System and Hardware Considerations of Home Terminals with Telephone Computer Access

The ability of consumers to access computer- stored general information is much further advanced in the United Kingdom than in the United States. This is largely . a result of the strong promotion of the teletext1,2 and viewdata3,4 concepts by the British Broadcasting Corporation and British Post Office, respectively. These strong government programs have resulted in the establishment of transmission and display standards, first for teletext and later for viewdata. The earlier availability of teletext resulted in most viewdata systems being designed as add-on elements to the teletext system, placing a burden on systems made to provide only viewdata service. The British and French governments may require the incorporation of teletext capability in all TV receivers in a few years.