How does the TV Videoplus numbering system work?

Videoplus is the UK version of a system which started in the 'States a couple of years ago under the name VCR+. There is a European version called ShowView. All these names are registered trade names of GemStar Inc. ShowView, VCR+ and Videoplus differ technically.


The goal of the system is to encode the day-number, channel number and the *published* start time and duration of a TV programme as a number of no more than 8 digits (or 9 with some Showview codes) such that the encoding can be called proprietary, and that Gem-Star can raise revenue by selling the codes to newspapers. They also licence use of the system to be built into VCRs and stand-alone decoder handsets.





Codes are cunningly arranged to be small numbers in the case of prime-time material and progressively longer numbers for the more obscure time slots. It is done by arranging popular timeslots to be earliest in a giant lookup table.How does the TV Videoplus numbering system work?
television listings in magazines or newspapers all have a code in brackets after the programme details, you only need to enter this code and the `videoplus` system will start and stop the recording of that programme automatically . hope this helps. phil.How does the TV Videoplus numbering system work?
you just input the code numbers when prompted, dead easy





and just to repeat the copy and paste above ^





http://tallyho.bc.nu/~steve/videoplus.ht鈥?/a>





only problem is when a programme starts late it doesnt compensate for that, so if the programme overruns then you will miss the end.





skys digital box is more 'intelligent' it starts recording when the programme actually starts not from the time its spose to





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the numbers are a code representing the start and end time, data and channel for the recording so all you have to do is enter the code and it'll do it all itself!
as above, the start and end time, and the channel are coded into the number.


The problem is that channels often run off-schedule. So you can lost the beginning or (more often) the end of your recorded programme.


The likes of Sky+ works differently. The box is 'told' when each programme actually starts, whether it's on time or not.