TV stick with audio description?

I asked this a few weeks ago and was greeted by the sort ogf response you
normally get from the RNiB when they have no clue what you are on about. At
the moment it ssems to be the Panasonic TVs, Samart Talk or the TVonics PVR
all with speech.
I would say though that many do suggest to me that these pen interface
type tuners are pretty grotty in the signal side and thus not a lot of
good..
I'm sure some do have AD built in though I'd not know if the operating
software is accessible.

Brian

From the sofa of Brian Gaff -

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote in message
news:

(Note this post is crossposted to 3 'groups.)

Does anyone know of a USB-type TV receiver stick (for terrestrial, i. e.
FreeView) - or, at a pinch, additional software - that decodes AD (audio
description)? This is for use in the UK, though I don't know if the same
AD is used in any other countries. (I know France uses compatible
FreeView, but I don't know if that extends to AD.)
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur". ("Anything is more impressive
if
you say it in Latin")

On 18/06/2012 08:00, Brian Gaff wrote:

I asked this a few weeks ago and was greeted by the sort ogf response you
normally get from the RNiB when they have no clue what you are on about. At
the moment it ssems to be the Panasonic TVs, Samart Talk or the TVonics PVR
all with speech.
I would say though that many do suggest to me that these pen interface
type tuners are pretty grotty in the signal side and thus not a lot of
good..
I'm sure some do have AD built in though I'd not know if the operating
software is accessible.

Brian

surely it's down to the software rather than the tuner? - simply a case
of switching to a second audio stream.

Gareth.
That fly Is your magic wand.

"the dog from that film you saw" wrote in
message news:

On 18/06/2012 08:00, Brian Gaff wrote:

I asked this a few weeks ago and was greeted by the sort ogf response
you
normally get from the RNiB when they have no clue what you are on about.
At
the moment it ssems to be the Panasonic TVs, Samart Talk or the TVonics
PVR
all with speech.
I would say though that many do suggest to me that these pen interface
type tuners are pretty grotty in the signal side and thus not a lot of
good..
I'm sure some do have AD built in though I'd not know if the operating
software is accessible.

Brian

surely it's down to the software rather than the tuner? - simply a case of
switching to a second audio stream.

Gareth.
That fly Is your magic wand.

If the underlying reception is bad then the AD may become broken in the same
way that the main signal can result in broken dialogue and "blocking" of the
picture.

In message , Graham Harrison
writes:

"the dog from that film you saw" wrote
in message news:

On 18/06/2012 08:00, Brian Gaff wrote:

I asked this a few weeks ago and was greeted by the sort ogf
response you
normally get from the RNiB when they have no clue what you are on
about. At

Yes, I remember you asking.

the moment it ssems to be the Panasonic TVs, Samart Talk or the
TVonics PVR
all with speech.

Yes, but it seems a bit unfortunate if a blind person has to buy one of
the more expensive TVs, or a PVR, just to get AD, when USB TV sticks
cost from about 15 to 80 pounds; also, it's not as portable as a laptop
plus USB stick.

I would say though that many do suggest to me that these pen interface
type tuners are pretty grotty in the signal side and thus not a lot of
good..

Well, from my limited experience, they're not too bad when used with an
external aerial - and I'm hoping they'll improve after digital
switchover, when the digital signal will be turned up, in most cases by
a factor of ten (10 dB).

I'm sure some do have AD built in though I'd not know if the operating
software is accessible.

From, again, my limited experience (just three models), it's pretty not
so: I suppose designers of TV-delivering software don't see the visually
impaired as their primary target customers! Though one of those three is
the one used by one of my blind friends, who does manage to use it.
[]

surely it's down to the software rather than the tuner? - simply a
case of switching to a second audio stream.

I think even for sighted me, getting one tuner's software to work with
another tuner would be no minor task: I wouldn't really know where to
begin. I guess the Linux world might have different views, but for we
Windows users ...

That fly Is your magic wand.

If the underlying reception is bad then the AD may become broken in the
same way that the main signal can result in broken dialogue and
"blocking" of the picture.

Indeed. I'm hoping this will improve with the rise in signal strength.
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"... all your hard work in the hands of twelve people too stupid to get off jury
duty." CSI, 200x

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

Well, from my limited experience, they're not too bad when used with an
external aerial - and I'm hoping they'll improve after digital
switchover, when the digital signal will be turned up, in most cases by
a factor of ten (10 dB).

If only this were true.

I've lost most of my stations. Only a couple come in regularly, and
one fads in and out. I probably have about 25% of what was available
when it was analog. And I live in the city.

Paul