Farewell to Analogue TV

or

Oh I know, I too shall cease!

Goodbye analogue TV!  Today is the day you close down forever and we all switch to digital television.

One unfortunate loser in this changeover is Aertel.  It hasn't died comletely but has had radical plastic surgery.  It's even changing its name to the RTE Aertel Digital Service.  Changing names seems to be on trend at the moment - even the VECs are changing their names to ETBs - Education and Training Boards.  A bad move in my opinion.  I was going to call it a regression but I think it could lead to a new bad place.  Anyway, I digress - more of that anon (Incidentally, I see on Aertel p108 that the teachers are meant to protest today about pay differentials between new and existing teachers.  This is the first I heard of it!).

Some would argue that Aertel with its 1980s style and font and also with the near ubiquitousness of internet availability that there is no need for a teletext service.  Sure, everything is on the Internet!  Aertel has been around since 22 June 1987 and is a mere 25 years old.  Old enough, apparently in television-land to be put out to pasture.

But, while it is true that most of us automatically turn to the Internet to get our information, there are some things many still turn to Aertel for.  Want the News headlines?  Go to Aertel, page 103.  Missed the Lotto results?  That's on page 150.  A quick glance to check what's on TV - page 180.

It's quick and easy.  To get that information on-line, you'd have to turn on your computer, wait for it to boot up, connect to the internet, open your browser and then either type the appropriate URL, assuming you know it, into the address bar or enter a series of keywords into a search engine.

How much quicker is it to press the text button and enter the page number.  We all know our favourites through 25 years of practice.  Want to know the latest sports results?  Turn to the sports index, page 200.  Feel like going on holidays?  Check out the choices starting on page 500.

Aha, I hear some of you exclaim.  Booting computers, that's so 20th Century!  We use our smart-phones now to access the internet.  I have no doubt that you do.   I use mine myself.  But, really, while a smart phone is a handy way to settle an argument in a pub, the screens are still too small to be a practicle way to browse most websites.  Grand for social networking, be it Twitter or Facebook but they still have too many short-comings to be an Internet browser of choice.  And there are so many websites that are incredibly badly designed.  You'll know which ones I'm talking about if you try to access them on a telephone.

It's now late afternoon, heading into evening and Aertel, as we know it, has gone, as has Ceefax.  At least Ceefax said good-bye to us.  There was no such message on Aertel (well, that I found, anyway and I'm not sure if that was an actual page from Ceefax, or a mock-up).

The new RTE Aertel Digital System has a new contemorary look which, like all fashions will appear out-dated in  a couple of years.




We're now truly in the Digital Age, with radio being the last medium of the analogue world.  And, as we venture forth into this exciting new world, spare a thought for the poor luddites, trembling in terrified trepidation in their easy-chairs as the tremendous transformation of their television exerience trundles every onwards!