4 ms·

Around ‘94 you could “download” games over satellite (BSkyB) links and play them. They were higher rez than this article has and far more dynamic. I got so good

by dayjah 4y ago

Around ‘94 you could “download” games over satellite (BSkyB) links and play them. They were higher rez than this article has and far more dynamic. I got so good at the darts game. This is a wonderful trip down memory lane <3

petercooper 4y ago
You can go back even further. If you had a BBC Micro, you could buy a Teletext unit to attach to it and download software over Teletext via system called "Prestel": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq53DO7zL_g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq53DO7zL_g I have vague memories of my dad managing to "hack" this system and get software for free as he worked out they used a simple XOR cipher on the BASIC source code sent over the air and most programs started with "10"!
- NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
  Prestel was a Viewdata service over dialup modem (usually V.23 1200/75 bps ones). The screen rendering looks a lot like Teletext but fundamentally this is completely different technology.
  - rahimnathwani 4y ago
    I recall a couple of things from 34 years ago: - If you used Micronet (a part within the broader Prestel system) between midnight and 8am, you weren't charged for the phone call [I guess this was easy to implement because BT ran both Prestel/Micronet and the phone system) - The phone number for 'The Gnome at Home' BBS was 888-8894 - A kind person I met on a BBS sent me a cassette in the mail that had software to upload data at 1200 baud (half duplex, as the modem couldn't do 1200/1200).
    - NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
      I remember running up a bill for £27 playing Shades on Micronet; seemed like a lot of money back then.
      - rahimnathwani 4y ago
        It was a lot of money!
  - petercooper 4y ago
    Aha! I was only 5-6 years old, so my memory is probably fuzzy :-) I do remember it had a Teletext box like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Micro_expansion_unit#/media/File:BBC_Teletext_Adapter.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Micro_expansion_unit#/medi... .. I also recall he would issue commands by dialling up but then download software that came over the air. I did some Googling and it may not have been Prestel (which he did also use) but something called "Telesoftware" – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telesoftware https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telesoftware – which involved software being distributed over Ceefax.
mpalfrey 4y ago
I'd guess you might be thinking of the darts game that Playjam had. This was on Sky Digital rather than analogue Sky, so more like 1998-1999. From memory the old analogue system didn't have any interactive features. I got addicted to that too, and Beehive Bedlam in 2001. I love TV tech. The old Teletext / Ceefax product was pretty impressive for its time and some insane engineering. I spent a number of years writing software for the TV industry (both backend and STB software) as a result of playing about with this when I was younger.
- petepete 4y ago
  My brother was so disappointed at losing Beehive Bedlam when we switched from Sky to NTL in ~2002. I remember asking around for something similar and he subsequently was hooked on Bust-a-Move for about 2 years. Music still etched on my brain. Fun times.

by dayjah 4y ago

petercooper 4y ago

You can go back even further. If you had a BBC Micro, you could buy a Teletext unit to attach to it and download software over Teletext via system called "Prestel": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq53DO7zL_g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq53DO7zL_g I have vague memories of my dad managing to "hack" this system and get software for free as he worked out they used a simple XOR cipher on the BASIC source code sent over the air and most programs started with "10"!

NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
Prestel was a Viewdata service over dialup modem (usually V.23 1200/75 bps ones). The screen rendering looks a lot like Teletext but fundamentally this is completely different technology.
- rahimnathwani 4y ago
  I recall a couple of things from 34 years ago: - If you used Micronet (a part within the broader Prestel system) between midnight and 8am, you weren't charged for the phone call [I guess this was easy to implement because BT ran both Prestel/Micronet and the phone system) - The phone number for 'The Gnome at Home' BBS was 888-8894 - A kind person I met on a BBS sent me a cassette in the mail that had software to upload data at 1200 baud (half duplex, as the modem couldn't do 1200/1200).
  - NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
    I remember running up a bill for £27 playing Shades on Micronet; seemed like a lot of money back then.
    - rahimnathwani 4y ago
      It was a lot of money!
- petercooper 4y ago
  Aha! I was only 5-6 years old, so my memory is probably fuzzy :-) I do remember it had a Teletext box like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Micro_expansion_unit#/media/File:BBC_Teletext_Adapter.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Micro_expansion_unit#/medi... .. I also recall he would issue commands by dialling up but then download software that came over the air. I did some Googling and it may not have been Prestel (which he did also use) but something called "Telesoftware" – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telesoftware https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telesoftware – which involved software being distributed over Ceefax.

mpalfrey 4y ago

I'd guess you might be thinking of the darts game that Playjam had. This was on Sky Digital rather than analogue Sky, so more like 1998-1999. From memory the old analogue system didn't have any interactive features. I got addicted to that too, and Beehive Bedlam in 2001. I love TV tech. The old Teletext / Ceefax product was pretty impressive for its time and some insane engineering. I spent a number of years writing software for the TV industry (both backend and STB software) as a result of playing about with this when I was younger.

petepete 4y ago
My brother was so disappointed at losing Beehive Bedlam when we switched from Sky to NTL in ~2002. I remember asking around for something similar and he subsequently was hooked on Bust-a-Move for about 2 years. Music still etched on my brain. Fun times.