[Electronics-Talk] Audio description on streaming TV

[Sharonda White-Goode]

Rik,
Wow! Thanks for your report. As a person who has had a little more time to
watch some shows, it is great to know how these streaming services work.

Sharonda

On Sat, Apr 6, 2024 at 11:22 AM Rik James (MT) via Electronics-Talk <
electronics-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> 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 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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Sharonda Goode
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