I'd still like to find out why Time Warner doesn't pass DVS through on CBS, and not much on NBC. I caught an episode of the Middle on NBC a couple weeks ago that was fed through, but so far nothing else that I'm aware of. On 2/12/15, Reginald George <adapt@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > I apologize for the cross post. This is a long article, but do persevere if > you want to know the current state of accessible TV in the US. It’s as short > as it can be given all the information it contains. > Reginald George > Adaptive Technology specialist > adapt@xxxxxxxxx > This article significantly lifts my spirits regarding not > only Television accessibility, but also access in to visual media overall. > I look forward to future follow-up information as suggested in the final > line "Stay Tuned." > > Dan Thompson > > > > "Television Accessibility > > Is Accessible TV Viewing Finally on Its Way? > > Bill Holton > > http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw160105 > > > > In the August issue of AccessWorld , found here: > > http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw150803 > > we described the new voice guide features available on new Samsung TVs. More > recently, Comcast has announced the availability of its own talking TV > interface. More specifics can be found at the ComCast page rregarding " > Accessibility Services" found here: > > http://customer.comcast.com/help-and-support/accessibility > > > > There certainly has been a lot of activity on the accessible media front. > Here's why: the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility > Act of 2010 (CVAA) includes a number of provisions regulating the production > and availability of accessible broadcast media and devices—television sets, > set-top boxes, digital video recorders (DVRs) and descriptive video for > broadcast and non-broadcast channel programing. > > To help provide a better understanding of the rapidly changing landscape of > video accessibility, AccessWorld spoke with Brian Charlson, Director of > Technology at the Carrolle Center and member of the FCC Video Programming > Accessibility Advisory Committee, which helped draft the CVAA. > > *Defining the Issues > > We began by asking Brian Charlson to help us more clearly understand the > problem of accessibility for broadcast media. > > "These days a television is a lot more than an on/off switch, volume > control, and channel up and down buttons," he began. "There are so many new > and exciting things a television can do, and as consumers who are blind or > visually impaired, we are not always even aware of what they are." > > Ask many blind individuals if they watch TV, and they say yes, definitely. > But when you ask them about their viewing habits they may say something > along the lines of, "I turn it on for the 6 o'clock news on Channel 4. Then > I watch "Friends" repeats on Channel 12, and after that I turn to Channel 10 > to watch CBS prime time shows." > > "For this individual, and many like him or her, TV watching is done by > rote—memorizing what is on when and on which channel, and then sticking to > that schedule," Charlson says. "This worked fine back in the days of 3 > channels, maybe 4 but today, with 300 or 400 channels to choose from, those > old ways simply don't work anymore." > > Sighted people can flip through the channels, and most over-the-air channels > and cable and satellite providers will flash the network name and show title > on the screen for identification. A blind person may need to wait several > minutes for a commercial to end, and then a few more trying to figure out > what show is on. Multiply this by an ever-growing channel lineup and it's > easy to see that channel surfing is not a workable option for those with > visual impairments. > > "Sighted users also have a program guide channel to show them what's on > currently, and, even more useful at times, what is going to be on starting > in 30 minutes, an hour, or even tomorrow afternoon," Charlson says. True, > this information is available online, or via a smartphone app, but this > requires the individual to develop and maintain computer skills just to find > and watch TV. > > "Elderly, newly blind individuals are the fastest growing segment of the > blind community. In general, they tend to be frequent TV viewers. They are > also the ones who are least likely to have developed the skills to operate > an accessible PC or smartphone," adds Charlson. > > There is also the equipment itself. "In my house we have four TVs, each in > different rooms. And not one of them uses the same remote with the same > button layout," Charlson reports. "Add a digital cable box or a DVR to each > set and it's no wonder so many blind persons do not take full advantage of > their equipment or available programming." > > > > *CVAA Device Standards > > Here is a summary describing the upcoming accessible device standards > required of all new TV sets, cable boxes, and DVRs manufactured after > December 2016. > > The following functions must be made accessible if the feature is included > in the device at the time of manufacture. If these functions are delivered > via a text menu or guide, they must be made audibly accessible, which is to > say the device must "speak" the menu or guide. If a feature is not delivered > through a menu or guide—for example, turning a set on or off—there is no > audible accessibility requirement, but it still must be made accessible to > those who are blind or visually impaired. > > a.. Power on/off: an accessible method to turn a device on or off must be > available. > b.. Volume adjust and mute: an accessible method to adjust and mute the > device's volume must be available. > c.. Channel/program selection: users must be able to accessibly select > channels and programs via physical numeric or channel up/channel down > buttons or via on-screen guides and menus. This includes the ability to > select non-linear programming such as VOD and recorded DVR programming, and > the ability to launch applications such as Netflix. > d.. Display channel/program info: users must be able to accessibly display > current channel or program information. > e.. Configuration, setup: users must be able to accessibly access and > change configuration or setup options, such as configuration of video > display and audio settings, selection of preferred language for on-screen > guides or menus, etc. > f.. Configuration, video description control: users must be able to > accessibly enable or disable the output of video description, which is to > say to change from the main audio to the secondary audio stream that > contains video description and from the secondary audio stream back to the > main audio. This rule only pertains to equipment that includes Secondary > Audio Programming (SAP), which is not required but which most set > manufactures provide. > g.. Configuration, CC options: users must be able to accessibly modify the > display of closed caption data, including configuration of the font size, > font color, background color, opacity, etc. > h.. Configuration, CC control: users must be able to accessibly enable or > disable the display of closed captioning. > i.. Display configuration info: users must be able to accessibly display > how user preferences are currently configured. > j.. Playback functions: users must be able to accessibly control playback > functions, including pause, play, rewind, fast forward, stop, and record for > DVR and video on demand. > k.. Input selection: users must be able to accessibly select their > preferred input source, such as the port connected to an Apple TV or > Chromecast. > The new regulations also specify that these accessibility features may not > be restricted to a manufacturer's highest-end, which is to say their most > expensive, models. "If a set maker's lineup includes 32-inch, 45-inch and > 60-inch models, for example, each of the different screen sizes must have an > accessible model available, and for no additional cost," states Charlson. > > Along with equipment manufacturers, the new guidelines also affect broadcast > and cable networks, as well as service providers, including cable and > satellite TV companies. > > *Requirements for Broadcast and Non-Broadcast Networks > > Currently, the top four broadcast networks—ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC—are > required to provide 50 hours of video-described prime time or children's > programming per calendar quarter, or approximately 4 hours each week. > Same-week rebroadcasts do not count toward the 50 hours. > > The requirement to provide 50 hours per calendar quarter of video-described > programming also applies to the top five cable networks, which are currently > USA, Disney Channel, TNT, Nickelodeon, and TBS. These rankings will be > reassessed in July of 2015. > > *Requirements for Local TV Stations > > Today, local ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC affiliates in the top 25 US markets are > required to own and operate the equipment to broadcast video description. > They must also provide 50 hours of video-described prime time or children's > programming per quarter. This is the minimum. If the network provides even > more video description, the local affiliate must pass it through. There is > no requirement for non-network affiliated local stations. > > Some smaller network affiliates do not currently have the equipment to > broadcast the video description signal. Others have the equipment but choose > to use it to add an additional language channel. As of July 1, 2016, the > regulations will expand to cover local network affiliates in the top 60 US > markets. > > This is their target deadline for installing the necessary equipment and > joining the top 25 markets in broadcasting at least 50 hours of described > content per quarter. > > *Requirements for Cable and Satellite Companies > > Cable and satellite companies, known as multichannel video programming > distributors (MVPDs) that serve 50,000 or more subscribers must also own and > operate the equipment necessary to broadcast video description. They, too, > must provide 50 hours of video description per calendar quarter during prime > time or children's programming on each of the top five national > non-broadcast networks that they carry: USA, the Disney Channel, TNT, > Nickelodeon, and TBS. > > Smaller MVPD systems are not currently required to install the equipment or > pass through video description. If they do provide this service, however, > they must offer everything that is available. For example, the History > Channel is not currently required to provide video-described programming > because it is not in the top 5. However, if the History Channel airs a > video-described program, any cable or satellite company that offers > described video must include the show in their service. > > For cable companies, adding more descriptive video presents few challenges. > Unfortunately, it's a different matter for satellite companies. For them, > each new video description stream requires the use of limited satellite > resources. > > "We have to maintain a level playing field, so that blind consumers receive > the same amount of accessible programming, regardless of whether they > subscribe to cable or satellite service," notes Charlson. "This is why the > amount of required described programming was not immediately increased." > > According to the FCC, however, if the commission determines that the need > for and benefits of providing video description for television programming > outweigh the technical and economic costs, the Commission has authority two > years after a June 30, 2014 Report to Congress to adopt additional > regulations, including increasing the 50-hours-per-quarter requirement by up > to 75 percent. This would result in roughly 7 hours per week of descriptive > video programming per provider, which could be implemented on June 30, 2016 > at the earliest. > > *What It All Means > > The good news is that if you are currently in the market for a new TV, you > will soon have several models to choose from that offer many, but not all, > of the new accessibility requirements. The bad news is that it's not > uncommon for newer releases of accessibility software to run only on newer > sets, which means after December of 2016 you may be left with a set that > will not run a full roster of these features. > > Of course, this assumes that all parties implement the services properly. If > the devices are not accessible in time, the manufacturer must show the FCC > all of the steps they have taken toward making them accessible. To date, > however, no fines or other penalties for non-compliance have been > determined. > > As for video description, the new regulations will not immediately increase > the amount of described video available. It will merely codify what is > already being done. There is the hope, but not the promise, of more to > come. > > Another potential issue is that, based on the way the regulations are > written, providers must file paperwork every year evaluating their success > in implementing accessibility. However, it is up to us, the consumer, to > report problems, and, notes Charlson: "Unlike for closed screen captioning, > there is no mandated complaint office or hotline where we can report > problems with network[s] or your local cable company or broadcast channels' > described video or other accessibility features." > > Another still unresolved issue is the accessibility of streaming services, > such as Netflix and Hulu. "Launching the apps must be made accessible, but > the waters are still rather muddy as to whether or not actually being able > to use these services accessibly falls under the new regulations," says > Charlson. > > One last issue Charlson brings up is the learning curve for sight-impaired > TV consumers. "Many of the soon-to-be available features and capabilities > have been added gradually, over the years, allowing sighted consumers to > build on previous knowledge and experience. "For us it will be like stepping > into a rapidly flowing river," he says. "For example, until now it has been > all but impossible for us to set a DVR to record a program so we can watch > it later. Now we'll want to know not only how to record "M.A.S.H.," but also > how to instruct our DVR to record all of the episodes being played at any > time and on any channel, but not the ones I've already seen." It is not > likely we will be able to request DVR training from our local rehab agency. > And as of now the FCC has yet to determine whether to impose information, > documentation, and training requirements on manufacturers and service > providers. > > Stay tuned." > > > > > > > > Verse of the Week: > > “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the > Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). > > > > To subscribe to Dan's tips or HotSpot with God Daily Devotional, send a > blank message to dthompson5@xxxxxxxxx and include "subscribe Dan's Tips" or > Subscribe HotSpot with God" in the subject line. > > > > To subscribe or to leave the list, or to set other subscription options, go > to www.freelists.org/list/real-eyes > > > -- Suzanne To subscribe or to leave the list, or to set other subscription options, go to www.freelists.org/list/real-eyes