[Electronics-talk] Cable/setup boxes

Tue Jun 19 14:44:00 UTC 2012

Well, I don't agree. Not filing complaints is surely not going to change
anything. I think filing complaints that result in fines to the cable
companies will make a difference. Cable companies may be little
monopolies among cable companies but they're also competing with
telephone and satellite companies plus other forms of entertainment,
such as INTERNET streaming. I think an increase in their rates will
effect subscriptions and will effect their bottom line. I'd also suggest
that if people think these laws need to be stronger than they work with
their advocacy groups and the legislators to strengthen such laws.
Again, I appreciate those who do work with the advocacy groups to pass
such laws, and I'm optimistic that accessibility by the blind will
continue to improve because of their efforts.

On 19/06/12 08:21, Gerald Levy wrote:
> 
> I've got news for you.  All the work that went into passing this law is
> probably for nothing, because, from what I can determine, this law has
> no teeth.  Oh sure, you can file complaints with the FCC starting in
> 2013, but will that really change anything?  There is nothing in this
> law that applies criminal penalties for failing to make cable boxes,
> cell phones and the like accessible to the blind.  The manufacturers and
> purveyors of these products will simply pay  nominal fines for violating
> the provisions of the law and pass these costs on to their customers. 
> My cable bill is already outrageously high.  If my cable company is
> forced to pay a fine for failing to make its equipment accessible and
> then raises my cable bill to cover it, how does this benefit me? 
> Everyone likes to think that making converter boxes accessible by adding
> speech output is a simple task,but until the cable companies agree on
> universal standards for their boxes, they will never be made accessible,
> no matter what the FCC mandates. Besides, consumers have been
> complaining to the FCC for years about the outrageously high cost of
> cable TV.  Have they ever investigated the cable industry's pricing
> practices?  Of course not, because the cable companies are absolute
> monopolies with friends in high places. For all intents and purposes,
> the FCC, like the SEC, is a Mickey Mouse agency with no real authority
> to do anything.
> 
> Gerald
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry Wayland"
> <larry.wayland at arkansas.gov>
> To: "'Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances'"
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 8:22 AM
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Cable/setup boxes
> 
> 
>> The law gives developers and manufactures two years to get tooled up
>> to start producing accessible equipment.  If after October 2013 we
>> find that there is not accessible cable boxes, cell phones, ect. We
>> had better file complaints. If we don't, all the work that went into
>> passing this law will be for nothing.
>> Larry
>> Larry
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gerald Levy
>> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 4:26 PM
>> To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Cable/setup boxes
>>
>>
>> So we can file complaints with the FCC in 2013.  Whoopee! That ought to
>> scare the bejeebers out of those greedy cable company executives.  If a
>> certain Republican candidate wins the presidential election, it won't
>> matter
>> anyway, because this individual would like to dismantle a lot of
>> government
>> agencies and reduce federal regulations which he claims hurt the economy.
>> So the FCC could wind up even more ineffective than it already is.
>>
>> Gerald
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry Wayland"
>> <larry.wayland at arkansas.gov>
>> To: "'Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances'"
>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 5:12 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Cable/setup boxes
>>
>>
>>> Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010
>>> (2010;
>>> I think the above act will help with the problem you are discussing.
>>> If I remember right  the companies have until October 2013 to come into
>>> compliance. Then consumers will be able to file complaints with the FCC.
>>> Larry
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>> [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gerald Levy
>>> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 3:07 PM
>>> To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
>>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Cable/settop boxes
>>>
>>>
>>> No, the cable companies will carry the SAP signal.  But the problem is
>>> that
>>> most of us won't be able to turn it on or off because their converter
>>> boxes
>>> are not accessible,  and their remotes have no dedicated SAP button, a
>>> problem the cable companies have absolutely no interest in
>>> addressing. So
>>> for all intents and purposes, it won't make any difference whether or
>>> not
>>> the cable companies carry described audio programming on the SAP channel
>>> because without sighted help, most of us  won't be able to access it.
>>>
>>> Gerald
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brett Boyer" <bboyer202 at gmail.com>
>>> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 2:52 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Cable/settop boxes
>>>
>>>
>>>> Wait a minute. So you mean we'll still have to fight to get s A p
>>>> carried
>>>> through the greedy cable companies? When nbc and fox and everybody
>>>> roles
>>>> out this supposed new thing the cable companies will have to be
>>>> persuaded
>>>> to carry the signal too? If that's the case than that is going to be an
>>>> uphill battle.
>>>> I really hope thats not the case.
>>>> bb
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ray Foret Jr" <rforetjr at att.net>
>>>> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>>>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 4:20 AM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Cable/settop boxes
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Now that's interesting that you should mention that about their Iphone
>>>>> app.  When I tried it, it was an accessibility disaster.  I could see
>>>>> that I had recorded shows but couldn't read the titles to save my
>>>>> life.
>>>>> This was around March of 2010.  Maybe I'll have to give it another
>>>>> look
>>>>> then. I have tried and tried to pursuade AT&T U-verse to pass  through
>>>>> the SAP channel for my locals but the only one they will do that
>>>>> for is
>>>>> channel 12, my local PBS.  Ain't given' up though.
>>>>>
>>>>> It, however, is true that one can turn on SAP with relative eas using
>>>>> the
>>>>> AT&T U-verse remote.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!
>>>>>
>>>>> Now a very proud and happy Mac user!!!
>>>>>
>>>>> Skype name:
>>>>> barefootedray
>>>>>
>>>>> On Jun 18, 2012, at 12:43 AM, Brett Boyer wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> es! And thanks to barefooted Ray. The way to turn sap on and off with
>>>>>> at&t u-verse remote. Not to mention that there i-phone app is 70
>>>>>> perdent
>>>>>> accessible. Enough to view and record shows. It's not perfect butt
>>>>>> maybe
>>>>>> with a letter to the developers it could be.
>>>>>> Anyway just throwing this one out there.
>>>>>> bb
>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jenny Keller"
>>>>>> <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
>>>>>> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>>>>>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>> Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2012 3:01 PM
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Cable/settop boxes
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Just for anyone's knowledge.  Comcast has it to where you can
>>>>>>> program
>>>>>>> your DVR and watch on demand programs on the computer, also, if you
>>>>>>> have an iPhone, and you have a compatible box for the xfinity ap,
>>>>>>> you
>>>>>>> can do the programming of the DVR, and control your TV and voiceover
>>>>>>> works with that.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Just for people who didn't know that.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> It doesn't do me any good to have the ap on my iPhone, cause I don't
>>>>>>> have a compatible box, but I use the on demand thing if I miss a
>>>>>>> show
>>>>>>> or something.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I don't know about with JAWS or window eyes, but I know that the
>>>>>>> site,
>>>>>>> I believe it's xfinitytv.net, or you can just call comcast itself to
>>>>>>> ask what the site name is to get to on demand is, and it's very
>>>>>>> accessible with voiceover.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Jenny
>>>>>>> On Jun 15, 2012, at 6:55 AM, from tim aune wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> If you have comcasts converter boxes for older tv's, they have
>>>>>>>> an SAP
>>>>>>>> button on the supplied remote.  I think that the boxes for HD tv
>>>>>>>> boxes
>>>>>>>> make you go into the menue to get to the SAP service.
>>>>>>>> Tim Aune
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> -----Original Message----- From: John Riehl
>>>>>>>> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2012 6:42 AM
>>>>>>>> To: 'Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances'
>>>>>>>> Subject: [Electronics-talk] Cable/settop boxes
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I just read the announcement re more descriptive audio being
>>>>>>>> available
>>>>>>>> soon.
>>>>>>>> That's great!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I'm curious what the status is of the cable companies and TV
>>>>>>>> manufacturers
>>>>>>>> providing accessible settop boxes. I've tried contacting comcast
>>>>>>>> but
>>>>>>>> can't
>>>>>>>> find a contact info; I'm not sure where to start with Verizon. What
>>>>>>>> are NFB
>>>>>>>> and orgs like AFB doing in this regard?
>>>>>>>> I'm tired of paying for services I  can't use, much less not being
>>>>>>>> able to
>>>>>>>> navigate my tv's menu. I know about the talking Panasonic tv's
>>>>>>>> being
>>>>>>>> available in Great Britain; are they available here in the US?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Thanks for any info anyone has!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Panasonic
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> John Riehl
>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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-- 
Christopher (CJ)
chaltain at Gmail