Hi Dominique, thanks for sharing this mail, it could be brilliant.
Regards
Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dominique Farrell" <hollyandopal@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <irelandvipnews@xxxxxxxx>
Cc: <iphone_newbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <fb-exchange@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2019 5:43 PM
Subject: [fb-exchange] Earcatch is coming to Ireland
People with sight loss in Ireland will soon be able to access audio
description on their smartphone when they go to the cinema. Thanks to a
new
accessible free app called Earcatch.
Audio description makes films available to viewers who are blind and
vision-impaired by adding in a verbal description in between the dialogue
so
that the viewer can follow what's happening on screen. Earcatch is going
to
be trialled in Ireland for the first time at the festive opening of the
film
Abominable on 12th October @ movies at Dundrum at 14:00. The app will also
be available to try out at showings of the film in all cinemas throughout
the country. Check out your local cinema to find out more.
From the moment a film is released, people who are blind and
vision-impaired
cannot access it fully. The reason is, only a handful of Irish cinemas
have
the facilities in place to offer audio description. Earcatch will change
this. All the viewer needs is a smartphone and a headset. The audio
description track for a film can be downloaded in advance of the
screening.
During the screening, you don't need an internet connection. As soon as
you
hit "play", a unique digital fingerprint is made of the ambient sound.
Within a few seconds, Earcatch knows precisely which part of the film you
are watching, and it will start playing the corresponding audio
description
automatically over your headphones. Earcatch also allows the user to fade
the screen of their phone after initial synchronisation with the film.
Bartiméus Foundation, the sight loss organisation in The Netherlands,
initiated this project a few years ago in partnership with Soundfocus, a
post-production facility specialising in accessible media. Eveline
Ferwerda,
of the Bartiméus Foundation, spoke to inSight Magazine about the success
of
the project in The Netherlands said:
"Earcatch has already been rolled out across The Netherlands and Belgium
covering 1,300+ screens. Over 20,000 people are now using the app in their
local cinema so that they can experience films in more detail than ever
before.
"People can use the app at any screening of a movie. There is no longer a
need to go to a 'special' screening, they can go just like anyone else. We
are very excited to branch out to other territories to give more people
who
are blind or visually impaired the full cinematic experience.
The best thing about Earcatch is that you can use the app not only in the
cinema. Earcatch will also be available at home with similar usage being
available for TV, DVD/Blu-ray, and VOD".
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