RNIB has been sharing expertise with several manufacturers in order to improve the accessibility of television for blind and partially sighted people as TV goes digital in the UK.
Two exciting new developments come from Panasonic and TVonics.
Panasonic talking TVs
Panasonic have launched the world's first range of digital talking televisions available in most high street electrical stores as well as online with larger retailers including John Lewis, Curry's and Amazon.
The talking features (known as Voice Guidance) in the majority of Panasonic's Viera 2012 televisions mean that no matter what your level of sight is you can independently find your favourite programmes from the on-screen TV guide, discover something new from an interesting programme description, skip up and down channels without feeling lost, turn audio description on and off and set reminders so you do not miss a moment - All this as standard within your TV at no extra cost and without the need for any extra equipment. With some TVs you can attach a recording device to come back to a programme at a time that suits you.
The built-in Voice Guidance works by announcing on-screen information and important menus. As you become more familiar with your TV you can change the level of Voice Guidance from beginner to expert if you want fewer instructions.
We're working with Panasonic to produce an audio version of their getting started guide that includes a description of the remote control.
Talking Freeview+ HD Recorder (TVonics DTR-HD500)
TVonics, a British manufacturer of Freeview set-top-boxes, and Ivona, a text-to-speech service, have been working in collaboration with RNIB to launch a TVonics Freeview+ HD recorder that talks, making this easier to use for people with sight loss. The new product uses Ivona's text-to-speech technology which is one of the most realistic text-to-speech services available.
The talking TVonics DTR-HD500 box will be available from the 3rd May from our online shop. If you order from us you'll also get accessible instructions.
If you already have TVonics DTR-HD500 box, you can download a free software update from the TVonics website to install the talking features.
Later in the year the box will be available from retailers such as John Lewis. If you buy from anywhere other than RNIB, the instructions on the speech element do not come with the box, and so you'll still need to contact us for these.
Getting started
It can sometimes be a challenge knowing where to start or what's what when you get your latest bit of technology home. Our Technology Support Squad is a team of hundreds of volunteers throughout the UK ready to help by phone or with a home visit. We'll set-up your new Panasonic talking TV or TVonics Freeview+ HD recorder box and give you a demonstration to make sure you get the most out of it. To find out more about the support in your area contact our Helpline team on 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk.