Category: the Rant Board
This week, we had fios from Verizon installed. Basically, it's internet, phone and cable over fiber optics. anyway, the cable changed how we use the tv. We now have two remotes and have to use two buttons to turn the tv on and off and I can't use the tv to change the channels, not even with my beloved vintage televisions with the numberpads on them. But the thing that annoys me is all the inaccessibility. For example, Mom could turn on a music channel and read all about the song and singer/composer, or she could turn on a movie and read what it is. there are menus and all sorts of other nonsense there. They even have on demand movies which, again, are totally inaccessible. Back when we had tivo (it doesn't work with fios), they used to be able to se the programs they wanted to record, flip through a tv guide and go back and forth while watching shows/films. they said I could hook it up to the computer, but I'm not sure if it would work with my screenreader. Now, with the new system, I'm not sure if I could hook it up at all. So does anyone else get frustrated with all of this? does anyone know of any work arounds? am I the only one who prefers videos to dvds and does anyone know if I can use a talking universal remote for my vcr with fios? I don't have one, but have always wanted to buy one.
that's why I won't upgrade my cable cause I can't get my own movies or sporting events. Its a shame we are shut from these things, even if we had to use the SAP feature to look up a song heck a lot of times on the weather channel they don't tell you much. As far as the channels, don't you have to leave the cable box on a certain channel and the regular remote should work?
no. you have to leave the tv on a certain channel and then use the cable box remote to flip through the channels. i feel the same way about the menus and things being inaccessible and having to press 2 buttons on 2 different remotes. this is why i do not use the tv in the front room because it is hooked up to comcast digital cable which is a rip off by itself. but instead, i either use the tv here in the computer room or in our bedroom if i want to watch tv.
I heard that in February or March of 2009, everyone will be forced to switch to this crap. I'm just not sure what they mean by "everyone", whether it's all people in america or all people in New Jersey or what. Also, I'd go into the horrible way we've been treated by Verizon, but that deserves it's own post on the rant board! We are not! happy.
Everyone will have to get a box for digital t.v. I am not sure how it works though. Charter cable is not good either. again we miss out on many movies or concerts cause we can't see the menus
Tifinitsa, I totally agree with what you said. We have basic cable at home, and I love it. The only downfall is that parental settings are totally unaccessible. I don't like dvd's either because of the inaccessible menus. It just seems so unfair!
DVD's because of the inaccessible ... Good lord! just have someone help you find the arrow keys and the enter, and menu buttons on your remote, pop in the DVD, and play around with it. I do it all the time on my TV set in this room. But, I'd never mess with the one in the living room. too complicated and the player's not working. Or, just use the computer for it, because apparently that works too.
Be brave. press a few buttons on the remote and figure things out. use zap2it.com to look up tv schedules. I'm sure you'll find that it's not as inaccessible as you think.
supposedly there is a program you can put your computer that works like a dvr. It records tv shows to an external hard drive and more but the cost is around 200 dollars for the whole shabang.
You can get tv listings on the internet for your spasific area and cable/sattelite provider. Then if you see a program you like you can flip right to that channel.
This issue is one of the main reasons I rarely watch TV, anymore. It's all just too much of a headache.
But...The NFB news line has TV listings, as well. (you don't have to be a member of NFB to use it. I'm not.) You can use the phone to scroll through TV listings. Just another option, if wading through a website, or multiple sites, gets to be too tedious.
I've not been able to get a DVD to work on my computer! It plays, but only the first scene of a show. I can't figure out how to navigate through the list of contents on the disk.
There must be a better way than just pressing buttons on the DVD player or remote, and hoping! Of course, I've done that, but every DVD seems to be different, so what works on one may not work on another DVD. This makes me want to pull all my hair out!
Yes, I use newsline for the TV listings and to read obituaries. That's about it.
Ah, another obits reader! *grin* Sad sometimes, but very interesting stuff, in some of them.
Yes, I agree. It especially saddens me when I hear about infants who die unexpectedly. Fortunately, that's not too often. anyway, back on topic ...
Digital cable may be regulated by Section 255 of the Federal Communications Act. I don't know if there's been *any* advocacy on these fronts yet. Cable companies will often help you access pay-per-view movies over the phone; there's usually a charge, but if you jump up and down and explain that you can't access because you're blind, they'll waive that extra fee.
I read through this posted info and find it absolutely stinks that we have to be so specific about what TV we can or can't use. I need to buy a new TV because of the damn law that is going in next year and it is unbelievable how many places just want to sell me a huge TV which i don't need. Looks like I have to call a consultant in here to see what I have which is all hooked together: Stereo, VCR, and TV. Somebody already said to me they hope I don't wind up with a total mess; from reading all this, I better have the guy try everything out before he walks out the door. This inacessibility stuff sucks when you know for a fact others who can see have no problems with it. I'm a senior citizen who is getting older and more crabby about this inacessible stuff.
I think you only need a digital conversion box if you don't have cable.
Rumor has it the blind will have trouble using the converter boxes because of menues, but I need to verify that before I believe it. that was discussed at the ACB convention. My TV is so old that I would rather spend the money on a new one and get the hook up I have here now including a DVD player. the sighted don't have this crap to deal with.