Teletext being shut down

[Starisnotanumber]

I understand teletext is being closed down next month. Ddad uses it to look up football and cricket scores and weather etc. He has just a basic freeview television and does not have Internet or smartphone just an old brick phone that he hardly ever uses just uses the landline if he wants to call anyone.
Anything I can buy him for Christmas that will do a similar job, he doesn't want Internet and says it confuses him when I try to show him on our TV.

How about a tablet, he is probably struggling with the fact a button on his tv may have more than one use. Phones are probably too small. You can buy keyboards for tablets if he doesn’t like touch screen. You could set up apps he needs then it’s just literally click them.

I booked my honeymoon on teletext.

Could try him with one of ours when he comes round see if he can get to grips with it. He's heard so many horror stories about people being ripped off(reads Daily Mail) that he doesn't trust Internet.
Looks like he will have to pay for TV licence as well.

A tablet won't be any good without WiFi though.

Most of your options are going to rely on him getting WiFi installed, or paying for a contract with data included. If he won't do that; you're probably stuck with a radio, maybe?

Looking at a phone with Internet access going to go into store this afternoon and see which has biggest screen and how much a month it would be.
BBC are cutting off lots of people who use teletext on their own website it states 40% of over 75 are none users of Internet

Like the OP I use this from time to time, especially as you can do so whilst watching BBC TV and save having to turn on your phone or PC/Mac/tablet.

Cricket scores I assume must be read out on certain radio 5 live sports bulletins, and football scores likely too. Perhaps on Talk Radio. I think those channels are available on a Freeview TV (well they are on mine).

Weather is at least once an hour on BBC News 24 or Sky News.

Does it still have the Bamboozle quiz? That used to be the highlight of my day about 30 years ago (probably doesn't say much for the wildness of my teen years).

If his area has good 4g signal & he doesn’t want WiFi m GiffGaff don’t charge the earth for data only sims. It’s contract free & it recommends the best package for you based on your usage from the previous month. We use one in our iPad for if we’re going on a long journey, we usually just do the 500mb & then leave data on when we get home until it runs out. info here

I didnt know teletext was still going.
I dont think my remote HAS a teletext button.
I remember bamboozle and the kids one on the weekend

I came on to mention Bamboozle too!

Radio 5? They do sports.

This is the problem with not keeping up though, the tech you can use becomes obsolete & your world shrinks a little bit.

I used to play Bamboozle with dsis and we would check the advent calendar page on the run up to Christmas.

Shouldn't he have TV license already?

He's over 75 so he qualifies for a free licence. This is being changed in June 2020 unless Boris does something and allows the free licence to continue

Shouldn't he have TV license already?

That doesn’t help the OP. But yes he should, and assuming he’s 75 or older, he won’t have had to pay for it - but possibly (probably? definitely?) will have to pay in the future.

Aww man. I can imagine that would socially isolate a lot of folks who use teletext. I second a tablet though. I got my mum a kindle fire a few years back, she looks up everything now. Doesn't Internet bank or anything like that , but looks at recipes, football results for dad, sewing patterns. She's a convert.

No help I’m afraid op but I thought some might be interested to know that there are Teletext archeologists. They get old video tapes recorded from broadcast tv and they can pull the teletext pages off them.

teletextarchaeologist.org/

Oh yes, I remember the advent calendar too! Such low-tech delights

Thanks for your help. I have seen a couple of phones with biggish screens this afternoon and will see if he can use a tablet when he comes round.
It's difficult really ddad never did much reading or writing after he left school just gets a daily newspaper that he can read at his own speed.
Technology is moving so quickly so many people are being left behind the BBC is more concerned with being woke and the youth programmes not caring that the really elderly people are being ignored

4-T and Wiggly anyone?

What about an Alexa or Google equivalent? Then he can just ask if to read out the results. It's very simple to learn to use and once set up by you requires no technical no how whatsoever

Good news today for anyone affected the BBC have apparently decided not to cancel the Red button text service.
Better late than never