Editing Videotex (section)

== Uptake ==
[[File:Loewe Multicom E (3).jpg|thumb|[[Loewe (electronics)|Loewe]] Multicom E, a late 1980s videotex terminal]]

=== United Kingdom ===
{{Main|Prestel}}
Prestel was somewhat popular for a time, but never gained anywhere near the popularity of Ceefax. This may have been due primarily to the relatively low penetration of suitable hardware in British homes, requiring the user to pay for the terminal (today referred to as a [[set-top box]]), a monthly charge for the service, and phone bills on top of that (unlike the US, local calls were paid for in most of Europe at that time). In the late 1980s the system was re-focused as a provider of financial data, and eventually bought out by the Financial Times in 1994. It continues today in name only, as FT's information service. A closed access videotex system based on the Prestel model was developed by the travel industry, and continues to be almost universally used by [[Travel agency|travel agents]] throughout the country.

Using a prototype domestic television equipped with the Prestel chip set, [[Michael Aldrich]] of [[Rediffusion|Redifon Computers Ltd]] demonstrated a real-time transaction processing in 1979; the idea is currently referred to as [[online shopping]].<ref>'Videotex takes Gateshead Teleshopping into the home' 'The Incorporated Engineer' Journal of the IEEIE London September 1984, p. 6.</ref> Starting in 1980, he designed, sold and installed systems with major UK companies including the world's first travel industry system, the world's first vehicle locator system for one of the world's largest auto manufacturers and the world's first supermarket system.<ref>{{cite web| title=Pioneers of Online Shopping| publisher=Aldrich Archive, University of Brighton| url=http://www.aldricharchive.com | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023012859/http://www.aldricharchive.com/online_pioneers.html | archive-date=2018-10-23}}</ref> He wrote a book about his ideas and systems which among other topics explored a future of [[online shopping]] and [[remote work]]ing that has proven to be prophetic.<ref>Videotex-Key to the Wired City, Aldrich MJ, Quiller Press London 1982</ref> Before the [[IBM Personal Computer|IBM PC]], [[Microsoft]] [[MS-DOS]] and the [[Internet]] or World Wide Web, he invented and manufactured and sold the '' 'Teleputer' '', a PC that communicated using its Prestel chip set.

The ''Teleputer ''was a range of computers that were suffixed with a number. Only the ''Teleputer 1'' and ''Teleputer 3'' were manufactured and sold. The ''Teleputer 1'' was a very simple device and only worked as a teletex terminal, whereas the ''Teleputer 3'' was a [[Zilog Z80|Z80]] based [[microcomputer]]. It ran with a pair of single sided 5{{frac|1|4}}&nbsp;inch floppy disk drive; a 20Mb Hard disk drive version was available towards the end of the product's life. The operating system was [[CP/M]] or a proprietary variant CP*, and the unit was supplied with a suite of applications, consisting of a word processor, spreadsheet, database and a semi-compiled basic programming language. The display supplied with the unit (both the ''Teleputer 1'' and ''3'') was a modified Rediffusion 14&nbsp;inch portable colour television, with the tuner circuitry removed and being driven by a RGB input. The unit had a 64Kb onboard memory which could be expanded to 128Kb with a plug in card. Graphics were the standard videotext (or teletext) resolution and colour, but a high resolution graphic card was also available. A 75/1200 baud modem was fitted as standard (could also run at 300/300 and 1200/1200), and connected to the telephone via an old style round telephone connector. In addition an [[IEEE]] interface card could be fitted. On the back of the unit there was a [[RS-232]] and [[Parallel_port#Centronics|Centronics]] connections and on the front was the connector for the keyboard.

The proposed ''Teleputer 4'' & ''5'' were planned to have a laser disk attached and would allow the units to control video output on a separate screen.

=== Spain ===
In Spain the system was provided by the [[Telefónica]] company and called Ibertex, which was adopted from the French Minitel system, but using the German CEPT-1 standard, used in the German [[Bildschirmtext]].<ref>[http://www.euskalnet.net/apetxebari/serv_tele.htm REDES DE SERVICIOS TELEMATICOS]: En Ibertex se reciben páginas de información bajo la norma CEPT-1, el estándar más avanzado que existe en videotex, que permite gráficos pero no sonido.</ref>

=== Canada ===
{{Main|Telidon}}

In [[Canada]], the Department of Communications started a lengthy development program in the late 1970s that led to a graphical "second generation" service known as [[Telidon]]. Telidon was able to deliver service using the [[vertical blanking interval]] of a TV signal or completely by telephone using a [[Bell 202 modem|Bell 202]] style (split baud rate 150/1200{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}) modem. The TV signal was used in a similar fashion to Ceefax, but used more of the available signal (due to differences in the signals between North America and Europe) for a data rate about 1200-bit/s.  Some TV signal systems used a low-speed modem on the phone line for menu operation. The resulting system was rolled out in several test studies, all of which were failures.

The use of the 202 model modem, rather than one compatible with the existing [[DATAPAC]] dial-up points such as the [[Bell 212A modem|Bell 212]], created severe limitations, as it made use of the nationwide [[X.25]] packet network essentially out-of-bounds for Telidon-based services.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} There were also many widely held misperceptions concerning the graphics resolution and colour resolution that slowed business acceptance.  Byte magazine once described it as "low resolution", when the coding system was, in fact, capable of 2<sup>24</sup> resolution in 8-byte mode.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}  There was also a pronounced emphasis in government and Telco circles on "hardware decoding" even after very capable PC-based software decoders became readily available. This emphasis on special single-purpose hardware was yet another impediment to the widespread adoption of the system.

Services included:

* Grassroots Canada by InfoMart, Toronto
* Teleguide, A kiosk-based service emphasizing tourist information in Toronto by InfoMart, and in San Francisco by The [[San Francisco Chronicle|Chronicle]], in Phoenix by The Arizona Republic and in Las Vegas by The Las Vegas Sun.

NAPLPS-based systems (Teleguide) were also used for an interactive Mall directory system in various locations, including the world's largest indoor mall, West Edmonton Mall (1985) and the Toronto Eaton Center. It was also used for an interactive multipoint audio-graphic educational teleconferencing system (1987) that predated today's shared interactive whiteboard systems such as those used by Blackboard and Desire2Learn.

=== 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.

=== Australia ===
Australia's national public Videotex service, Viatel, was launched by [[Telstra|Telecom Australia]] on 28 February 1985.<ref>Telecom Viatel: Service Provider Information</ref> It was based on the British [[Prestel]] service.<ref>Telecom Viatel: Key facts for Service Providers</ref> The service was later renamed Discovery 40, in reference to its 40 column screen format, as well as to distinguish it from another Telecom service, Discovery 80. According to an article in a 1986 edition of the "Viatel Directory And Magazine", the Viatel system had a rapid take up in its first year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/ViatelDirectoryAndMagazineVolume41986TelecomAustralia|work=Viatel Directory And Magazine Volume 4 1986 (Telecom Australia)| title = A Good First Year For Viatel | page = 25 |date=May 13, 1986|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

=== New Zealand ===
A private service known as TAARIS  (Travel Agents Association Reservation and Information Service) was launched in New Zealand in 1985 for the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand by ICL Computers.  This service used ICL's proprietary "Bulletin" software which was based on the ''Prestel''standard but provided many additional facilities such as the ability to run additional software for specific applications. It also supported a proprietary email service.

===Netherlands===
In the [[Netherlands]], the then state-owned phone company PTT (now [[KPN]]) operated two platforms: Viditel (launched in 1980<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://buziaulane.blogspot.com/2005_07_08_buziaulane_archive.html|title=Buziaulane|website=buziaulane.blogspot.com}}</ref>) and Videotex Nederland.<ref>Note: Detailed information on these services via [[:nl:Videotex Nederland|Videotex Nederland]] and [[:nl:Viditel|Viditel]] on the [[:nl:Hoofdpagina|Dutch Wiki]]</ref> From the user perspective the main difference between these systems was that Viditel used standard dial-in phone numbers where Videotex used [[premium-rate telephone number]]s. For Viditel you needed a (paid) subscription and on top of that you paid for each page you visited. For Videotex services you normally didn't need a subscription nor was there the need to authenticate: you paid for the services via the premium rate of the modem-connection based on connection time, regardless of the pages or services you retrieved.

From the information-provider point of view, there were huge differences between Viditel and Videotex: Via Viditel all data was normally stored on the central computer(s) owned and managed by KPN: to update the information in the system you connected to the Viditel computer and via a terminal-emulation application you could edit the information.

But when using Videotex the information is on a computer-platform owned and managed by the information-provider. The Videotex system connected the end-user to the [[Datanet 1]] line of the information-provider. It was up to the information provider if the access-point (the box directly behind the telephone line) supported the videotex protocol or that it was a ''transparent'' connection where the host handled the protocol.

As said the Videotex Nederland services offered access via several [[Premium-rate telephone number|primary rate numbers]] and the information/service provider could choose the costs for accessing his service. Depending on the number used, the tariff could vary from ƒ 0,00 to ƒ 1,00 [[Dutch guilder]]s (which is between €0.00 and €0.45 [[euro]]) per minute.

Besides these public available services, generally without authentication, there were also several private services using the same infrastructure but using their own access-phone numbers and dedicated access-points. As these services weren't public you had to log into the infrastructure. The largest private networks were ''Travelnet'' which was an information and booking-system for the travel industry and ''RDWNet,'' which was set up for the automobile trade to register the outcome of [[MOT test]]s to the agency that officially issued the test-report. Later, some additional services for the branch were added such as a service where the readings of the [[odometer]] could be registered each time a car was brought in for service. This was part of the ''Nationale Autopas Service'' and is now available via internet<ref>[http://www.autopas.nl/ Mainpage Nationale Autopas]</ref>

The network of Videotex Nederland offered also direct access to most services of the French [[minitel]] system.

===Ireland===
A version of the French [[Minitel]] system was introduced to [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] by [[eircom]] (then called Telecom Éireann) in 1988.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/woman/celeb-news/the-minitel-26408229.html|title=The Minitel|website=independent|date=5 February 2006 }}</ref> The system was based on the French model and Irish services were even accessible from France via the code "3619 Irlande."

A number of major Irish businesses came together to offer a range of online services, including directory information, shopping, banking, hotel reservations, airline reservations, news, weather and information services. It wasn't a centralised service and individual service providers could connect to it via the [[Eirpac]] packet switching network. It could also connect to databases on other networks such as French Minitel services, European databases and university systems.
The system was also the first platform in Ireland to offer users access to e-mail outside of a corporate setting. Despite being cutting edge for its time, the system failed to capture a large market and was ultimately withdrawn due to lack of commercial interest. The rise of the internet and other global online services in the early to mid-1990s played a major factor in the death of Irish Minitel. The service eventually ended by the end of the 1990s<ref name="auto"/>..

Minitel Ireland's terminals were technically identical to their French counterparts, except that they had a [[QWERTY]] keyboard and an [[RJ-11]] telephone jack which is the standard telephone connector in Ireland. Terminals could be rented for 5.00 Irish pounds (6.35 euro) per month or purchased for 250.00 Irish pounds (317.43 euro) in 1992.

===Minitel===
{{Main|Minitel}}
With the French Minitel system, unlike any other service, the users were given an entire custom designed [[computer terminal|terminal]] for free.  This was a deliberate move on the part of France Telecom, which reasoned that it would be cheaper in the long run to give away free terminals and teach its customers how to look up telephone listings on the terminal, instead of continuing to print and ship millions of phone books each year.

Once the network was in place, commercial services started to sprout up, becoming very popular in the mid-1980s. By 1990 tens of millions of terminals were in use. Like Prestel, Minitel used an asymmetric modem (1200-bit/s for downloading information to the terminal and 75-bit/s back).

===Alex===
[[Image:Alextel.jpg|thumb|300px|An [[Alex (videotex service)|Alex]] terminal, photographed in 2006]]
{{Main|Alex (videotex service)}}

[[Bell Canada]] introduced Minitel to [[Quebec]] as [[Alex (videotex service)|Alex]] in 1988, and [[Ontario]] two years later. It was available both as a standalone [[Cathode-ray tube|CRT]] terminal (very similar in design to the [[ADM-3A]]) with 1200-bit/s modem, and as software-only for MS-DOS computers. The system was received enthusiastically thanks to a free two-month introductory period, but fizzled within two years. Online fees were very high, and the useful services such as home banking, restaurant reservations, and news feeds, that [[Bell Canada]] advertised did not materialise; within a very short time the majority of content on Alex was of poor quality or very expensive chat lines. The Alex terminals did double duty for connecting to text-only [[Bulletin board system|BBS]]es.

===Minitel in Brazil===
A very successful system was started in [[São Paulo]], [[Brazil]], by then state-owned [[Telesp]] (Telecomunicações de São Paulo). It was called Videotexto and operated from 1982 to the mid-nineties; a few other state telephone companies followed Telesp's lead, but each state kept standalone databases and services. The key to its success was that the phone company offered only the service and phone subscriber databases and third parties—banks, database providers, newspapers—offered additional content and services. The system peaked at 70 thousand subscribers around 1995.

===South Africa===

{{Main|Beltel}}

Beltel was launched by Telkom in the mid-eighties and continued until 1999.