Videoplus...How on Earth does it work..

[tellboy]

How can you stick a number like 37 in and get Coronation Street, 7.30 to 8.00 pm ITV1 Monday etc..etc..etc..
Less popular programs have enormously long numbers.
There must be a logic there somewhere. It seems very clever but how does it do it ?

[fo3nix]

There must certainly be a logic there. But as far as I know, the videoplus code algorithm is a bit of a secret.

[ronniemonda9]

164831 21 34687932 1267497 16468.

469889999!

[UsAndStuff]

Have a look at
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/How-it-Works/Question1261 .html

It's explained in brief detail there

[Quizmonster]

This very question was asked in the 'Queries' section of 'The Times' newspaper recently. Here's a brief summary of the one response - from a professor - that appeared...

VideoPlus was invented by Henry Yuen and Daniel Kwoh, founders of the Gemstar company. Their full algorithm has never been published, but certain aspects can be understood. Codes of up to 3 digits are linked to four channels, eight time-slots and 31 days (4x8x31 = 992). For example, BBC1 is Channel 1 and time-slot 2 is 1600 - 1630. Codes of up to 6 digits are associated to 16 channels and about 2,000 time-slots. Codes of 8 digits cover 64 channels and almost any time-slot.

I realise that leaves an awful lot of questions unanswered, but it is at least a partial explanation and probably the best we can hope for, given that the algorithm is secret.

[Loosehead]

You mean there are people still using video? Sorry people DVD snob alert!

[Oleanda]

Loosehead- you can still use videoplus on DVD.

[tellboy]

Yes Loosehead there are and my latest Panasonic DVD Recorder with 160GB HDD uses videoplus coding

[woofgang]

smirk smirk got skyplus and its fabulous because i was a real dope about programming the recorder!!

[Loosehead]

Me too woolfgang, never watch another advert awsome!