Sound only

My mother (who is blind) has an (analogue) TV sound box so she can, at
least, listen to the TV. This will become useless on change to digital.
Does anyone know of a similar (digital) product? It's got to be cheap.

Thanks.

Bill Ridgeway

Bill Ridgeway wrote:
My mother (who is blind) has an (analogue) TV sound box so she can, at
least, listen to the TV. This will become useless on change to
digital. Does anyone know of a similar (digital) product? It's got
to be cheap.

Any cheap set top box will receive the signal, but she'll need an amplifer
to take the audio output from it, so it sounds a bit complicated, unless of
course she already has a hi-fi system or something similar.

Have you tried the RNIB website? They might have something useful on there.

In article ,
Bill Ridgeway wrote:
My mother (who is blind) has an (analogue) TV sound box so she can, at
least, listen to the TV. This will become useless on change to digital.
Does anyone know of a similar (digital) product? It's got to be cheap.

All the FreeView boxes I've seen produce an analogue audio output. But
this would need to be fed to some form of external amplifier/speaker.
FreeView also carries most of the radio services.

Was the old unit specially produced for this job? If so likely pretty
expensive due to low volumes of production.

--
*A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Bill Ridgeway wrote:
My mother (who is blind) has an (analogue) TV sound box so she can, at
least, listen to the TV. This will become useless on change to digital.
Does anyone know of a similar (digital) product? It's got to be cheap.

All the FreeView boxes I've seen produce an analogue audio output. But
this would need to be fed to some form of external amplifier/speaker.
FreeView also carries most of the radio services.

Was the old unit specially produced for this job? If so likely pretty
expensive due to low volumes of production.

--
*A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave wrote Was the old unit specially produced for this job? Yes. It's
a small box with just three easily used dials: channel, volume & tone. I'm
looking for a direct replacement (or, as near as possible).

Bill Ridgeway

On 23 Dec, 11:09, "Bill Ridgeway" wrote:
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in ...





In article ,
* Bill Ridgeway wrote:
My mother (who is blind) has an (analogue) TV sound box so she can, at
least, listen to the TV. *This will become useless on change to digital.
Does anyone know of a similar (digital) product? *It's got to be cheap.

All the FreeView boxes I've seen produce an analogue audio output. But
this would need to be fed to some form of external amplifier/speaker.
FreeView also carries most of the radio services.

Was the old unit specially produced for this job? If so likely pretty
expensive due to low volumes of production.

--
*A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory *

* *Dave Plowman * * * * * * * * London SW
* * * * * * * * *To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave wrote Was the old unit specially produced for this job? *Yes. *It's
a small box with just three easily used dials: *channel, volume & tone. *I'm
looking for a direct replacement (or, as near as possible).

Bill Ridgeway-

The RNIB can't suggest anything similar, but they do point out that
new digital services have Audio Description which is supposed to
enhance the experience.
http://onlineshop.rnib.org.uk/browse...c=250&it=1&l=3

"Norman Wells" writes:

Any cheap set top box will receive the signal, but she'll need an
amplifer to take the audio output from it, so it sounds a bit
complicated, unless of course she already has a hi-fi system or
something similar.

Plus there is a potential issue of operating the set top box. This will
not be as simple as the three-switch solution currently in use.

"Mike" wrote in message
...

Dave wrote Was the old unit specially produced for this job? Yes.
It's
a small box with just three easily used dials: channel, volume & tone.
I'm
looking for a direct replacement (or, as near as possible).

Bill Ridgeway-

The RNIB can't suggest anything similar, but they do point out that
new digital services have Audio Description which is supposed to
enhance the experience.
http://onlineshop.rnib.org.uk/browse...c=250&it=1&l=3

There are only a few mass-produced freeview boxes with Audio Description,
Tvonics MDR-250 & MFR-300, RNIB (made by Tvonics) and Currys Logik LDR-V3
or the stupidly expensive Portset medis centre box.

Ignioring the Portset which is indeed an all in one unit but costs £900. At
approx £50 each, of the others the Tvonics MFR-300 is only of use with a TV
as it only has RF analogue output, the Tvonics MDR-250, the RNIB unit and
the Logik all seem to be basically the same box to which you would need to
add something like some mains powerd PC speakers or hi-fi (with a scart
adapter to get at the audio) and the use of a TV to initially setup and
otherwise configure them.

Web addresses (you obviously have the RNIB website one)
http://www.tvonics.com/digital-set-top-boxes/
http://www.currys.co.uk (select tv, digital services, freeview, then find
the box) their URL was session based so would not work here.
http://www.portset.co.uk/pdmc.htm

The satellite channels also have an Audio Description track so Sky or
Freesat may be a way to go as (I think) all boxes are capable of using the
AD track so the choice may be bigger as long as you can set them to use the
AD track by default - you still need the speakers and scart adapter and use
of TV for setting up though .

Hope that is of use.

Steve

In article , Bill Ridgeway
wrote:


Dave wrote Was the old unit specially produced for this job? Yes.
It's a small box with just three easily used dials: channel, volume &
tone. I'm looking for a direct replacement (or, as near as possible).

Alas, for some time now the trend with radios, TV, and audio is to have
almost no controls on the actual unit and to rely on a pushbutton remote
control. To make things more awkward there is a tendency to rely on
'onscreen menus' and tiny buttons.

It may be possible to find a Digital TV (DTTV) receiver box that can feed
its output via UHF into the antenna socket on the box you have. That would
allow your mother to go on using her existing box for producing the actual
sound, and use it controls to adjust volume and tone. However she would
have to set/change channel using the remote control for the DTTV box.

Failing a Digital receiver with UHF output, you can also get modulators for
a few quid that take the usual SCART output and convert it. These can give
a poor picture, but that presumably isn't very important in this case! :-)

Alternately, if the box she has already provides some 'line in' sockets for
sound you can connect this to the audio from the DTTV box and avoid needing
a UHF modulator.

I assume it will be just a matter of time before the RNIB or someone alert
to this gets around to use a DTTV box that can be used as a simple 'sound
radio'. Putting the receiver in with some simple audio circuits would be
easy enough. The snag is the tendency to omit easy controls for something
like channel changes.

I must confess that I have repeatedly wondered about this issue as it seems
to be an area that makers simply ignore. The situation seems to me to be
made worse by three factors:

1) Loads of channels.

2) occasional changes in channels, requiring a 'rescan' or similar.

3) heavy reliance on onscreen menus and a remote control with pushbuttons.

Omitting old fashioned physical controls reduces the manufacturing cost and
makes for flexibility (as does allowing rescanning, over-air updates, etc)
but it can mean problems for some users, I fear.

Can you say who produced the unit she has been using, or point to where we
could find details?

Slainte,

Jim

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No but the RNIB set top boxes from TVonics are the nearest you will get at
reasonable prices
ring them
03031239999

If you want expensive, the Portset are your friend. Be prepared to shell out
over 700 notes for a talking system with talking program guide etc.

Brian

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in the display name may be lost.
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"Bill Ridgeway" wrote in message
...
My mother (who is blind) has an (analogue) TV sound box so she can, at
least, listen to the TV. This will become useless on change to digital.
Does anyone know of a similar (digital) product? It's got to be cheap.

Thanks.

Bill Ridgeway

All the set top box needs is a converter to the kind of socket on a pair of
amplified speakers, which are very cheap.

I know several people who operate this way. One snag of course is that as
far as I am aware, if under 75 years old and blind, a set top box needs
payment of a half price tv licence, whereas the old sound only tuner does
not.
Brian

--
Brian Gaff -
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Norman Wells" wrote in message
...
Bill Ridgeway wrote:
My mother (who is blind) has an (analogue) TV sound box so she can, at
least, listen to the TV. This will become useless on change to
digital. Does anyone know of a similar (digital) product? It's got
to be cheap.

Any cheap set top box will receive the signal, but she'll need an amplifer
to take the audio output from it, so it sounds a bit complicated, unless
of course she already has a hi-fi system or something similar.

Have you tried the RNIB website? They might have something useful on
there.