Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Dish network's text to speech Screenweader for the blind (youtube.com)
submitted by fastfinge
Marconius 2 points 6y ago
That's great, I just wish that DirectTV would catch up to the technology that dish and Comcast have. As much as I hate the company, the Comcast X one system actually work really well accessibility wise, with the remote you can speak into and their on screen text to speech system. DirectTV has a very rudimentary voice search system built into their app, and the app is quite accessible and works as both a remote control for their Genie DVR system, along with all the DVR controls and interactive channel and on demand guide, but it definitely could be better.
fastfinge [OP] 1 points 6y ago
Depending on where you live, have you considered just getting an antenna? There are some really good ways of getting accessible TV on your Apple TV if you have an antenna. You'll need an $1 that will connect to your TV antenna and your ethernet network. Then the $1 software will run both on IOS and Apple TV, so you can watch live TV anywhere on your home network. Audio description is fully supported, if the channel broadcasts it. If you don't want a PVR, just get the cheapest version of the HD HomeRun, and it'll work fine. I've done this, and it's saved me over a hundred dollars a month, and I get better access to live TV than any Canadian cable company offers.
Marconius 2 points 6y ago
I have an antenna, which worked well but we ended up getting DirecTV so we could watch our local hockey team live on TV. It also has secondary audio programming which the DVR actually records in a separate track which is pretty awesome for all of the shows we watch that contains it. We consume a lot of media along with HBO, AMC, stars, Showtime, etc. so this works out for us for now, and I am the only blind person in the household. My girlfriend has vision.
fastfinge [OP] 1 points 6y ago
All over the air TV has audio description on SAP as well, at least in Canada.
Other people in my house have vision, but they all want to watch Amazon Prime or Netflix anyway. We do wind up paying for MLB TV because people want that, but seeing as Baseball is the only sport we follow, it's still cheaper than cable. Though prices might be higher in Canada. Cable is something like $200 a month for the sports and premium packages (HBO, AMC, etc), while Netflix+MLB runs us about $28 a month. Paying 10 times as much just for TV isn't something we could do, even if we wanted it.
Other people in my house have vision, but they all want to watch Amazon Prime or Netflix anyway. We do wind up paying for MLB TV because people want that, but seeing as Baseball is the only sport we follow, it's still cheaper than cable. Though prices might be higher in Canada. Cable is something like $200 a month for the sports and premium packages (HBO, AMC, etc), while Netflix+MLB runs us about $28 a month. Paying 10 times as much just for TV isn't something we could do, even if we wanted it.
Nighthawk321 2 points 6y ago
Wow, this is pretty cool. I wonder how the audio description works?
fastfinge [OP] 1 points 6y ago
I'm a volunteer content transcriber for Reddit! $1
(00:00)
{Transcriber's note: the computer voice on the TV was extremely quiet and difficult to hear and understand throughout this video. I've done my best, but I would estimate that I have only achieved between 25 and 50 percent accuracy.}
[TV audio can be heard in the background. It is extremely quiet, and the words cannot be made out. The TV audio continues in the background while the presenter speaks. Based on the laugh track, the program may be a sitcom.]
(00:05)
[Text to speech can be heard, probably coming from an iPhone using Voiceover with the Samantha Voice. The words cannot be made out clearly.]
Hi my name is joe. I'm here to demonstrate the Dish Network text to speech feature for the Hopper III. So, uh, you have this, the Hopper...I have the Hopper III, uh, just got this about two weeks ago. And you have a remote control...uh I'm blind totally blind, so I dunno what you're going to be looking at, but here's the remote control. Uh, very basic, uh, I like it. It's very small, feels sleek in the hand, uh, you know you have your quick features like power, ummm, DVR button, apps button, home button, uh, menu, uh cancel, options, ummm, search, of course your number pad, channels up and down, mute, recall, those kind of things. So anyway, uh, to get to the accessibility menu, you hit options twice. Which options is, you have the power button on the top left, then the home button straight...kinda straight down on the like the first button on the, the top row of the left s...uh, uh, first buttons. Then you have the cancel button right below that, and then if you go one over you have the options button. So you press that twice, and it would bring up an accessibility option. And that speaks regardless of if text to speech is turned on or off. Uh, and you have things in there like magnification, uh, closed captioning, uh, audio description and text to speech. So If I hit that twice...
(01:33)
[a deep male computerized voice speaks]: options Enter accessibility menu.
(01:36)
You can hear that now.
(01:37)
[deep mail computer voice, speaking in the background]: closed caption is...audio description...magnific...text to...accessibility settings button. Cancel.
(01:45)
So, ummm,
(01:48)
[While the mail computerized voice was speaking, the TV audio could not be heard. When it stops speaking, the TV program returns to the background, in the middle of a laugh track.]
That kinda tells you like what's on. So I have text to speech already enabled. Uh, so I'm gonna hit the mini-guide and see what I'm seein' right now.
(01:54)
[mail computerized voice]: Mini guide. The King of Queens. 11:30 PM. TV Land 106.
(02:04)
Now what I did there is a quick guide. You can just hit the right arrow button and it will bring up a mini guide. Uh, so it's very basic information it doesn't really give you any descr...show description or anything. It just tells you what's coming on or what's on now and what's on next. And you can do that you can hit up and down and see the different channels. So If I hit
(02:21)
[male computer voice]: Mini guide.
br...bring it back up.
(02:23)
[male computer voice]: the King of Queens. 11:30 PM.
(02:25)
11:30 to 12::00. And if I hit right again. It's on again at 12.
(02:29)
[male computer voice]: The King of Queens.
12:30
[male computer voice]: the king of queens.
(02:32)
[male computer voice]: everybody loves raymond.
And then everybody loves Raymond's on at 1. So,
(02:36)
[male computer voice]: The King of Queens.. 11:30 PM.
(02:37)
Now if I hit up,
(02:40)
[Mail Computer Voice]: Geoff Braws Roasts criminals live. 11:00 PM. Comedy central...leviticus black magic. 11:05 PM. Lifeti...my crazy sex. 11:00 PM. Lifetime m...Chopped. 11:00 PM.
(03:01)
Now,
(03:03)
[male computer voice]: cancel.
I'm gonna hit cancel. Now,
(03:04)
[the TV audio returns once again in the background.]
If I knew, that there was something on like so if I hit the the guide button here. And I wanna know, maybe, uh, I'm gonna hit 1:39 4 TBS. Ummm. And we'll see...now I'll show you what this does here.
(03:24)
[male computer voice]: hit and run. TBS. 139. Movie 20 12. 2 of 4 star review. Charlie Bronson asks Shepherd. A nice guy with a shady past has a get away driver breaks out of the witness protection program in the backwater california town to drive his girlfriend, emmie krysyn belle, to Las Angeles for an important job interview. The pairs road trip takes an awkward and dangerous turn when they find that an inept federal agent, Tom Armond, and the mobster Brentley Cooper he testified against are both trying to hunt them down. HD. R. Press select to watch. Press info to go to detailed information.
(04:12)
Now I can hit right, and see other options here.
(04:18)
[male computer voice]: 1:30 to 4:00. The Mexican. Movie 2001. 2. 5 of 4 star review. Brad Pit stars as Jerry Welcome.
(04:28)
So it goes
(04:30)
[male computer voice]: The reluctant batman.
(04:30)
As you can tell, uh,
(04:31)
[male computer voice]: who has been given
(04:33)
Uh.
(04:37)
[male computer voice]: to 4:30 AM. New Burl.
(04:38)
So now, say I wanted to look maybe I wanted to record new girl. I could actually.
(04:42)
[the computer voice continues speaking in the background, but the words cannot be made out.]
I could actually click enter on this.
(04:49)
[male computer voice]: Jeff plans an engagement party for sheeting zees. Not realizing Ceci's Mum is still aware her daughter is getting married.
(04:55)
If I hit select.
(04:57)
[male computer voice]: Record this. Selectable option. 1 of 4.
(04:58)
So it brings up a menu here. I can record that, I can record the series, future airings, or see program info. And now I can just hit cancel to. Ummm, Now I'm gonna hit cancel again.
(05:16)
[The TV audio returns in the background]
And, so you can do things like, uh, view your DVR as well. Uh, you can actually go in and delete something and then also view the trash folder. You can do on demand. You can do apps. Uh, however Netflix and youtube do not speak. Uh, so that's, you know kind of a downer. But there third party apps, so I don't think that they're ever going to speak. Ummm, but, you know just having the channel guide is awesome. I mean, if I wanna know what's on HBO.
(05:50)
[male computer voice]: live TV. Now watching boxing. Miguelle Burghold verses francisco harvest. HBO east 300. Live TV.
(06:01)
I know I you know, I...I wish it didn't read you the live TV so much, but it is helpful, especially if you get stuck kind of like, if you get stuck kind of in a ummm, in a loop or maybe it...it is nice to know you're on live TV. But I wish, sometimes it's like Live TV. Live TV. But uh, it is very very helpful. I'm, I'm totally blind I've been waiting for this feature for a long time, other cable companies, there are a few cable companies, well AT&T is a big company that's not doing anything at this point. Uh, Time Warner is another one. Or Spectrum. Uh, have not done anything. I...I...I commend Verizon, uh, Dish network and uh Comcast. Comcast and Verizon are not available in my area, Dish Network is, and so I went ahead and switched to them. I...I really just like it. I mean, here's another thing that I like to, I...being a sports fan, you know having to flip through channel, I didn't wouldn't know who's playing until you know hopefully the announcers would say something. But if I hit like 143 for ESPN,
(07:05)
[male computer voice]: now watching CBK. Cansado at Pepperdine. ESPN2 143.
{Transcriber's note: transcription too long for a single comment. Part 2 is a reply to this comment.}
(00:00)
{Transcriber's note: the computer voice on the TV was extremely quiet and difficult to hear and understand throughout this video. I've done my best, but I would estimate that I have only achieved between 25 and 50 percent accuracy.}
[TV audio can be heard in the background. It is extremely quiet, and the words cannot be made out. The TV audio continues in the background while the presenter speaks. Based on the laugh track, the program may be a sitcom.]
(00:05)
[Text to speech can be heard, probably coming from an iPhone using Voiceover with the Samantha Voice. The words cannot be made out clearly.]
Hi my name is joe. I'm here to demonstrate the Dish Network text to speech feature for the Hopper III. So, uh, you have this, the Hopper...I have the Hopper III, uh, just got this about two weeks ago. And you have a remote control...uh I'm blind totally blind, so I dunno what you're going to be looking at, but here's the remote control. Uh, very basic, uh, I like it. It's very small, feels sleek in the hand, uh, you know you have your quick features like power, ummm, DVR button, apps button, home button, uh, menu, uh cancel, options, ummm, search, of course your number pad, channels up and down, mute, recall, those kind of things. So anyway, uh, to get to the accessibility menu, you hit options twice. Which options is, you have the power button on the top left, then the home button straight...kinda straight down on the like the first button on the, the top row of the left s...uh, uh, first buttons. Then you have the cancel button right below that, and then if you go one over you have the options button. So you press that twice, and it would bring up an accessibility option. And that speaks regardless of if text to speech is turned on or off. Uh, and you have things in there like magnification, uh, closed captioning, uh, audio description and text to speech. So If I hit that twice...
(01:33)
[a deep male computerized voice speaks]: options Enter accessibility menu.
(01:36)
You can hear that now.
(01:37)
[deep mail computer voice, speaking in the background]: closed caption is...audio description...magnific...text to...accessibility settings button. Cancel.
(01:45)
So, ummm,
(01:48)
[While the mail computerized voice was speaking, the TV audio could not be heard. When it stops speaking, the TV program returns to the background, in the middle of a laugh track.]
That kinda tells you like what's on. So I have text to speech already enabled. Uh, so I'm gonna hit the mini-guide and see what I'm seein' right now.
(01:54)
[mail computerized voice]: Mini guide. The King of Queens. 11:30 PM. TV Land 106.
(02:04)
Now what I did there is a quick guide. You can just hit the right arrow button and it will bring up a mini guide. Uh, so it's very basic information it doesn't really give you any descr...show description or anything. It just tells you what's coming on or what's on now and what's on next. And you can do that you can hit up and down and see the different channels. So If I hit
(02:21)
[male computer voice]: Mini guide.
br...bring it back up.
(02:23)
[male computer voice]: the King of Queens. 11:30 PM.
(02:25)
11:30 to 12::00. And if I hit right again. It's on again at 12.
(02:29)
[male computer voice]: The King of Queens.
12:30
[male computer voice]: the king of queens.
(02:32)
[male computer voice]: everybody loves raymond.
And then everybody loves Raymond's on at 1. So,
(02:36)
[male computer voice]: The King of Queens.. 11:30 PM.
(02:37)
Now if I hit up,
(02:40)
[Mail Computer Voice]: Geoff Braws Roasts criminals live. 11:00 PM. Comedy central...leviticus black magic. 11:05 PM. Lifeti...my crazy sex. 11:00 PM. Lifetime m...Chopped. 11:00 PM.
(03:01)
Now,
(03:03)
[male computer voice]: cancel.
I'm gonna hit cancel. Now,
(03:04)
[the TV audio returns once again in the background.]
If I knew, that there was something on like so if I hit the the guide button here. And I wanna know, maybe, uh, I'm gonna hit 1:39 4 TBS. Ummm. And we'll see...now I'll show you what this does here.
(03:24)
[male computer voice]: hit and run. TBS. 139. Movie 20 12. 2 of 4 star review. Charlie Bronson asks Shepherd. A nice guy with a shady past has a get away driver breaks out of the witness protection program in the backwater california town to drive his girlfriend, emmie krysyn belle, to Las Angeles for an important job interview. The pairs road trip takes an awkward and dangerous turn when they find that an inept federal agent, Tom Armond, and the mobster Brentley Cooper he testified against are both trying to hunt them down. HD. R. Press select to watch. Press info to go to detailed information.
(04:12)
Now I can hit right, and see other options here.
(04:18)
[male computer voice]: 1:30 to 4:00. The Mexican. Movie 2001. 2. 5 of 4 star review. Brad Pit stars as Jerry Welcome.
(04:28)
So it goes
(04:30)
[male computer voice]: The reluctant batman.
(04:30)
As you can tell, uh,
(04:31)
[male computer voice]: who has been given
(04:33)
Uh.
(04:37)
[male computer voice]: to 4:30 AM. New Burl.
(04:38)
So now, say I wanted to look maybe I wanted to record new girl. I could actually.
(04:42)
[the computer voice continues speaking in the background, but the words cannot be made out.]
I could actually click enter on this.
(04:49)
[male computer voice]: Jeff plans an engagement party for sheeting zees. Not realizing Ceci's Mum is still aware her daughter is getting married.
(04:55)
If I hit select.
(04:57)
[male computer voice]: Record this. Selectable option. 1 of 4.
(04:58)
So it brings up a menu here. I can record that, I can record the series, future airings, or see program info. And now I can just hit cancel to. Ummm, Now I'm gonna hit cancel again.
(05:16)
[The TV audio returns in the background]
And, so you can do things like, uh, view your DVR as well. Uh, you can actually go in and delete something and then also view the trash folder. You can do on demand. You can do apps. Uh, however Netflix and youtube do not speak. Uh, so that's, you know kind of a downer. But there third party apps, so I don't think that they're ever going to speak. Ummm, but, you know just having the channel guide is awesome. I mean, if I wanna know what's on HBO.
(05:50)
[male computer voice]: live TV. Now watching boxing. Miguelle Burghold verses francisco harvest. HBO east 300. Live TV.
(06:01)
I know I you know, I...I wish it didn't read you the live TV so much, but it is helpful, especially if you get stuck kind of like, if you get stuck kind of in a ummm, in a loop or maybe it...it is nice to know you're on live TV. But I wish, sometimes it's like Live TV. Live TV. But uh, it is very very helpful. I'm, I'm totally blind I've been waiting for this feature for a long time, other cable companies, there are a few cable companies, well AT&T is a big company that's not doing anything at this point. Uh, Time Warner is another one. Or Spectrum. Uh, have not done anything. I...I...I commend Verizon, uh, Dish network and uh Comcast. Comcast and Verizon are not available in my area, Dish Network is, and so I went ahead and switched to them. I...I really just like it. I mean, here's another thing that I like to, I...being a sports fan, you know having to flip through channel, I didn't wouldn't know who's playing until you know hopefully the announcers would say something. But if I hit like 143 for ESPN,
(07:05)
[male computer voice]: now watching CBK. Cansado at Pepperdine. ESPN2 143.
{Transcriber's note: transcription too long for a single comment. Part 2 is a reply to this comment.}
fastfinge [OP] 1 points 6y ago
(07:13)
So, it tells you know, the teams playing which, that feature is, we've never had access to something like that. And I think that's, that's really cool. Uh, the guide is nice. Ummm, I wish you could speed up speech. There's a few things I would change, umm, I mean, ummm, you know I wish, I wish that you could maybe have less verbosity at times. But overall it's something that the blind has not had and and you know we've, we've, you know it's kinda like the newest thing. Uh, this has been available since december 23rd, ummm this is the first release. And I think Dish Network did a hell of a job on there first release I'll be honest. I do. I mean, uh, you know, Comcast has had issues in the past, and they've, they kinda corrected that. I think Dish Network will be, will be willing to do so. When you sign up for the hopper if you're blind or if you have a hopper already, you just have to contact Dish and let them know. Uh, least that's what I hadda do when I signed up, I had to sign something from the FCC saying I was blind. I don't really understand all that. But ummm, apparently, I've heard mixed reviews on this and I don't know what's true, but, umm, the newest release from December 23rd if you hit options twice you should have the accessibility menu. However I've heard you have to request the accessibility mode. So I'm not sure what to believe I wish dish would make that a little bit more, uh, clear. I went ahead when I signed up and let them know I was blind and I needed the accessibility view and they knew exactly what I was talking about. So, I mean, I've not had an issue where no one knew. So, if you're, if you have any issues comment to me, uh, if you you know have any questions comment. Ummm, like I said, it's not perfect but it definitely is very cool to, I mean it's freedom, you know I can sit down with the remote control, go through the channels like anybody else, and it is, it is so awesome. Ummm, I mean even just like, I mean I, I mean I have millions of devices that tell me the weather. I mean the iPhone iPad, you know I got an echo, uh, all of which I could ask what the weather is. But I just sometimes like to bring up the, the weather app here. I'll show you real quick.
(09:21)
[mail computer voice]: weather button.
(09:28)
So I click on weather.
(09:28)
[male computer voice]: selected. Now. Bloomingville. kai. 37 degrees fahrenheit. Condition partly cloudy. Feels like 32 degrees fahrenheit. Wind WSW 6 MPH. Humidity 65 percent. Dew point 26.
(09:54)
I mean, I just I dunno why, I mean, it's just cool to have, have that on my, you know be able to access it like anybody else. I think it's kind of nice. I mean, you know just something extra I guess. But, ummm, Pandora is accessible it actually does work. I don't have mine set up or I'd demo it. Uh, I can't remember my password right now and I just haven't felt like messing with it, but, I do know that does work from another blind person. So I just wanted to show you the text to speech accessibility. Uh, and I hope you enjoy it.
(10:23)
[Voiceover can be heard from the iPhone once again]: stop recording. Button.
So, it tells you know, the teams playing which, that feature is, we've never had access to something like that. And I think that's, that's really cool. Uh, the guide is nice. Ummm, I wish you could speed up speech. There's a few things I would change, umm, I mean, ummm, you know I wish, I wish that you could maybe have less verbosity at times. But overall it's something that the blind has not had and and you know we've, we've, you know it's kinda like the newest thing. Uh, this has been available since december 23rd, ummm this is the first release. And I think Dish Network did a hell of a job on there first release I'll be honest. I do. I mean, uh, you know, Comcast has had issues in the past, and they've, they kinda corrected that. I think Dish Network will be, will be willing to do so. When you sign up for the hopper if you're blind or if you have a hopper already, you just have to contact Dish and let them know. Uh, least that's what I hadda do when I signed up, I had to sign something from the FCC saying I was blind. I don't really understand all that. But ummm, apparently, I've heard mixed reviews on this and I don't know what's true, but, umm, the newest release from December 23rd if you hit options twice you should have the accessibility menu. However I've heard you have to request the accessibility mode. So I'm not sure what to believe I wish dish would make that a little bit more, uh, clear. I went ahead when I signed up and let them know I was blind and I needed the accessibility view and they knew exactly what I was talking about. So, I mean, I've not had an issue where no one knew. So, if you're, if you have any issues comment to me, uh, if you you know have any questions comment. Ummm, like I said, it's not perfect but it definitely is very cool to, I mean it's freedom, you know I can sit down with the remote control, go through the channels like anybody else, and it is, it is so awesome. Ummm, I mean even just like, I mean I, I mean I have millions of devices that tell me the weather. I mean the iPhone iPad, you know I got an echo, uh, all of which I could ask what the weather is. But I just sometimes like to bring up the, the weather app here. I'll show you real quick.
(09:21)
[mail computer voice]: weather button.
(09:28)
So I click on weather.
(09:28)
[male computer voice]: selected. Now. Bloomingville. kai. 37 degrees fahrenheit. Condition partly cloudy. Feels like 32 degrees fahrenheit. Wind WSW 6 MPH. Humidity 65 percent. Dew point 26.
(09:54)
I mean, I just I dunno why, I mean, it's just cool to have, have that on my, you know be able to access it like anybody else. I think it's kind of nice. I mean, you know just something extra I guess. But, ummm, Pandora is accessible it actually does work. I don't have mine set up or I'd demo it. Uh, I can't remember my password right now and I just haven't felt like messing with it, but, I do know that does work from another blind person. So I just wanted to show you the text to speech accessibility. Uh, and I hope you enjoy it.
(10:23)
[Voiceover can be heard from the iPhone once again]: stop recording. Button.
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