Teletext Extra Demonstration

Teletext Extra is a new service on Freeview. It is accessible by pressing the GUIDE button on your digital remote control from ANY channel on the Freeview service.

The following sections will help you to understand how to use the service and get the best out of Teletext Extra.

However if you have an outstanding query, or want to comment on the service, please go to the Feedback page

Using the EPG (Electronic Programme Guide)

The Teletext Extra EPG, shown above, is an enhanced 14-day TV Guide. You can access the TV Guide at any time by pressing the GUIDE or EPG button on your remote control. EXIT or Quit will return you to normal TV viewing.

The pages in this section should help you to use the new guide and get the most out of its features such as programme previews and the ability to set reminders.

How you receive the Guide

The TV Guide is updated in the early hours of each morning. In order to benefit from the 14 days of listings, your set top box must be left in Standby overnight. if you are concerned about the environmental impact of this, your box may have a super-low power standby mode. Check your manual for details.

If you don’t receive the broadcast or you unplug your box, pressing guide will download 2 days of TV listings. This may take a few minutes. The remaining guide will be updated at night.

How to get around - fast scrolling

You can use Up/Down and Left/Right keys on your remote control to navigate through the schedule.

You can 'Fast Scroll' through the listings by simply holding down the arrow keys on your remote. You can also move forwards and backwards a day at a time by pressing the Ch or Pr +/- keys.

How to get around - using the coloured buttons

The coloured fast text buttons will take you quickly between screens:

Red scrolls up one page of channels. From other screens, Red takes you back to the TV guide.

Green scrolls down one page of channels.

Yellow shows additional information related to the promotion at the bottom of the screen (if available).

Blue goes to the Teletext /Guide options menu.

In addition you may find the following keys useful:

0 shows additional information related to the promotion at the top of the screen (if available).

Prog+/- Skip forward or back 24 hours in the guide.

The Teletext/Guide Options menu

The menu are activated through the blue coloured buttons. The menu will be displayed at the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

The TV Guide menu allows you to access special features such as searching for programmes or setting reminders. The Teletext menu lets you link directly to the enhanced Teletext service and Teletext Holidays

Programme information/summaries

The main programme schedule is shown in half hour ‘slots’. If there is more than one programme in a ‘slot’, a small bar is shown in the corner of the programme slot to indicate this. The TV Guide will also display short summaries on each programme listed within the schedule at the top of the Guide.

Tuning to a channel

If you press SELECT/OK on the title of a programme you will go straight to that programme which will also exit the Guide.

Setting reminders

From the Teletext/Guide Options menu, select Add Reminder. A 'Reminder' shows an on-screen alert as a programme starts.

You can review, or delete, Reminders you have set by going to the Reminder list Page.

Viewing TV Guide by channel

The TV Guide’s default setting displays the programme schedule by time, similar to the usual “Now/Next” format used in many Electronic Programme Guides.
You can also view the guide by Channel, which is more convenient for browsing an entire evening’s programming on a single channel. Go to the Teletext/Guide Options menu and Select Change View.

Find All Episodes

From the Teletext/Guide Options menu, select Find All Episodes to search for all episodes of a programme or series. This will allow you to preview the synopsis of forthcoming episodes and set reminders for programmes that are of ineterest to you.

This feature can also be used within the following views: TV Guide, Search and Reminder List.

Guide Search

From the Teletext/Guide Options menu, select Search and enter the few letters of the programme name. Use the right and left arrows to go to the Search box and press SELECT/OK. The first 20 entries that match your search will be displayed.
You can refine the results by selecting Search from the Teletext/Guide Options menu again, and adding more letters.

Future releases

The TV Guide will be under constant review and development – ensuring you receive the best TV Guide possible.

Plans for future releases already include the ability to catch up on the plot developments of your favourite soaps and recommend a personalised viewing schedule for you.

Disabling the Guide

If you are unhappy with this service and wish to remove it, you can revert to your previous guide by selecting “old Guide” in your set top box set up menu.

Using the Teletext Extra editorial service

You can access your favourite Teletext sections from the EPG at any time by simply pressing the Text key on your remote control.

Alternatively you can press the blue fast text button on your remote control to activate the Teletext Menu. This includes a list of options to access various Teletext services – such as Teletext Holidays. Select Teletext and this will take you to the Home Page of the Teletext Extra editorial content.

Using indexes

The service employs two types of indexes – picture indexes and headline indexes.

The Home Page is an example of a picture index. You navigate around the index by using the arrow buttons on your remote control. As you pass over each square, you will see it becomes highlighted by a coloured box. Once the square is highlighted, pressing select will take you to the highlighted section.

Headline indexes are lists of links. Select an option by using the up and down arrows. As you move up and down the indexes, you will see a coloured bar move. To select an option, move the bar over the item and press select/OK.

Using the coloured buttons

Pressing the Red button will take you directly back to the TV guide.

Pressing the Green button takes you to the nearest index.

Pressing Yellow activates a pop-up menu containing links specific to the section you are in and enable you to quickly navigate around any section.

Pressing Blue activates the main menu which has links to all the main sections within the service.

Moving through stories

Once a story page is on screen, the up and down arrows will take you through sub-pages and then through other stories in the group.

Using the up and down keys will allow you to scroll through all the stories in the group. You will see the information at the bottom of the page change as you scroll through the stories.

Pictures and graphics

Unlike traditional Teletext services, Teletext Extra uses new images and graphics.

Many stories will now contain dynamic pictures to illustrate the latest breaking news. Graphics and pictures are also used in the right hand menu options. These can be accessed via the left/right arrow button on your remote control and pressing select will take you through to tht particular item.