A system for video recorder programming using existing television broadcast teletext transmissions. The programs required are chosen from schedules displayed on teletext pages, the necessary control information is loaded automatically into a video recorder, and program labels are transmitted to ensure that the correct programs will be recorded even if program timings are altered. All the control information for achieving the above are fitted into the coding structure of a teletext transmission using extension packets additional to data packets containg display data. The invention also extends to a video recorder with its own teletext decoder for processing the control information.