Hang on a minute here. I was one of the testers and I did suggest making the various other menus accessible. I'm sure the RNIB were doing the same thing. But we can't make Panasonic do it. The fact they went through user testing is a pretty positive step I would have thought. Since the law isn't in place to make companies make all their products accessible from the outset, its a matter of working with them and persuading them that its in their interests to make them accessible.
Sure the TV has its limitations and sure you can legitimately argue that it has accessibility drawbacks. But it wasn't that long ago that you couldn't turn on voice over as a blind person on your own. Apple changed that and now you can. Whose to say that Panasonic won't do the same thing, and improve their products accessibility as time goes by.
I'm not saying that anyone should go and by it, or they shouldn't, just that we should take into account what the TV does as well as what it doesn't do. In my view the voice is better than the one on the Smart Talk, its a smoother experience, the responsiveness is better, we obviously have access to channel info, audiodescription info and, this is a winner from my perspective, recording and playback options.
But I do recognise that not being able to access the TVs own menus, including scanning for channels and setting up the TTS independently are drawbacks, as is the inability to access the various web features.
It is a step forward, I don't think we've ever had 30 tVs with TTS onboard released at the same time. It'll be interesting to see if other TV manufacturers take up the challenge.
Yusuf On 18/03/2012 19:36, martin wilsher wrote:
I agree with all that has been said here. the thing needs to be
accessible from the word go, and this isn't. what on earth were the RNIB
thinking of when giving their blessing to this box? if it is not
accessible when you turn it on, it's not accessible at all imho.
----- Original Message -----
*From:* Iain Lackie <mailto:ilackie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*To:* access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Sent:* Sunday, March 18, 2012 7:28 PM
*Subject:* [access-uk] Re: Panasonic Viera smart TV with Voice guidance
For a long time now, I have been saying that one of the points which
impresses me still about the Sonus DAB radio is that it allows
access to the menu system. The station names may be out of date, but
I can live with that. Any television which doesn’t allow access by
voice to the menu system cannot in my view truly be described as
accessible, especially if you have to gain access to the menu system
to switch the voice on.
Iain
*From:* Barry Hill <mailto:barry.hill3@xxxxxxx>
*Sent:* Sunday, March 18, 2012 7:20 PM
*To:* access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Subject:* [access-uk] Re: Panasonic Viera smart TV with Voice guidance
Now, did the RNIB say we want this that and the other, for Panasonic
to simply do what they wanted and use the endoursement of the RNIB
as a publicity stunt, or did the RNIB fall short of their obligation
to VI users?
Cheers
Barry
*From:*access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] *On
Behalf Of *william lomas
*Sent:* 18 March 2012 5:53 PM
*To:* access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
*Subject:* [access-uk] Re: Panasonic Viera smart TV with Voice guidance
and yet they are supposed to have consulted with RNIB during this
development cycle?
On 18 Mar 2012, at 17:13, Gary Robinson wrote:
Hi all,
yesterday I had a chance to have a lookat the new Panasonic Viera
smart TV range which includes voice guidance and audio description
as mentioned on this list and on Insight radio last month.
On the plus side, you can choose male/female voice, set voice rate
and volume. The voice is good, it sounded better than my Goodmans
Smart talk box and more responsive.
IT speaks the channel, programme you are on and works within the
programme guide, but sadly doesn't work within the various settings
menus.
Ironically therefore like audio description on DVDs you probably
won't be able to turn on the voice guidance without sighted help.
Sadly therefore and very frustratingly given the sheer amount of
functionality and connectivity these TVs have (Internet,
wifi,DLNA,USB,SD etc) most of the functionality will be wasted so
far as a visually impaired user is concerned.
There is a Viera remote control App for Apple devices, but i don't
think this will help in providing access to the multiplicity of set
up menus which controlmost of this very flexible TV's features.
The full price of the 32" model is around £499 though it will
probably be available cheaper if you look around.
whilst Panasonic are probably to be commended on including voice
guidance as standard across the range, it is nontheless very
frustrating to be in effect short changed by the limitations of what
they have provided.
I am going to try to speak to someone in panasonic technical
department and see if there is any way of getting the set up screen
information output to an external device which might give a way of
getting more access to these otherwise very impressive TVs.
Gary
** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
