Bill:
I know no more about audio description and pending legislation then
you. Of the things I track, it is pretty low on my list!
I regularly use a HD Radio. It isn't accessible in terms of having
access to the information on its LCD, but I am able to tune in
stations, and supplementary channels etc., in the same way you would
use any other modern radio. Not great, and this access could be
broken by a slightly different design.
What do you mean when you say Sun Sounds is broadcasting in HD. Did
your main carrier give you access to one of its supplementary
channels? If so, how much bandwidth? Are they using standard mode,
or extended hybrid mode?
Dave
At 11:50 AM 12/29/2008, Sun Sounds of Arizona wrote:
>All: Here are some answers to your questions.
>
>* I will, in future, keep this list apprised of
>developments. I've been keeping other groups in the loop,
>but because this is a computer users list, I thought it off
>topic.
>
>* HD Radio has not been mandated as yet. However, a
>majority of stations in the major markets are now
>broadcasting in HD. They aren't at full power yet though as
>there are technical problems to work out which can interfere
>with the analog signals. I believe the industry would like
>to go full digital at some point, but it won't be anytime
>soon. The FCC has not mandated a switch over date as it did
>with television. For a long time to come, both analog and
>HD radio will co-exist.
>
>* HD radios to date have been inaccessible, just as
>satellite radios are, and for the same reasons. Most
>everything is either menu driven, or tuned using a infinite
>tuning knob. This is because the number of channels is
>variable. A particularHD station may have only one program
>feed, or it may have several. When using an HD radio, you
>first tune to the base frequency, let's say 93.9, and the
>radio determines if there is more than one additional
>channel at that location. If there is, it indicates HD, and
>you can then turn the knob a notch to the right and get the
>second channel, or two notches and get the third channel.
>
>* To my knowledge, there is no move currently by XM /
>Serius to market an accessible radio. IAAIS and others will
>certainly make sure they are aware of the new standards
>though. If they are made to recognize the potential sales
>access will generate, they may follow the HD radio
>manufacturers who are showing quite a bit of interest in
>this.
>
>* Screen captioning on Television is an entirely different
>subject. I know there are moves, and I believe pending
>legislation, to deal with this problem, but I am not fully
>up to date on this. However, Dave Andrews, who is also a
>member of this list, is probably more up to date. Dave?
>
>* I understand the skepticism of the person who wrote me to
>say he'd believe it when he actually touched it. I feel the
>same way, so you can imagine my excitement when I did in
>fact have the chance to have the Dice radio in my home for a
>week to fool with. It was really cool. Every blind person
>who has handled it that I know of has found it a real trip.
>In my opinion, the only thing which may delay Dice, Best
>Buy, Delphi, Radiosophy and others who have all been on
>board for access standards, is the awful economy. That
>creates a variable we weren't expecting. I do fully believe
>though that these radios will be on the market in the near
>future. If all of us who can, help promote them, and buy
>them, it will lend credence to our claim that there is a
>major market here. We believe that not only blind and low
>vision people will benefit from these, but also older
>people, and drivers who will not have to look at the radio
>to operate it while driving.
>
>* A couple of radio reading services are already
>broadcasting in HD Sun Sounds started broadcasting in HD
>about two weeks ago. It sounds wonderful. Gone is all the
>static and poor sound radio reading services traditionally
>suffer from. It sounds as good as any FM radio station. In
>our case, we aren't even encrypting the signal. WE are in
>the clear, and anyone with a HD radio can now listen to our
>service, though, of course, it is still primarily directed
>to and produced for people with vision impairments.
>
>Happy New Year!
>Bill
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Terri
>Hedgpeth
>Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 10:01 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [VICUG-L] NPR, Harris Corporation and Towson
>University Launch Global Effort To Make Radio Accessible to
>Hearing and Sight Impaired
>
>Bill, please do keep us up to date on these matters. Have
>you heard anything on an accessible satellite radio?
>
>Terri Hedgpeth Ed.D.
>Director, Disability Resource Center
>PO Box 873202
>Arizona State University
>Tempe, AZ 85287-3202
>Assistant: (480) 965-3366
>Direct: (480) 727-8133
>Fax: (480) 965-0441
>E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sun Sounds
>of Arizona
>Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 8:58 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [VICUG-L] NPR, Harris Corporation and Towson
>University Launch Global Effort To Make Radio Accessible to
>Hearing and Sight Impaired
>
>This initiative was actually launched a year ago. I'm
>surprised that this release is still circulating. Actually,
>a lot more has happened since this release. These events
>include:
>
>* The International Association of Audio Information
>Services (IAAIS) is also a member of this group, a fact
>which was accidentally left out of the release. I know
>because I happened to attend the press conference and
>demonstration and CES last January as the IAAIS
>Representative.
>
>* Radio Closed Captioning has now been demonstrated twice.
>First in a controlled demo at the CES last year. Second on
>Election Night this last November, closed captioning radio
>was broadcast by NPR in many parts of the country for those
>who have capable receivers.
>
>* In May, Sun Sounds of Arizona, a radio reading service,
>was asked to review a Dice radio to determine what it would
>take to make the radio fully accessible to blind users. HD
>radios are generally not now accessible or friendly to blind
>users.
>
>* In September, Dice Radio, produced the first demo
>production HD radio which was fully accessible for blind and
>low vision users. It announces all functions including
>station, mode, clock, alarm, etc. It also has a dedicated
>button that will automatically lock on to a local radio
>reading service if one is available. The radio is a
>production model, meaning, it is the same radio that a
>sighted person would purchase. It will cost roughly $100
>and will be on the market soon.
>
>* In October, IAAIS published the first ever radio access
>standards for blind and low vision users. These standards
>are being considered by the UN as a possible base to create
>international standards. The full document is available
>from http://www.iaais.org.
>
>* Best Buy has already climbed on board with the new
>standards and will produce another HD accessible radio for
>sale to the general public by summer.
>
>Stay tuned, I'll be happy to keep this list informed on
>these events if the members wish. I am deeply involved with
>these projects.
>
>Bill
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Peter
>Altschul
>Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 10:30 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [VICUG-L] NPR, Harris Corporation and Towson
>University Launch Global Effort To Make Radio Accessible to
>Hearing and Sight Impaired
>
>Press Release
>
>
>
>Source: Harris Corporation
>
>
>
>NPR, Harris Corporation and Towson University Launch Global
>Effort To Make Radio Accessible to Hearing and Sight
>Impaired Tuesday January 8, 12:00 pm ET First Over-The-Air
>Transmission From Special CES Station
>
>
>
>LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- (LVCC S227) --
>NPR, Harris Corporation and Towson University today
>announced a new initiative to make radio more accessible to
>the hundreds of millions of hearing and visually impaired
>people around the world.
>
>
>
>At a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show in
>Las Vegas, the three organizations announced the global
>accessible radio technology initiative and provided the
>first live demonstration of the accessible radio technology.
>The group also announced a new research center for
>developing future technologies on the campus of Towson
>University near Baltimore, MD. Additional plans call for the
>establishment of an international consortium of equipment
>manufacturers, broadcasters and other organizations to help
>foster broad adoption of the initiative.
>
>
>
>The initiative will be spearheaded by the three founding
>organizations and will leverage cutting-edge HD Radio(TM)
>technology to enable hearing-impaired people to "see" live
>radio content on specially equipped receivers by applying
>television closed-captioning processes to radio broadcasts.
>The technology also will provide audio cues and voice
>prompts, as well as advanced radio reading services, for
>those visually impaired and blind.
>
>
>
>"Digital radio technology makes it possible -- for the first
>time -- to serve the sensory impaired," says Mike Starling,
>vice president and chief technology officer of NPR. "Beyond
>developing the technology, this initiative will ensure the
>accessibility of these radio services at minimal costs."
>
>
>
>During the press conference, the organizations showcased the
>first over- the-air transmission of the accessible radio
>technology using a signal from WX3NPR, a special temporary
>station authorized by the FCC for the live broadcast.
>Attendees at the press conference watched the text
>transcript of the NPR flagship morning news magazine
>"Morning Edition" on the HD Radio receiver's viewing screen,
>which is what a hearing-impaired listener will see using the
>technology. Additionally, the demonstration carried a
>digital radio reading service that will assist the visually
>impaired with daily readings of current books, newspapers
>and magazines.
>
>
>
>Following the demonstration, the participating organizations
>unveiled details for the International Center for Accessible
>Radio Technology (ICART), which will be headquartered at
>Towson University in Towson, MD. Towson will house the
>primary administrative and academic research office for the
>initiative, with NPR Labs in Washington, DC, providing
>technology R&D and software development, and Harris
>Corporation supplying transmission and research support at
>its radio broadcast technology center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
>
>
>
>Members of the global initiative went on to detail plans to
>further study and understand the challenges faced by the
>sensory-impaired population in accessing radio broadcasts,
>and develop methodologies to address those issues through
>cutting-edge technologies. To ensure that the effort
>represents the widest range of participants and fosters the
>broadest possible adoption, organizers said they will work
>to bring together policymakers, broadcasters, transmission
>equipment companies and receiver manufacturers from around
>the world. Presently, the initiative has more than a dozen
>members, representing virtually every aspect of the
>"microphone to loudspeaker" chain: broadcasters, network
>content providers, infrastructure and transmission equipment
>companies, and receiver manufacturers. In addition to
>founding members NPR, Harris and Towson University,
>supporting organizations include iBiquity Digital
>Corporation, Delphi, NDS, Radiosophy, Helen Keller
>Institute, Carl and Ruth
>
>Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media at
>WGBH(NCAM), Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and
>Hard of Hearing Persons, and the G3ict, an Advocacy
>Initiative of the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and
>Development.
>
>
>
>NPR, Harris and Towson will jointly determine strategic
>direction of the organization, with assistance from the
>initiative's full membership. NPR will provide much of the
>content, Harris will provide much of the transmission-
>related technologies, and Towson will provide research into
>the needs of the sensory-disabled population and will house
>the primary ICART facility on its campus.
>
>
>
>"We're working very closely with radio stations around the
>world to ensure they have the right technical infrastructure
>in place for this initiative," said Howard Lance, chairman,
>president and chief executive officer of Harris Corporation.
>"The new HD Radio transmission systems we're installing are
>tailor-made for this effort, as their digital capabilities
>will make it relatively easy for stations to transmit live
>textual transcripts to HD Radio receivers."
>
>
>
>"There is tremendous need for accessible radio for
>sensory-impaired people, including the deaf,
>hard-of-hearing, blind, visually impaired, print impaired,
>deaf/blind, and mobility impaired," said Dr. Ellyn
>Sheffield, assistant professor of psychology at Towson and
>co-director of ICART. "There is no question this initiative
>will have a profound impact on the quality of millions of
>people's lives. Finally, sensory-disabled individuals will
>have access to all radio programming, as well as radio
>emergency alerts and vital disaster recovery information."
>
>
>
>HD Radio enables station operators to split their broadcasts
>up into multiple channels, providing several CD-quality
>channels for their audiences. Through this accessible radio
>initiative, a small amount of the total data capacity will
>be used to carry textual data that will be shown live on a
>screen on new versions of HD Radio receivers, essentially
>providing a closed- captioning transcript of live broadcasts
>for the deaf. Initially, the closed- captioning text will be
>created by live, court-reporting-type captioners at
>individual stations and networks. Ultimately, the initiative
>is hoping to leverage advanced speech-to-text translation
>software applications that one day allow expansion of
>captioning across the radio dial. Specially equipped HD
>Radio receivers are in development with several features to
>provide the visually impaired audience with better access to
>broadcasts, such as audio prompts that notify which
>direction the tuner is going, what channel the radio is on,
>
>and larger, easier-to-read text on the radios.
>
>
>
>More than 1,500 radio stations are currently broadcasting in
>HD Radio in the United States. Over half of the
>CPB-qualified stations have been awarded HD Radio conversion
>grants by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. According
>to current estimates, by 2010, all 825 public radio stations
>should be broadcasting digitally.
>
>
>
>More information on the initiative can be found at
>www.i-cart.net.
>
>
>No virus found in this outgoing message.
>Checked by AVG.
>Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.10.0/1865 - Release
>Date: 12/26/2008 1:01 PM
>
>
>________________________________
>
>Leave list: [log in to unmask]
><mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
>VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
>http://listserv.i cors.or g/archives/vicug-l.html
><http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html>
>
>Send questions on list operation to
>[log in to unmask]
><mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group
>List.
>Archived on the World Wide Web at
> http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
> Signoff: [log in to unmask]
> Subscribe: [log in to unmask]
>
>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group
>List.
>Archived on the World Wide Web at
> http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
> Signoff: [log in to unmask]
> Subscribe: [log in to unmask]
>
>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
>Archived on the World Wide Web at
> http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
> Signoff: [log in to unmask]
> Subscribe: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>No virus found in this incoming message.
>Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
>Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.1/1868 - Release Date:
>12/29/2008 10:48 AM
VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
Archived on the World Wide Web at
http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
Signoff: [log in to unmask]
Subscribe: [log in to unmask]
|
