Aertel

SRB

Just noticed, cos my 2 year old was playing with the remote, if you go to 799 on Aertel and press the RED fasttext button you'll get the Teletext Status Monitor for RTE 1, press the GREEN on 799 and you'll get Net 2's.
(Ok, that's enough, anorak back in the cupboard.)

Capt'n Midnight

And for those of you with a Hex remote it's
pages 7AA and 7AB

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by SRB
Status Monitor for RTE 1, press the GREEN on 799 and you'll get Net 2's

what does this do?

spockety

Hmm, now that the secret's out, I think I'll change that

Mossy Monk

799 is a load of squares on the screen
pushing green brings me to a load of writing on a page that can't be accessed without pushing green on 799. a bit like Bamboozle on C4 teletext

Originally posted by spockety
Hmm, now that the secret's out, I think I'll change that

do you work for Aertel?

spockety

As someone pointed out already, pushing the fastext buttons on 799 shows you the status pages.. VBI , page rates etc.

Not sure how I should answer the second question given the kind of faces you pulled!

(???)

SRB

Hmm, now that the secret's out, I think I'll change that
===========================================
Opps, sorry Spockety !

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by spockety
Not sure how I should answer the second question given the kind of faces you pulled!

(???)

they are the confused faces

spockety

Ah right.. no worries..

Mossy - I look after the backend servers, software, and signal encoders for Aertel..

SRB - I was just kidding, it's no biggie mate

SRB

TV3's little bars are a nice touch too on 797....

marclt

If there is someone from Aertel on here... why does nightscreen on Network 2 only show p100???

41/2 hours of the main index - thats a bit dumb... where did the 'newsreel' go to - thats what they used to show???

spockety

I'd imagine that's more down to the TV broadcasters rather than the Aertel people, I'll see what I can find out...

spockety

We changed to a new teletext system not so long ago, and the 'slideshow' of news stories needs to be re-scripted for broadcast.. the new system came with a new language that we haven't used or learned yet (not high on list of priorities), but I'm told that it will be done, so you can watch Aertel all night without getting bored

marclt

Excellent!!!!

Is it really that much fun working at aertel!? Is it just putting in a whole load of codes and text or do you use a different system?

Always been interested by it!

Marc

SRB

(not high on list of priorities)

Eh ???? If I'd just bought a new teletext transmission system for a national TV station my number one priority would be making sure staff could use it....otherwise I'd be a tad worried people paying my wages might come asking questions like "why does nightscreen on Network 2 only show p100???

41/2 hours of the main index - thats a bit dumb... where did the 'newsreel' go to"..........

spockety

If you were running Aertel, and the nightscreen on Network 2 was high on your list of priorities, I'd be hella worried.

Next time you're watching Network 2 at 3am, try press the "Text" button on your remote control, then type 1, 0, 0, you will be brought to an index page. From there the possibilities are endless, no longer will you be confined to some limited 'newsreel' slideshow. Alas no, you will have the choice of hundreds of different pages and topics at the touch of some buttons!

But all joking aside, the main client component of the Aertel system, that is to say the desktop software that journalists actually enter the content with, is a system that they are all very familiar with, and received extensive training on when it was brought in. Obviously this is the highest priority, having staff that can't use the system would be absolutely absurd.

The night show on Network 2 requires an automated script to be written. This requires that a member of staff learn a new scripting/programming language. The system is relatively new, and a lot of work has been going on to bed it in over the last few months, with bugs being ironed out etc. So on a relative list of priorities, stabilising the system and learning how to use the desktop clients came in above learning the scripting language required to produce the slideshow, yes. I'm not sure how this can possibly be criticised, especially by someone who has absolutely no idea about how the system (either technically, or personnel wise) works...!

Just to clarify, the scripting language is very much a side issue on the system, it is not required at all to update the content, design new pages etc. The components of the system that are used to do 99% of the work are very familiar to the staff.

SRB

I'm not sure how this can possibly be criticised, especially by someone who has absolutely no idea about how the system (either technically, or personnel wise) works...!

---

Ah, but those are exactly the people Aertel is running the service for !!!!
Why it works and how it works isn't important to them - just so long as it does......

Personally I wouldn't go live with any new system until the level of service provided was identical to that which it replaced, otherwise the public's perception, no matter how unfair, is that the new system is inferior to the old. I do realise though that isn't always possible.

Anyhow Spockety, apologies if that seemed like a dig at the folk behind Aertel it wasn't - it's come a long way from the mid 80's tests to where it is today and it's good to hear it's still getting investment.

spockety

It's a big draw, over 2 million people use it every month..
It's being dragged into the 21st century, and that's the main reason behind the new software.. so that we are fully ready to rock and roll with digital text etc when the time comes..

I mentioned the newsreel to them and they said they'd get on it as soon as they can..

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by spockety
so that we are fully ready to rock and roll with digital text

any timeframe for this

marclt

Spockety - you're gonna wish you never came onto this site... glad I said something that people could quote me on... I'll have to put that on the gravestone!!!

just one question though.. if RTE 1 can show the finance newsreel ... how come something similar on Net 2 can't be done.. ??? I'm just a fussy bugger... wouldn't Net 2 just be better off showing a testcard or the old clock... why bother putting on text?

(At least its better than them showing Euronews!) I always thought that showing it on three channels out of four was a good use of the licence fee!

(and before you say anything - I know you get it for nothing!)