Editing Videotex (section)

=== United States ===
[[File:TRS-80 Videotex terminal retouched.jpg|thumb|TRS-80 Videotex terminal]]
One of the earliest experiments with marketing videotex to consumers in the [[United States|U.S.]] was by [[Radio Shack]], which sold a consumer videotex terminal, essentially a single-purpose predecessor to the [[TRS-80 Color Computer]], in outlets across the country. Sales were anemic. Radio Shack later sold a videotex software and hardware package for the Color Computer.

In an attempt to capitalize on the European experience, a number of US-based media firms started their own videotex systems in the early 1980s. Among them were Knight-Ridder, the ''Los Angeles Times'', and Field Enterprises in Chicago, which launched Keyfax. The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' partnered with Radio Shack to launch [[StarText]] ([[Radio Shack]] was headquartered in Fort Worth).

Unlike the UK, however, the [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]] refused to set a single technical standard, so each provider could choose what it wished. Some selected [[Telidon]] (now standardized as [[NAPLPS]]) but the majority decided to use slight-modified versions of the [[Prestel]] hardware. StarText used proprietary software developed at the Star-Telegram. Rolled out across the country from 1982 to 1984, all of the services quickly died. None, except StarText, remained in operation after two years from their respective launch dates. StarText remained in operation until the late 1990s, when it was moved to the web.

The primary problem was that the systems were simply too slow, operating on 300 baud modems connected to large [[minicomputer]]s. After waiting several seconds for the data to be sent, users then had to scroll up and down to view the articles. Searching and indexing was not provided, so users often had to download long lists of titles before they could download the article itself. Furthermore, most of the same information was available in easy-to-use TV format on the air, or in general reference books at the local library, and didn't tie up a [[landline]]. Unlike the Ceefax system where the signal was available for free in every TV, many U.S. systems cost hundreds of dollars to install, plus monthly fees of $30 or more.

The most successful online services of the period were not videotex services at all. Despite the promises that videotex would appeal to the mass market, the videotex services were comfortably out-distanced by [[Dow Jones News/Retrieval]] (begun in 1973), [[CompuServe]] and (somewhat further behind) [[The Source (online service)|The Source]], both begun in 1979.<ref>Krevitt-Eres ''et al'' (1986), [http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0006/000689/068919eb.pdf UNESCO report], Table 5-1, Page 56 (folio 64 of the pdf)</ref> None were videotex services, nor did they use the fixed frame-by-frame videotex model for content. Instead all three used search functions and text interfaces to deliver files that were for the most part plain ASCII. Other ASCII-based services that became popular included [[Delphi (online service)|Delphi]] (launched in 1983) and [[GEnie]] (launched in 1985).

Nevertheless, NAPLPS-based services were developed by several other joint partnerships between 1983 and 1987.<ref>Caruso TP and MR Harsch. [https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/80441/12429351.pdf?sequence=1 "Joint Ventures in the Cable and Videotex Industries"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403000933/https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/80441/12429351.pdf?sequence=1 |date=2015-04-03 }}. Masters' Thesis in Management, Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Jun 1984.</ref>  These included:

* [[Viewtron]], a joint venture of Knight-Ridder and AT&T
* Gateway, A service in Southern California by a joint venture of [[Times Mirror]] and InfoMart of Canada <!-- ("Videotex America") -->
* Keyfax, A service in Chicago by [[Field Enterprises]] and [[Centel]]
* Covidea, based in New York, set up by AT&T and [[Chemical Bank]], with Time Inc. and [[Bank of America]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=AC8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22 Home Banking gets new push], ''[[InfoWorld]]'', August 5, 1985</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=oS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA15 Covidea to add information service in New York], ''[[InfoWorld]]'', February 3, 1986</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=4hwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14 Industry giants launch second videotex wave], ''[[Network World]]'', August 25, 1986</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=GBMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12 Covidea ends endeavor in commercial videotex mart], ''[[Network World]]'', December 19, 1988.</ref>

A joint venture of AT&T-CBS completed a moderately successful trial of videotex use in the homes of Ridgewood, New Jersey, leveraging technology developed at Bell Labs.  After the trial in Ridgewood AT&T and CBS parted company.  Subsequently, CBS partnered with IBM and Sears, Roebuck, and Company to form Trintex.  Around 1985, this entity began to offer a service called [[Prodigy (online service)|Prodigy]], which used NAPLPS to send information to its users, right up until it turned into an Internet service provider in the late 1990s.  Because of its relatively late debut, Prodigy was able to skip the intermediate step of persuading American consumers to attach proprietary boxes to their televisions; it was among the earliest proponents of computer-based videotex.

Videotex technology was also adopted for use internally within organizations.  Digital Equipment Corp (DEC) offered a videotex product (VTX) on the VAX system.  Goldman Sachs, for one, adopted and developed an internal fixed income information distribution and bond sales system based on DEC VTX.  Internal systems were overtaken by external vendors, notably Bloomberg, which offered the additional benefit of providing information from different firms and allowing interactive communication between the firms.

One of the earliest corporations to participate in videotex in the United States was American Express. Its service, branded "American Express ADVANCE" included card account info, travel booking, stock prices from Shearson Lehman, and even online shopping, through its Merchandise Services division.