[Electronics-talk] Cable/setup boxes

cheez cheez at cox.net
Wed Jun 20 05:08:13 UTC 2012 

Right on, Gerald!  My sentiments exactly.
Vince

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gerald Levy" <bwaylimited at verizon.net>
To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 6:21 AM
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Cable/setup boxes


>
> 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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