FAQS! FACTS! FAX! 058 (20/05/97)

TEXT ON TAPE

My husband and I are dependent on teletext subtitles however, we record a lot of programmes, and the subtitling is lost. Do you know of any VCRs that can record teletext, and if so could you recommend one? We’re on a limited income and cannot afford to make mistakes.

S. Sheaf, Chichester

A

The standard VHS recording system doesn’t have sufficient capacity to record the full teletext datastream, that’s transmitted alongside TV programmes. A few Super VHS machines can do it, though it’s not very reliable and more often than not the text is badly corrupted. Several VCRs can tape subtitles, though instead of recording the actual teletext data, they decode the subtitles and ‘burn’ them into the picture. That means they’re permanently on the screen,  so you can’t get rid of them, which is worth bearing in mind if you live in a household of mixed hearing abilities.

Philips make three VCRs with subtitle recording facilities, they’re the VR668, VR768 and VR769 that sell for £400, £500 and £800 respectively. (The first two are being discounted by £30 at the moment). The Akai VSG2400 can also record subtitles, though this is another fairly expensive machine, with Dolby Pro Logic surround sound facilities as well, it costs £700. In September Akai will be introducing another one, the VSG-878, selling for £450. You may also be interested to know that later this year Hitachi are planning to launch a range of TVs with built-in Closed Caption decoders, that can display specially recorded text subtitles on many movies on tape, and some TV programmes broadcast by BSKYB.

Contacts:

Akai UK Ltd., Telephone 0181-897 6388

Hitachi Home Electronics, Telephone 0181-849 2000

Philips Consumer Electronics Telephone 0181-689 4444

TOO OLD FOR FAX?

I would like to know whether or not I can use my computer to send and receive faxes. The PC is made by Digital, model number 65L-A3, which I understand is an enhanced 386, with 8 megabytes of RAM. My brother, who lives in Australia, has a more up to date computer with fax facilities. He suggests that I purchase a fax machine. I am a complete beginner with computers  but I understand I can buy a chip, that will upgrade my machine to a 486. Local computer dealers I have spoken to say I will need a new motherboard as well.  I am retired and living on a pension, so cost is a consideration.

Ronald J. Withers, New Romney

A

The cheapest solution by far would be to buy a fax modem. Communications of this kind are well within the capabilities of your present PC, so there’s no need to upgrade. Moderately fast external 14.4k modems are now selling for less than £50. If your main aim is to send text documents to your brother, you may find it cheaper and easier to use e-mail. You (and your brother) will have to subscribe to an on-line service, but this needn’t be expensive -- typically between £6 to 10 a month for light to moderate use -- and it will give you access to the internet as well. All calls are charged at the local rate, even if you’re sending an e-mail letter to Australia. The downside of using your PC as a fax machine is that you will have to leave it switched on, to receive faxes, in which case a dedicated fax would be better, they’re generally a little faster too, moreover they can transmit hand-written documents and graphics.  

NET DISABILITY

I know a child who is confined to a wheelchair with muscular dystrophy.  His computer is an important part of his life, but is presently used for game playing only.  I think the internet and e-mail would be an exciting window on the outside world but his parents are worried about the cost.  He has severe difficulty using a keyboard, and is quite slow with a mouse too,  therefore, the cost of access time would be prohibitive.  Do you know of any organisations, ISPs, or telecommunication companies that have special provisions for handicapped children. Also, are there any reasonably priced alternative input devices to mice and keyboards suitable for use by people with these handicaps?

Chris Mills

A

BT and CompuServe tell us they have no special rates or facilities for people with this type of disability, either for the cost of phone calls, or for using their internet services.  However, call charges need be only a relatively small proportion of the overall cost of going on-line. Most of the major service providers can now be accessed via local-rate numbers, that work out at around 1p a minute at weekends. AOL say they will consider cases on an individual basis and they do provide free or low-cost accounts to disabled customers. The man to speak to is Richard Methuen, who can be reached at 0171-385 9404.  

Computability, owned and operated by Warwick University in association with IBM, specialise in all types of computer and office technology equipment for the disabled. They can be contacted at: The Computability Centre, PO Box 94, Warwick CV34 5WS, or telephone (01926) 312847.

It’s also worth getting in touch with the related association or society; the Muscular Dystrophy Group have considerable experience in this area. Their telephone number is 0171-720 8055, or, if you have internet access: http://www.sonnet.co.uk/rupert/index.htm