VIDEO DATA SYSTEM- the vcr`RDS`system by vps

[Rod Beauvex]

Isn't that was we called VCR plus here in North America?

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by Rod Beauvex

Isn't that was we called VCR plus here in North America?

Sounds similar. I recall they used to publish 5 or 6 (?) digit codes in the TV schedule you could enter with the remote to program your "VCR Plus" equipped VCR.

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by larschr

Later we also had the "Show View" VCR programming system in Europe... relied strictly on information sent out from the station (theoretically, at least).

Originally Posted by Rod Beauvex

Isn't that was we called VCR plus here in North America?

VCR Plus used codes printed in TV guides. That Show View system seems to have worked on embedded signals-quite interesting.

Europe has had a LOT of nice technologies in their TV broadcasts that we never got here in the USA. Wide-screen standard-definition sets were common before HDTV started, with an automatic signal to change the TV's aspect ratio in each show. Another nice one was Teletext. It was briefly tried in the USA in the late 1980s but never succeeded. When I visited the UK and Ireland in 2000, Teletext was going strong. I used that more on my hotel TV sets than ever watching any programs. They also have (or had) "free view" satellite TV, while we only have (yuck!) expensive Dish Network and DirecTV, though we can get some amount of free satellite signals here with the right combination of equipment.

Those four colored buttons you often see on remote controls got their start with Teletext signals.