WHAT IS CEEFAX?
Ceefax, a play on "see facts," obviously, was the world's first teletext service, launched by the BBC back in 1974. For nearly 40 years, it was just there in British homes, you know? News, weather, sports scores, entertainment, and all at the press of a button. Sounds simple now, but back then? Revolutionary stuff.
THE BIRTH OF CEEFAX
So BBC engineers developed this thing in the early 1970s, and they used what's called the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the television signal to transmit data. Users could access pages by typing three-digit numbers on their remote control. I mean, think about it: instant information without waiting for a news bulletin. For the time, that was absolutely groundbreaking.
WHAT COULD YOU FIND?
News headlines, weather forecasts, TV listings, lottery results, travel updates, and obviously, football scores. PAGE 302 became legendary among football fans, with its real-time scoreline updates that, for me, rivalled actually being at the ground. So many of us grew up glued to that page on a Saturday afternoon.
THE END OF AN ERA
When the UK switched from analogue to digital broadcasting, Ceefax was switched off on 23 October 2012. The final page was fittingly PAGE 888—the subtitles page—and lots of people genuinely mourned the loss. I think it hit harder than people expected. End of an era, really.
THE LEGACY
Ceefax pioneered the whole concept of on-demand information. Its influence? You can see it everywhere now: news tickers, smartphone notifications, apps like QFAX that pay homage to that distinctive aesthetic. For me, it was ahead of its time in so many ways.
RELIVE THE NOSTALGIA
QFAX brings back the teletext experience for modern football fans. Live scores on PAGE 316, Vidiprinter on PAGE 350, and On This Day on PAGE 381. Download now and step back in time.
