Textable

Product Introduction

1. Textable is an AI-powered platform that generates complete Teletext channels from user prompts, replicating the blocky, retro visual style of 1980s-1990s broadcast teletext systems. Users input creative concepts (e.g., "pirate news channel" or "cursed horoscopes"), and the platform automatically produces themed pages containing articles, ads, puzzles, and graphics in authentic Teletext format. The system supports multi-page channels with time-stamped updates, simulated page numbers (e.g., 300-799 range), and compatibility with modern sharing tools.
2. The core value lies in democratizing retro media creation by combining nostalgic aesthetics with generative AI, enabling users to produce functional Teletext content without design skills or historical technical knowledge. It solves the problem of manually recreating obsolete digital formats while maintaining authentic constraints like 40-column text limits, limited color palettes, and character-based graphics.

Main Features

1. Prompt-to-Channel Generation: Users input natural language prompts (e.g., "Mystic Pizza Hotline") to generate 10+ interconnected pages with AI-created content types including fake news headlines, trivia quizzes, ASCII art advertisements, and simulated sports scores. The system uses constrained language models to maintain period-appropriate terminology and Teletext-specific formatting rules.
2. Dynamic Content Scheduling: Channels automatically update with time-stamped pages (e.g., "21 Nov 2025, 00:41") using a simulated editorial calendar, mimicking broadcast TV teletext behavior. Users can configure update frequency from real-time modifications to weekly cycles, with AI maintaining narrative continuity across updates.
3. Community Template System: Prebuilt templates like "Stellar Sleepover Scheduler" (page 438) and "Mega Synthwave Parade" (page 515) provide starter frameworks that users can remix, featuring modular components such as scrolling news tickers, interactive choose-your-own-adventure segments, and pixel-art generators optimized for 6-color Teletext palettes.

Problems Solved

1. Historical Format Accessibility: Eliminates the need for users to learn obsolete Teletext editing systems like BBC Micro or Prestel by automating page numbering, color coding, and navigation links through AI. The platform handles technical constraints like 960-character page limits and horizontal rule formatting automatically.
2. Niche Creative Demand: Serves retrocomputing enthusiasts, alternate reality game designers, and viral marketing teams requiring period-authentic digital props. The "From the Community" section shows active use cases including fictional sports leagues (HYPERSPORT TXT 2089), AI persona channels (Dylan Goldblatt Personal AI), and branded training simulations (POS TRAINING CHANNEL).
3. Rapid Prototyping Needs: Enables creation of functional Teletext demos within 2-3 minutes for applications like museum exhibits, film/TV production design, and interactive theater experiences. The "92 generations left today" counter indicates enterprise-grade usage quotas for high-volume creators.

Unique Advantages

1. Period-Accurate Technical Constraints: Unlike generic ASCII art generators, Textable enforces authentic Teletext limitations including PAGE/SUB page navigation (e.g., 3xx main pages, 7xx subpages), CLUT-5 color encoding, and mosaic graphic blocks. Generated content passes validation checks against original 1986 CEPT T/CD 6-3 specifications.
2. AI-Powered Content Continuity: The system maintains persistent character arcs and plotlines across updates, as seen in serialized channels like "TROLL & ELF TELETEXT" with 11 interconnected pages. This uses a fine-tuned GPT-4 variant with 2KB context windows to simulate 1980s computing memory limitations.
3. Cross-Platform Compatibility: Generated channels export as .tti files for hardware emulators (Memotech MTX, Acorn BBC Master), web-based viewers using JavaScript Teletext decoders, and thermal print simulations. The "CRYPTIC COVE TXT" example demonstrates integration with real-world puzzle hunts through QR-to-page-number encoding.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How does page numbering work? Textable auto-assigns 3-digit numbers following Teletext conventions: 100-199 for index pages, 300-399 for news, 500-599 for entertainment. Users can override defaults using syntax like "●515" in prompts for specific page ranges.
2. Can I edit AI-generated pages? Yes, using the Build interface to modify text blocks, mosaic graphics, and navigation links while preserving format compliance. Edits apply retroactive consistency checks to prevent color/character overflows.
3. What's the "92 generations left" counter? This tracks daily API calls for free-tier users, with each channel creation consuming 1-3 generations depending on page count. Enterprise plans offer unlimited generations and team collaboration features.
4. How are community templates structured? Templates like "Mystic Pizza Hotline" include predefined page types (menu, order tracker, ingredient trivia) with editable variables. Users fork templates while retaining original creator attribution in the metadata.
5. Is real Teletext hardware supported? Exported .tti files work with SCART-enabled TVs via Raspberry Pi Teletext adapters. The platform includes signal simulation for phosphor decay and PAL/SECAM color system artifacts.