The Web gets Real
Transitional Surge
Before It Was the Web86
85
84
83
82
81
The
New Media Emerges
TCS consultancy: TV-delivered interactive magazine
During the early 80's all of the major networks wanted to get on the interactive digital bandwagon, too. NBC was one of the first to test the waters.
The quickest way for conventional TV broadcasters to enter the interactive arena was to "piggyback" digital pages in their broadcast signal, a technique known as "teletext". The Communication Studio designed a prototype 50-page broadcast Teletext magazine for NBC in 1983, so that the company could test and evaluate the new technology.
The magazine demonstrated advertising logos, animations, illustrations and even limited gaming. We provided page templates, on-site update and production support for the presentation of the service.
Later in the year we were sent to Mexico City to produce a Spanish-language version of the teletext magazine to present before the Organization of Iberian-American Broadcasters.
The teletext magazine we created for NBC was featured at the 1983 National Association of Broadcasters annual convention in Los Angeles. To demonstrate the dynamic power of Teletext, we included in the live "magazine" a schedule of NAB events, a guide to local entertainment, as well as other features (above).
Teletext embeds the digital page into the Vertical Blanking Interval of the broadcast television signal (The VBI is that black bar that appears when your TV picture "rolls"). You then extract and display a page by clicking a special button on your TV remote control.
The technique is similar to the way in which closed captioning is handled.