Nov 07, 2009
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EXCLUSIVE: Analysis: Teletext's EPG troubles

Friday, March 7 2008, 09:35 UTC - by Dave West, Media Correspondent

Teletext today responded to a rising tide of complaint about its programme guide for Freeview, which it has sent to about 3.5m boxes. The firm apologised and, though insisting the problems with the Extra service were minor, revealed that developers were prioritising fixes and improvements to the service. Digital Spy here looks in depth at the service and why it has caused a stir.

It is colourful, new and, if not there already, is coming to a Freeview box near you. Teletext Extra is a souped-up programme guide carrying news, information and lots of cash-generating banner adverts along with them.

The service is good-looking, free and offers more content than any regular Freeview guide. As Teletext and developer InView agree deals with all the major set-top-box makers, Extra has already changed the face of viewing in up to 3.5m digital terrestrial homes.

"This is one of the most exciting developments in DTT technology since the launch of Freeview itself," said the company's business development chief, Neil Johnson, on its launch. "Our new service will vastly improve the viewing experience for millions of customers."

But it is not so much its spangly graphics or holiday deals that are bringing in the users, as Extra's inventive method of distribution. Since the service began rolling out last spring viewers across the country have been greeted with an on-screen request to "update" their Freeview boxes.

Unsurprisingly, millions have been saying yes, then receiving an "over air" change to their box that is all-but irreversible. Many must be enjoying the service.

Dozens, however, in a steady but hastening stream to the Digital Spy forums, have been complaining of problems. Several have also told Ofcom, which said it is aware of the "issue", 83 have contacted Teletext while others have gone to their box manufacturers.

Though a good idea, and much unlike any other service, Extra is in theory limited to an optional programme guide carrying extra information, a little similar to the BBC's "red button" interactive provision. So how much of a problem can it cause?

In more than 1,250 posts, DS readers have documented a still-growing list of issues they attribute to Extra. They vary from irritation at its banner ads to set-top boxes that completely stop functioning.

"I am another victim of the Teletext Extra woe," wrote member Ken G. "I have had a Digilogic DSTB 1000 for the past 26 months working without problem until last week when I carried out the 'Upgrade' download."

He found his Freeview box would refuse to come out of standby without completely rebooting, then every time he turned it on it had to carry out a full first time installation. "I can't help wondering how many others may have thought their box was at fault and just gone out and bought a new one," he said.

Reader Newbaby was particularly galled with the way the download was presented, which he said he "happily accepted". He continued: "Something that had worked perfectly well now needed rescanning not just daily but hourly." He found his remote control's volume functions had broken and Five had disappeared.

"It's incredibly irritating that a perfectly good digi box is now plagued with problems because of what's euphemistically called an upgrade: if there was any doubt about future operation of boxes - perhaps those of a certain age - the opportunity to update/upgrade should carry a caveat about potential problems, and then one would have the choice of whether or not to proceed."

Problems cited include becoming stuck on a particular channel, not being able to turn off the Extra guide, which appears each time the TV is turned on, and general usability issues. However, the most common and serious, and one that Teletext has now publicly acknowledged, is with the set-top box crashing overnight.

Extra updates its 14-day television guide nightly by sending data at 3am and, says Teletext, an "intermittent" fault means the download is causing some boxes to freeze. The hardware can appear to continually crash and require time-consuming resets every day.

The company believes this bug, which did not reveal itself in testing, is central to the problems that have been reported. It also points out that its 83 complaints to date represent 0.002% of the total rollout. Developers at InView are now working on a fix which they expect to send out "later this month".

In light of the chequered past of UK digital terrestrial, which only got off the ground after several failed attempts, those involved are aware of the need for careful management. The BBC in particular has highlighted the public money it has poured in to back up requests for extra spectrum for HD, and to oppose Sky's moves into DTT. Freeview itself is said to be "looking at how many people (the problem) is affecting", without commenting specifically.

Even without the bugs, should there be some concern about the unclear, some have said intrusive, way in which it enters set top boxes? The carefully stage-managed move to convert the UK to digital relies to a large extent on accessible, well functioning Freeview. It is the most used digital service, and particularly important to the elderly and less able.

Teletext is also now responding to complaints about the imposing nature of Extra for some viewers. It is planning an update to Thomson and Alba boxes which will allow users to revert completely to their original programme guide.

"We take the responsibilities that go with this download process very seriously, and we are also keeping the regulator informed of our progress," Teletext told Digital Spy. However, the firm and its partners are confident in their product, and plan to press on.

"Given the very large number of boxes involved in the downloads we and the manufacturer are pleased with the process so far...Teletext Extra is already available to around 3.5 million Freeview viewers. By the end of this year, it will be available (via over-air downloads) to approximately 7m existing set-top boxes. In addition, up to 2m new boxes will have the service pre-installed be the end of the year."

From the company's commercial intentions it is clear Teletext Extra will increasingly be a fixture in viewers' living rooms. Still, members of the unofficial "Teletext Extra Bugs club", still swelling on the DS forums, will hope the service is not packaged with quite so many problems in future.

> Click here for Teletext Extra discussions on the Digital Spy forums