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Vintage Computers Any vintage computer systems, calculators, video games etc., but with an emphasis on 1980s and earlier equipment.

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Old 27th Dec 2021, 11:46 am   #1
Phil__G
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Default Early BBC TV computer programmes

I'm trying to remember a program that the BBC ran decades ago but its eluding me Each episode featured a computer-program 'download' transferred via black & white flashing areas of the TV screen, over which the viewer would attach an LDR sensor wired to (IIRC) a ZX81. It was slow of course but did actually work. This was (I think) pre- 'BBC Micro' though, so it probably was before 'The Computer Programme' and 'Micro Live', I cant remember if it was aimed at the ZX80 or 81, I had neither so at the time so although the overall programme was good, the 'flashy download' wasnt of particular interest then.
Search results are dominated by BBC Micro stuff so I've not found anything.
Maybe my memory is playing tricks again?
Cheers
Phil
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Old 27th Dec 2021, 12:31 pm   #2
Dave Moll
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Default Re: Early BBC TV computer programmes

Unfortunately, the only software downloadable from the BBC that I can remember was the "telesoftware" for the BBC Micro put out in the Teletext - cancelled not long after I purchased a Teletext adaptor for my BBC Micro, but I did manage to download a few programs, including a BBC Micro version of the Kermit file transfer software.

What Phil describes must be earlier than this, so presumably pre-dates my involvement with personal computers - when computers to me filled a room the size of a football pitch and we programmers had to submit programs on decks of punched cards.
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Old 27th Dec 2021, 12:42 pm   #3
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Default Re: Early BBC TV computer programmes

And there was the fast paging type in yourself thing. You recorded it and played back with freeze frame, typing as you go.
 
Old 27th Dec 2021, 2:33 pm   #4
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Default Re: Early BBC TV computer programmes

Are you sure the 'flashing square' was on a BBC programme? I thought it was one of the other TV channels, but I may well be wrong.

I do remember the BBC Radio 4 'Chip Shop' programme in the 1980s with the 'chip shop takeaway' which was computer programs in Basicode format transmitted in the middle of the night. You bought a cassette from the BBC with Basicode loader programs for most common home computers (BBC micro, TRS-80, PET, C64, etc) on one side and demo programs on the other. You then loaded the appropriate loader for your computer and could then load/run the demo programs or the ones you'd recorded off the radio.
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Old 27th Dec 2021, 5:57 pm   #5
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Default Re: Early BBC TV computer programmes

Wow thats something else I'd completely forgotten about Tony. Basicode!
Now I do remember the overnight radio downloads, would that be maybe 1981/2?
The TV flashing squares download thing may well have been on another channel, I'm probably wrong in guessing it was the Beeb. At the time there were only 4 channels!
I'm fairly sure it was a thing though. I recall the TV program continued whilst the flashing transfer was happening in one corner. I've a vague recollection of suitable hardware as a homebrew project in the electronics mags (very little to it - probably an LDR and a schmitt into the cassette port) Or I might well be dreaming the whole thing. Getting old sucks
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Old 27th Dec 2021, 7:02 pm   #6
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Default Re: Early BBC TV computer programmes

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil__G View Post
At the time there were only 4 channels!
As long as it was after 2nd November 1982, when Channel 4 launched, otherwise there were only three national television channels.
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Old 27th Dec 2021, 7:17 pm   #7
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Default Re: Early BBC TV computer programmes

Yes. I remember this - I had one of the devices you stuck to the screen.

If anyone has better google-fu than me and can find out the programme, I too would be grateful.

Colin.
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Old 27th Dec 2021, 8:21 pm   #8
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Default Re: Early BBC TV computer programmes

Database?

https://youtu.be/16NwJwAmbcs?t=1497
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Old 27th Dec 2021, 10:20 pm   #9
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Default Re: Early BBC TV computer programmes

Thats it! so maybe I'm not going senile after all! See the flashing thing at 7:20 into the video! 1985 is much later than I thought. Also its much more complicated than I remembered - I thought it was on or off serial, but it appears to be at least 4 bits. Could there have been an on/off predecessor?
this guy recalls a simple photodiode in a rubber sucker...
Cheers
Phil
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Old 27th Dec 2021, 10:55 pm   #10
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Default Re: Early BBC TV computer programmes

When I click that link I get "Hmm...this page doesn’t exist. Try searching for something else."
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Old 27th Dec 2021, 11:31 pm   #11
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Default Re: Early BBC TV computer programmes

Sorry, too late to edit. It was an old cached url, I must have posted the raw url. Its just a few comments about this system thats all. Try this:
LINK

Yep that works.
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Old 28th Dec 2021, 10:20 am   #12
Dave Moll
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Default Re: Early BBC TV computer programmes

I see that "anotherhowie" had also mistaken it for early 1980s BBC.

By the way, thank you to "wireman" for the link to the Thames Television programme on Youtube. It was certainly interesting to see it, as this must have passed me by at the time.
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Old 28th Dec 2021, 11:20 am   #13
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Default Re: Early BBC TV computer programmes

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil__G View Post
Thats it! so maybe I'm not going senile after all! See the flashing thing at 7:20 into the video! 1985 is much later than I thought. Also its much more complicated than I remembered - I thought it was on or off serial, but it appears to be at least 4 bits. Could there have been an on/off predecessor?
this guy recalls a simple photodiode in a rubber sucker...
Cheers
Phil
It looks like 8 bits a frame to me but also it is on/off serial. Remember the TV picture is scanned at 64 us a line so each bit will be separated out as a pulse or hole.
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