A talking Freeview box for the sight-impaired sounds like a great idea, but what does it sound like? The RNIB has created three helpful videos to show it in action.
The TVonics DTR-HD500 has been created with the Royal National Institute for Blind People, using Ivona Text-to-Speech technology.
It provides navigation instructions for the on-screen menus and programme guide, and supports Audio Description technology, which tells you what’s going on on-screen.
As the DTR-HD500 is a Freeview HD recorder with a 500GB hard disc and twin tuners, the speaking software also helps you to navigate making recordings and watching them.
The videos are more than just a demo; they show users how to operate the boxes and navigate the remote control.
Once you’ve got the hang of the box, you can upgrade from beginner mode to intermediate or expert, where the talking help is less intrusive.
Existing owners of the DTR-500HD can download the Ivona TTS software as an upgrade, but it can be purchased directly from the RNIB online with the software pre-installed, plus extra information on how to use it.
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