Videotext technology: an overview with special reference to transaction processing as an interactive service or Everything you never wanted to know about text on TV and were terrified that someone would tell you

Abstract This paper presents a comprehensive overview of videotext technology with specific reference to transaction processing. Transaction processing is taken to include: banking, shopping, ticket booking and the downline loading of software. The overview characterizes the interactive transaction services offered by videotext systems. First, the hardware aspects of delivery of the information are considered including broadcast delivery and telephone and cable network delivery. Second, the software aspects of the construction of the information are discussed, including character and graphics (picture) generation. Last, the interactive services offered on videotext systems are reviewed, including transaction modes, dialogue types, task elements and user classification. Conclusions are drawn with respect to the suitability of videotext systems for different modes of transaction processing.