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CBC and the "TEXT" feature on your TV

Davros2006

Davros2006

If any of you have any old CBC tapes like I do, particularly from the 1980s, you might want to have a look at them, while at the same time, set your TV to enable TEXT C1 (or TEXT 1) and/or TEXT C2 (or TEXT 2). You'll get some information show up on the bottom half of your screen you probably never knew existed. So far, the span of CBC tapes in my stash with such information spreads from 1982 to 1993. I think it was discontinued altogether after '93.

Here's a list of such material to check out...

>> Any nationally-seen show recorded off the CBC station nearest you
>> If you've taped any NHL games off the NHL Network or ESPN Classic Canada that originally aired on the CBC, it will show up there too (but not always)

Here's where you probably won't see it...

>> Anytime there's a local show (exceptions might be possible but it might occur where your local shows originate)
>> A studio master tape
>> When a CBC show is in reruns on another channel (except for some Hockey Night in Canada games)

Be sure to remember the timeline I mentioned above. I am sure though that there may be some information from 1981 but I haven't checked yet.

Here's a sample of what you might see, this coming from a November 28, 1984 tape... (Note: If you're in Newfoundland, add a half-hour.)

--------------------------------
THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS
WILL BE CLOSED CAPTIONED
ON THE CBC NETWORK
--------------------------------

EVERY WEEKNIGHT
10:00pm THE NATIONAL
11:20pm THE NATIONAL UPDATE

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
THE NATIONAL

MONDAY
8:00pm HANGIN’ IN
8:30pm DANGER BAY

TUESDAY
7:30pm THREE’S A CROWD

WEDNESDAY
9:30pm MAN ALIVE
THIS WEEKS SHOW IS NOT CAPTIONED

THURSDAY
7:30pm FACTS OF LIFE

FRIDAY
9:00pm DALLAS

SATURDAY
7:00pm JUDGE
7:30pm WAYNE AND SHUSTER

SUNDAY
5:30pm SONS AND DAUGHTERS
7:00pm FRAGGLE ROCK
7:30pm BEACHCOMBERS
9:00pm JEWEL IN THE CROWN
8:00pm SEEING THINGS
(begins Feb. 3rd)
9:00pm FOR THE RECORD
(begins Feb. 10th)

--------------------------------
WATCH FOR THE FOLLOWING
CAPTIONED SPECIALS ON CBC
--------------------------------

DECEMBER 16th
7:30pm HOCKEY NIGHT

DECEMBER 17th
8:00pm RACCOONS AND
THE LOST STAR

DECEMBER 23rd
8:00pm WAYNE AND SHUSTER

DECEMBER 24th
7:00pm CLAUS MISSION ’84

DECEMBER 27th
8:00pm AN ENGLISHMAN ABROAD

--------------------------------
THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMMES
WILL BE CLOSED CAPTIONED
ON THE CBC NETWORK
--------------------------------
 
Was this a (limited) teletext-based service? BTW, for those of you who may not be familiar with it, teletext is a one-way text service transmitted as part of the TV signal, a bit like closed captioning; it never really took off in North America (although there were some experimental services) but is widespread in a number of other countries, including most of Europe.

More info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletext (Wikipedia)
http://teletext.mb21.co.uk/gallery/world/ (Teletext around the world)*

*FWIW, this site states that "Canada has never had a proper teletext system from one of its broadcasters, as far as we know." Since most teletext services offer hundreds of pages and provide a variety of content, the CBC's service probably just used the same means of transmission (if at all), and didn't have much else in common with "proper" teletext.
 
I just noticed this on the Wikipedia page I linked to above:

"The CBC ran a teletext service, IRIS, accessible only in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. It ran from 1983 until about 1986, and used the Canadian-developed Telidon system, which was developed in 1980. Like Antiope, Telidon allowed significantly higher graphic resolution than standard teletext."
 
Mike said:
10:00pm THE NATIONAL
11:20pm THE NATIONAL UPDATE
Click to expand...

I had no idea The National had an Update edition at 11:20. I would imagine it was offered to all the stations but was only seen on some of the small affiliates of that era, such as CFTK or CKMI.
 
I can remember on a video tape that I had of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, probably from 1992 or 1993, on ABC having text available that would list the schedules for their programming that night. Since then I've taped over that, and I've never seen any other shows from ABC that had text on them. On my sets though when I've checked it, the window takes up the entire screen rather than half like was on the video of the Canadian text.

Unless it's changed on recent years, the text window can be activated on TVs when there is a live broadcast of news and possibly sports, that I think is connected somehow to how the teleprompter ir rerouted to use for closed captioning. I've never seen any type of text on when this is happening though.
 
anotherguy said:
I can remember on a video tape that I had of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, probably from 1992 or 1993, on ABC having text available that would list the schedules for their programming that night. Since then I've taped over that, and I've never seen any other shows from ABC that had text on them. On my sets though when I've checked it, the window takes up the entire screen rather than half like was on the video of the Canadian text.

Unless it's changed on recent years, the text window can be activated on TVs when there is a live broadcast of news and possibly sports, that I think is connected somehow to how the teleprompter ir rerouted to use for closed captioning. I've never seen any type of text on when this is happening though.
Click to expand...

I actually have some ABC programming from 1986, namely "Our World" (hosted by Linda Ellerbee and Ray Gandolf) and the "The Wonder Years" from 1987, which provided the nightly ABC schedules for the coming week on the TEXT 1. I'm planning to digitize these shows for posterity.
 
anotherguy said:
Unless it's changed on recent years, the text window can be activated on TVs when there is a live broadcast of news and possibly sports, that I think is connected somehow to how the teleprompter ir rerouted to use for closed captioning. I've never seen any type of text on when this is happening though.
Click to expand...

The same closed-captioning standard that handles - well - captions also supports some text channels. The data is transmitted in the vertical interval along with the captions.

The only place I've ever seen it used was on Wisconsin Public Television where they ran Agriculture Department commodity price reports. The CBC's application seems to make more sense...
 
Would this info show up on an old network show I dubbed to DVD, such as ABC's Super Bowl XXV from 1991? (I have that in my collection.)
 
As long as it was the original (live) broadcast, yes, it's possible. I just hope you originally taped it on a high channel frequency (at least in the teens or 20s).

Additionally, if you still have the original tapes, and it shows up funny on a DVD copy (which can happen if you had recorded off channel 3 or 4 on cable or antenna), you can do your best to type/write the looping information (and possibly rewinding the tape a bit at at time just to catch up).

In the case of some CBC tapes from the late '80s and early '90s, you could also get the broadcast date for which the text is appearing. Example: If you taped an episode of The Beachcombers or Danger Bay and years later you didn't know the date off-hand. You could enable text and should that day's date appear, you'll know when you had originally made your recording, even if it was a summer rerun. If it's an original broadcast you can submit the information to a site where an episode guide is in need of building (or start up your own site).

I have some live CTV footage from 1985. In fact, once I post this message, I'll be reviewing the tape. What I'll say next will determine (at least for me) whether or not they did the same thing CBC did at the same time.
 
Super Bowl XXV was taped from ABC in early 1991, on a cable channel 8 signal. I since dubbed that copy from VHS to a DVD+RW disc. I'll have to go and check. My copy of Super Bowl XXII, also aired by ABC was off of antenna channel 8 from New Haven in 1988. Will this all work with my TV on Video 2, the first of two hookups for a progressive R/G/B hookup?
 
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