No Teletext

[Biccylova]

when OH turned on the TV yesterday he found he could no longer get teletext on the right hand side of the screen, has anyone else noticed this? we asked in the shop where we got the TV 3 months ago and they said several people had reported this, but that it would probably sort itself out in a day or two, that its not a fault in the TV, OH spends a lot of time reading teletext so he's feeling really put out about it, how can it "sort itself out"?

[hereIam]

Isn't teletext coming to an end ? Maybe it's started already.

[fender62]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-49715314

[Hopkirk]

Teletext disappeared years ago, but similar stuff is accessed by the red button.

However, as HereIam says this too is supposed to be going soon as a cost cutting measure.

[Hopkirk]

If it's not showing at the moment, it's probably to do with a weak signal.

[Buenchico]

ITV's 'Teletext' service was switched off 10 years ago. The BBC's 'Ceefax' service was switched off 7 years ago. The BBC Red Button text services will be switched off 'early next year' (although there seems to be no exact date yet).

As Hopkirk suggests, missing Red Button services usually indicate insufficient signal strength. The power output of many Freeview transmitters is being reduced in order not to cause interference to 5G mobile phone signals. In addition, the signal strength at an aerial has never been constant; it's affected by interference by things as close as your neighbour's inkjet printer or as far away as solar flares on the Sun's surface, as well as by the 11-year sunspot cycle, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, path obstructions and much more.

Increasing the signal strength by install one of these
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9383027
together with one of these
https://www.screwfix.com/p/fly-lead-coaxial-plug-to-plug-1m/41720
will almost certainly fix the problem. However, as has been noted, Red Button text services will disappear altogether within the next few months anyway.

[Milo2]

I had a similar problem and was advised to switch the set off at the main plug and leave it off for a few minutes and it worked.

[Biccylova]

Thank you all, we can still get text in another room, just not in the lounge where OHs favourite chair is so I think it may be a problem with the TV itself.

[aelmpvw]

one of my little pleasures is to check the lottery results on the red button when i wake up, is that going to be taken away from me?

[Buenchico]

>>> so I think it may be a problem with the TV itself

Different TV sets have different 'sensitivities' (= the ability to handle weak signals) and different 'selectivities' (= the ability to reject interfering signals). Your set 'in the other room' has good sensitivity and can work with the Red Button signals. Your set in your lounge has poorer sensitivity and can't. I remain confident that increasing the signal strength (through installing a booster) will resolve the problem.

[Biccylova]

Buenchico, I think you might be right, we went back to the shop again today and saw a different member of staff and were told the same thing, they also told us that this problem should be resolved by this time next week, time will tell.

[richtee]

Thanks for the link Chris- looks like a good bit of kit.