Infocypher.....

[n1wbd]

Does anyone remember the Infocypher descramber? I believe at the time it was mainly for data service. This was a separate from the Digicypher. I believe it was very short lived did anyone ever have one and share the story behind? Was it used just data services or both video and data??

 

[B.J.]

Does anyone remember the Infocypher descramber? I believe at the time it was mainly for data service. This was a separate from the Digicypher. I believe it was very short lived did anyone ever have one and share the story behind? Was it used just data services or both video and data??

What I remember was way before there were any digicipher receivers, I think it was for the VCII receivers. The VCII receivers had a data port on the back that was supposed to be used with an external box, which I think was the Infocipher thing you mention. When I bought my first VCII, I looked into getting one, with the intention of receiving real time stock quotes on it. I can't remember if it wasn't yet available at the time, or if it was just too expensive, but I didn't get one. Basically, I think it was a vaporware type thing that never really got popular enough for the masses to buy into it. I'm sure they probably sold a few, but I never found a source of the boxes or a way to subscribe it if I had it. I seem to remember either buying or seeing one of the boxes at a hamfest, but by that time, the service was long gone if it ever was active at all.

 

[tvropro]

Yep worked with VC-2 for text services. Never really caught on though. I think TBS had a data stream on it back in about 87.

 

[B.J.]

Yep worked with VC-2 for text services. Never really caught on though. I think TBS had a data stream on it back in about 87.

I'm pretty sure that the digital service on TBS was a teletext signal. I had (maybe still have) one of those receivers, ie one of those kit things, and I'm pretty sure that TBS was one of the 2 or 3 channels that had teletext. It was pretty slow. I can't remember how it worked, perhaps through an audio subcarrier. It didn't last long though.
Then, somewhere around the 1996 time frame, Intel came out with a service that showed up on several VCII channels. This one was based on 2 or 3 of the VBI lines prior to the line 21 CC line. There were a few computer TV video cards that would read the VBI lines and display the digital data. I remember that for a while the Weather channel used this, and also CNN, and one or two other channels, but this too died.

 

[n1wbd]

I'm pretty sure that the digital service on TBS was a teletext signal. I had (maybe still have) one of those receivers, ie one of those kit things, and I'm pretty sure that TBS was one of the 2 or 3 channels that had teletext. It was pretty slow. I can't remember how it worked, perhaps through an audio subcarrier. It didn't last long though.
Then, somewhere around the 1996 time frame, Intel came out with a service that showed up on several VCII channels. This one was based on 2 or 3 of the VBI lines prior to the line 21 CC line. There were a few computer TV video cards that would read the VBI lines and display the digital data. I remember that for a while the Weather channel used this, and also CNN, and one or two other channels, but this too died.

I think your right, I remember teletext it was on TBS and 1 or 2 other stations never really took off here in US but is still popular in the UK and possibly Europe.

 

[tvropro]

Telestext was even on OTA in the early 80's. We had a service called Keyfax on one of the channels here in town. It was popular in England but the US didn't follow suit.

 

[coinmaster32]

InfoCipher 1500P: an early satmodem used with one-way data services such as X*Press X*Change.
From Wikipedia