[Electronics-talk] Cable/setup boxes

Fri Jun 22 22:04:32 UTC 2012

Glad to see such a positive post! Good job and I hope everyone does the same 
thing. Sounds like you got a rep that actually listens so congrats on that 
too!
bb
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jenny Keller" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 3:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Cable/setup boxes


> Well, I've taken a proactive approach.
>
> I call Comcast, who is my cable provider, and had them walk me through 
> getting to the SAP setting.  they did a fairly good job considering they 
> didn't even know about what was happening on July 1st.
>
> the other thing was that I had just enough vision to tell her what square 
> was highlighted, so it was a little easier to manage.  Had I not had some 
> vision, as little as it is, I think we wouldn't have been able to do it. 
> But not for lack of trying on the party of the Customer Service Rep.
>
> I also asked her if she could escalate the issue of a non-accessible cable 
> box for the blind and that since this descriptive video thing was going to 
> get more and more prominentt, that we needed to have some other options to 
> be able to switch our cable boxes to SAP, if not make them accessible.
>
> The representative told me that she would indeed escalate the issue, and 
> to ask all that have con cast, and all that didn't, to call and escalate 
> the issue too so that we could make some real noise with the company.
>
> Just an update and have a great weekend.
>
> Jenny
> On Jun 20, 2012, at 8:42 AM, Larry Wayland wrote:
>
>> what would you all per pose we do?
>> Larry
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org 
>> [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of cheez
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 12:08 AM
>> To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Cable/setup boxes
>>
>> 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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>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>
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