Question about subtitles

[gerry]

1. Before 888 what were the page numbers for subtitles? 2. When did subtitles first start for tv programmes?

[sft42]

In answer to number 2/ Films for the cinema were soon shown on television. On August 14, 1938, the BBC broadcast Arthur Robison's Der Student von Prag in a subtitled version. (This was probably also the first scheduled showing of a film in the history of television.)

If you are meaning the subtitles that are linked in with the Teletext services then I would assume it would be in or around 1974 when Ceefax started.

[gerry]

Thanxs for the info sft42 i should have been more clear i was meaning subtitles through the teletext.

[smorodina]

Ceefax pages 170 and 270 preceeded 888. I don't remember the Oracle numbers. Tests were done from the early days of teletext, but regular subtitling did not really start before about 1980. Few people had teletext sets much before this anyway. Some interesting history of teletext here: http://www.mb21.co.uk/contents.asp

[jenstar]

170 was definitely used on the BBC c.1984 as I have an off-air recording of "Life On Earth" with "Ceefax 170" added to the BBC1 globe symbol.