[access-uk] Re: Sky Talker: much more info

  • From: "Damon" <damon.rose@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2010 22:44:52 +0100

About 25 blind people trialed it and for about 6 years it was just those 25 blind people who could receive it until Sky aded it to their boxes as standard. Broadcasters and RNIB managed to make a hash of it and weren't able to convince manufacturers that it was worth putting an AD receiver chip in their boxes until many years later.
As I recall, RNIB had consistently been saying that a box should have the ability to deliver AD through a separate pair of headphones for the blind person in the room, so that AD wouldn't disturb anyone else. This is one of the reasons why little happened for so long; the BBC at least felt that this would be the only way forward and everything else must be wrong because the RNIB said so. That was the stated position so take from that what you will. IT's possible RNIB were scapegoated here too.
As we know, Sky created a system that wasn't able to deliver the sound separately ... but as predicted, few people cared about that. 





...Damon
----- Original Message ----- From: "Francis Holman" <franholman755@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 9:09 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sky Talker: much more info
Actually I thought it was freeview or ondigital or whatever it was called at the time. You will remember tht some of us trialed it back in 2000. 
Fran.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Damon Rose" <damon.rose@xxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 4:52 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sky Talker: much more info



I was rather hoping it might give access to the new Video on Demand
service that Sky are adding to their boxes this Christmas.

You will be able to hook your sky box up to your modem and watch movies,
sport, tv shows, all on demand.

Sky have come a long way though. Lets not forget it was they who first
brought audio description to the mass market in 2004. No other boxes
were capable at the time. Also, the sky+ boxes are able to record the
audio description soundtrack whereas lots of other PVR devices can't do
that. In fact I'm not sure any of them do.  So this means you can have
audio description on shows you have recorded, you don't just have to be
there and watch it live.

Thinking sensibly about this. It would be really quite silly if Sky
created a box which allowed you to record but didn't allow you to play
it back. I don't believe for one second that any developer out there
would believe they had a box worth marketing if that were the case.
Surely? So we are gonna have to sit and wait for the infromation to be a
bit better controled.

Also, this is something we've wanted for years. If they don't integrate
accessibility into their boxes, many of us have said "well can't someone
create a plug in module that we can opt in to paying for". And that's
what we've got. It can only develop from here.

I think the 9 different voices is overkill. Dunno about you. To me this
above all makes me think that perhaps there wasn't a lot of user testing
because I don't think this would be at the top of many blind people's
lists unless it were for a screenreader where you have to listen to many
many hundreds or thousands of words at a time at work. But again, I
don't believe that this box is being put out there without any testing
from blind people. How did that rumour start? Is there evidence?

...Damon













-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Ibrahim Gucukoglu
Sent: 24 September 2010 16:10
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sky Talker: much more info

Hi Damon.

The manager I know at Sky swares that they've seen it in action, and
that it indeed does provide access to the EPG and menu system on the
box, though not the interactive services as in those accessed through
the telephone line.
As you say, we'll know more when the product is released in a month so
plenty of time to fuel the flames of room our until then ay? *smile*.

All the best, Ibrahim.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Damon Rose" <damon.rose@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 3:23 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sky Talker: much more info



I think we need to wait til it comes out or we get further statements.
The price has been quoted differently at 45 and 60 pounds so clearly
someone's confusing something. I think that we shouldn't see Sky
Accessible Customer services as a wholly believable source based on
previous issues. But they were quite insistant it's not a talking EPG.
And by all accounts, RNIB couldn't make it talk when they hacked the

box

so perhaps this is the case which many people will be disappointed

with.

But I think helpful dialogue needs to come from this if indeed it is a
let down.

...Damon




-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On

Behalf

Of william lomas
Sent: 24 September 2010 15:18
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sky Talker: much more info

I suggest no one buy shtis so sky have waste r and d funds

On Sep 24, 2010, at 3:13 PM, Damon Rose wrote:


It does record but it doesn't give you 7 days of programmes to choose
from like the EPG does. And then we can assume that you can't access
the programmes you've recorded because apparently this machine

doesn't



read menus.

I should note that I got this info from the Accessible Customer
Services line. I pressed her a number of times and she stated clearly
that it is not a talking EPG. It's also worth noting that they are
customer support people, not press handlers, and so the information
possibly hasn't been honed or framed in the best way.

...Damon



-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Francis Holman
Sent: 24 September 2010 14:59
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sky Talker: much more info

Well if it does not record what's the point.  I think I will stick
with my portset freeview at least that does most things including
reading the epg and recording.
Fran.
----- Original Message -----
From: "william lomas" <lomaswilliam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 2:47 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sky Talker: much more info



sixty quid to read basic information?
Ibraheem what please does the supposed manager of accessibility team
have to say about this?
Can he please come on this list to clarify what we are getting for
our



money?

On Sep 24, 2010, at 2:33 PM, Damon Rose wrote:


I missed a rather important point. Sorry don't know how I edited it

out.


You can use the search and scan banner and find out what's on up to
twelve hours in the future. I think you will be able to hit record
on



top of the programme so that it gets recorded and added to your sky
planner. Of course, the slight issue is you can't then read your

sky



planner and watch it back.









-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Damon Rose
Sent: 24 September 2010 14:28
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Sky Talker: much more info


Sky Talker comes out on 26 October. Price is 60 pounds.

The box looks like a Sky Broadband router. It's black. It has a
volume up and down switch for the voice on its top.

There are 9 available voices male and female. You can adjust their
tone and speed.

You can't access the EPG or any of the menus, it only works from
within the channel you're watching. It'll say what channel and what
programme is on now on the channel you've selected.

The play, record, rewind and pause buttons all speak. You will get

a



warning every 60 seconds if you leave it on pause so you know

what's



happening.

You can press the remote's 'I' info button for a programme

synopsis.


it also speaks channel numbers.



Damon Rose
Senior Content Producer Ouch! website and talk show BBC Vision
Learning

Tel: 020 8752 4427 (x0224427)
email: damon.rose@xxxxxxxxx
Twitter:  @damonrose

bbc.co.uk/ouch is home of the Ouch! Talk Show online since 2006.
Disability chat like wot you'd have with yer mates - via podcast or
streamed on the web:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/podcast
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/podcast>



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