[Electronics-Talk] Audio description on streaming TV

Sun Apr 7 06:51:23 UTC 2024

Yes, the audio description on Paramount+ is not as smooth as it should be.
And as I said, it does not stay on in Settings. I have to turn it on each
time I open the app.

And here is how to turn it on. 
I still struggle with this. But if I persist I am generally successful now.
While the program is playing, and also after the early pre-program
advertisment is done, you can learn if A D is available and turn it on.
As I said, I am using the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max device.
I would assume this would be the same using other streaming devices.

If you have your speech turned on, like in the Fire stick it is called Voice
View.
You use the remote, go down arrow and then the up arrow.
There is a Settings button that becomes visible. 
I mean the voice should say, Settings.
But if you can see a little bit, the Settings button is on the right side of
the screen and it lights up, rather brightly.
Once it lights up, in other words you are focused on that button.
Press the Select button to engage Settings.
The menu pops up.
The Subtitles are at the top, and below those listings is the Audio
Settings. If there is A D it will say English Doble A D.
So then you hit Select on that to get it to have the check mark.
I generally go back up and down to be sure that I hear "checkmark" on my
selection for the A D.
At that point to leave the Settings menu, you then press the Left Arrow. And
then you are returning back to your program.
If you hear the A D, you do the happy dance, and enjoy the show.

I hope this is helpful.
Paramount+ was working better than this about 5 or 6 months ago. It used to
keep the A D turned on. 
None of this sstuff is ever going to stop changing, or will it?

On Paramount, It also bugs me by saying "press any button to return to your
program." 
This is my Voice Fiew on the Fire Stick, I guess. But it is only on the
Paramount+ and it gets annoying.

One more thing. 
I recently have been annoyed when viewing programs on Prime Video using the
Fire Stick.
I wonder if anyone else is experiencing this.
When the A D is turned on, for some reason my Voice View will read the
subtitles! Not all of them but about half the time. It is crazy, as it
drowns out the dialogue. 
I told the Amazon Customer Service Disability about it. 
And boy did they have a grand idea. They instructed me to turn OFF the Voice
View on the Fire Stick. 
Well, okay, sure, it quits reading the subtitles. But I have to turn it back
on when I go back to the menu.
It is a bug. But a rather nasty one. And absurd to boot.

Cheers, and here is to the rest of us.
Rik

-----Original Message-----
From: Electronics-Talk <electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of
Peter via Electronics-Talk
Sent: Saturday, April 6, 2024 6:24 PM
To: 'Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances'
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Peter <pdonahue2 at satx.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Audio description on streaming TV

Hello everyone,

	This is exactly why the ability to control accessibility functions
on tv devices such as audio description need to be added to their PDAS.

Peter Donahue

-----Original Message-----
From: Electronics-Talk <electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of
cheez via Electronics-Talk
Sent: Saturday, April 6, 2024 6:55 PM
To: 'Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances'
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: cheez at cox.net
Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Audio description on streaming TV

When I use Netflix with my iPhone 8 plus, audio description is always
activated.
I found out some of the shows don't have audio description available.

When it comes to Paramount, I couldn't find the audio describe button.

Vince

-----Original Message-----
From: Electronics-Talk <electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of
Rik James (MT) via Electronics-Talk
Sent: Saturday, April 6, 2024 11:21 AM
To: 'Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances'
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: rixmix2009 at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Audio description on streaming TV

Tracy and everyone,

I took a plunge and subscribed to a bunch of these streaming services over
the last year. 
It is sort of how I tried to evaluate which one or two that I Might choose
to keep.
So if it helps anyone, I will pass along this report.

I am using the Amazon Fire Stick 4K, the latest one that came out last fall.
If someone uses the Roku, I would like to anyone who can compare them.

On some of these platforms, once you turn ON Audio Description in the
Settings, the feature will remain ON your selected program. In other words
you will not have to go and turn them on for each film or show. 
Peacock TV, Apple TV, and MAX, they all do this, in my experience over the
past year. 

The balance of sound is not always the best. Sometimes the A D is too loud
and the dialogue is too soft, etc. But that is another rabbit hole. I will
say that Apple TV and MAX do have the best balance of sound on my Fire
Stick.

Paramount+, on the other hand, I need to go and turn on the A D nearly 
Paramount+each
time.  At least each time I log on. 
Netflix, also seems to always need to be turned ON. 

But even so, there is the rare incidence when a show will not have it, the A
D, turned ON. And for each of these, the way to get into the Settings is not
always the same.  It takes some jiggering with the up and down and left and
right on the remote, to get there. But by now I have almost learned how to
do it on each.

It is also the case with both of these, that you will need to look at the
Menu on the program itself, to discover if A D is available for that
program. 

I had the HULU service for about six months. And as I recall, once you
turned on the A D feature, each program would have it turned on if it was
available.

In the MAX service setup, I like how easy it is to tell if a program has the
A D available. You can just up arrow and it is stated quickly in the program
description.

For me, it is now a strong factor, the decision whether to watch a show or
not, based on the availability of the A D feature.
It can take a lot of time to do what I am calling "Shopping," going through
the array of movies and films, and putting them in the Watch List,  

On some of these platforms, after wandering down through many many genres
and suggestions of what they suggest that you watch, you can find a category
just exclusively listing programs with Audio Description. This is dandy. But
like I say, I have not found a way to get to that list easily.

The two streaming platforms which are still quite falling short of having
very much A D, are AMC+ and SHOWTIME. Although some of the new original
programs on SHOWTIME are starting to provide it.
As a big fan of Mad Men, I really would like to put a bug in Matthew
Weiner's ear to get on it!

I have left out Disney+ and ESPN+. I had Disney+ long enough to see the
Peter Jackson film Get Back with The Beatles. But that is now several years
ago. At the time, their A D was good.

To any fans of the popular TV drama, Yellowstone, filmed in the state where
I reside, I can report, that Peacock TV has all five seasons now with Audio
Description. This was not so at first. So it is a pleasure to now view it
again, and hear much detail of the landscape and actions. The two
pre-Yellowstone programs, 1883, and 1923, also have A D, and are on
Paramount+.

Finally, one other thing, but not to do with the A D. It is that, I am
finding that more and more being a complete cord cutter, leaving cable and
satellite, is possible, if you are willing to wait 24 hours, to see some of
the news and talking head shows. NBC and MSNBC on Peacock, CBS on Paramount,
CNN on MAX, ABC on Hulu.  The only thing is that I guess that C-SPAN, C-SPAN
2, will likely not be on a streaming service, even though you can use their
app on a phone or on their website. Since this network is originally funded
by the cable system,  unlikely for it to be part of the streaming deice app
offerings. I hope that I am wrong. As a citizen who values this, I very much
advocate for it.

That is my report. I may have flubbed up on a point or two. But this is my
current working model of reality in the ever changing world of streaming.

Best of luck to all.
Rik James

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