At 18th Apr 2012, Ray Lee wrote:Reading your article I immediately want to scream out NOT TRUE!!! For those of use who use their Tivo service, when we press the red button all we get is iPlayer, hence missing a lot of content.
I am assured that by the time the Olympics come around we will have access to Red Button content, I am not holding my breath given Virgins history of delivering late.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 13)
Comment number 14.
At 18th Apr 2012, usernamefood wrote:Digital text doesn't seem any different, Where are the fun stuff on the red button?
Complain about this comment (Comment number 14)
Comment number 15.
At 18th Apr 2012, Sue_Aitch wrote:The hidden testcard under Freeview LCN 105 is one joy.
It is nearly three years since Andrew Bowden kindly published the lists of what is under the Red Button: /blogs/pressred/2009/05/pagenumberlist.shtml
Complain about this comment (Comment number 15)
Comment number 16.
At 18th Apr 2012, Skeptic wrote:Many pages are inferior (404) or missing (337, 406, tennis rankings etc.)
Plus poor use of limited space and annoying 'back' process.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 16)
Comment number 17.
At 18th Apr 2012, KMR Overseas wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 17)
Comment number 18.
At 18th Apr 2012, KMR Overseas wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 18)
Comment number 19.
At 19th Apr 2012, Sue_Aitch wrote:Re 15.
Tune to the Red Button Ch 105.
When the Red Button Channel background appears, press Yellow.
Tune away to a different channel.
Tune back to Ch 105
When the Red Button Channel background appears this time, press Green (within 30 sec) In the top right hand corner the word "Secret" will appear
Wait until the status page appears, and follow the on screen instuctions.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 19)
Comment number 20.
At 19th Apr 2012, vainian thicke wrote:It's simplicity was one of the beauties of ceefax.
That and its speed.
1992, want to check the latest news headlines whilst still watching the TV?
Click Text, Click News, Click Mix. 2 Seconds.
2012 want to check the latest news headlines whilst still watching the TV?
Press red button.
Wait
Wait
Wait
Loose picture
Wait
Wait
Wait
Get Option Screen
Wait....
Complain about this comment (Comment number 20)
Comment number 21.
At 19th Apr 2012, jimmatt wrote:It seems strange that the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ 'brand' orientated culture decides to drop the CEEFAX brand. It is a policy decision only.
Technically there is no reason why the existing CEEFAX service can not be included within the new digital services.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 21)
Comment number 22.
At 19th Apr 2012, Briantist wrote:RIP Cx
Complain about this comment (Comment number 22)
Comment number 23.
At 19th Apr 2012, Briantist wrote:@20: I'm not sure quite why you say "wait...". I have red button on Freeview, Freeview HD, Freeview HD via Microsoft Windows 7 Media Centre, and a £60-from-Asda Freesat HD box and everything red-button is quite instantaneous.
Perhaps you need to spend a few quid on a new Freeview box?
Complain about this comment (Comment number 23)
Comment number 24.
At 19th Apr 2012, Applemask wrote:I don't know what's stopping anyone from keeping the Ceefax name.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 24)
Comment number 25.
At 19th Apr 2012, berniebadger wrote:Couldn't the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ retain a teletext service using the DVD-TXT & DVB-VBI standards, which allow the broadcast of teletext over digital TV? This used to exist but was withdrawn by the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳. Wouldn't this be a pragmatic solution to the problems perceived with digital text? It also means the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ wouldn't have multiple builds of the digital text service to maintain so would also save licence fee cash.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 25)
Comment number 26.
At 19th Apr 2012, berniebadger wrote:Meant DVB-TXT not DVD-TXT :)
Complain about this comment (Comment number 26)
Comment number 27.
At 20th Apr 2012, Sue_Aitch wrote:@20 My PVR is able access Red Button digital text really quickly: it might be worth your while contacting the manufacturer as you may have missed software updates that would improve the tuner's perforamance with Red Button Digital Text. See /reception/digitaltv/interactive.shtml
Complain about this comment (Comment number 27)
Comment number 28.
At 20th Apr 2012, Sue_Aitch wrote:For those of you missing Ceefax, News and Information from the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s Teletext service is broadcast this weekend and, hopefully, every such break in programming until ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One Northern Ireland switches over in six months' time.
Saturday 21 April 0435-0600
Sunday 22 April 0255-0600
Monday 23 April 0420-0600
Complain about this comment (Comment number 28)
Comment number 29.
At 21st Apr 2012, rbarnicoat wrote:It is a pity that the great name of Ceefax is not carried over into the digital age. With the digital text you loose the so many things. The index page should be full screen with more information and page numbers. In fact all the x00 pages should be full screen. A national full screen weather map, pop charts, newsflash..there are so many things that we miss. Let's have an enhanced Ceefax.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 29)