Panasonic talks up TV for the blind

Panasonic has announced that its 2012 Viera TVs will speak out to blind and optically challenged folk and tell them what the sets are showing. The Japanese giant claimed it is the first telly maker to do so. The system is a take on the audio navigation feature seen on a number of DVD and Blu-ray releases, which hides away the …

[Anonymous Coward]

Whatever next?

Radio for the Deaf?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Whatever next?

They also came up with this for deaf telephone users:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7L3iSZsNpY

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Whatever next?

Who said that? Sorry, I can't hear you very well.

[Graham Dawson]

I don't know if you've noticed, but television programs aren't just pictures. Plenty of blind people "watch" television - they can still hear it.

God knows why they'd want to but they can.

[Mike Flugennock]

TV for the blind?

That would be "radio", right?

[Tom 35]

Re: TV for the blind?

I had a Radio with TV audio (worthless now as it was for analogy TV) that was a lot simpler that a TV that you are not going to watch.

[Christian Berger]

Re: TV for the blind?

I wonder how that worked, did it read out teletext for you so you knew what kinds of shows were on, or did you need to "zap"?

[Bob H]

It is also worth noting it is not just those who are "optically challenged" that benefit from this type of technology. There are a significant number of people with cognitive impairments that prevent them from reading what is on a screen. I applaud Panasonic on adding this assistive technology to their expensive products.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Which 'Not The Nine O'Clock News' sketch was that?

see link in the reply by AC to the top post, it's a classic.

[frank ly]

Re: Which 'Not The Nine O'Clock News' sketch was that?

I've withdrawn my post because it made me look like a bigger idiot than I actually am. Thank you for your kind reply.

(One of my many security and privacy plug-ins was blocking the You Tube content in the main article)

[Not Elvis]

Well....

If they can make TV for the blind, I guess the next thing will be Mime troops performing at blind conventions.

[Bill Neal]

Re: Well....

and a treadmill for quadriplegics? shooting range for the blind? MP3 player for the deaf? how about a division of amputees in the "special" forces?

I'm not discriminating, I'm empowering them right?

How about Samsung make a gesture recognizing TV that recognizes black people. Start small, right?

How do they come up with this stuff?

[Random Handle]

>The Japanese giant claimed it is the first telly maker to do so.

Perhaps someone should tell them about Sky Talker....

[Leona A]

This is great of Panasonic to do this, I hope it will Read out the EPG as I know I struggle to read this, even on my 42 Inch Plasma, you usually can not change the colour scheme, which is usually pale writing on a pale background, really hard to read!

Finally after 12 years of the DDA and now Equalities Act manufacturers are starting to produce accessible devices!

[BoxedSet]

Hopefully it will be an option in a menu to turn on rather than gibbering away insanely at every single press of the remote.....

Shame the marcel marceau overlay from late night/early morning stuff isn't an option. I find it quite mesmerising having some guy in the corner of the screen waving away furiously, no doubt telling the insomniacs amongst us to go back to bed! Would be nice to be optional for the minority, rather than compulsory for the majority!