Television is a portal that can connect users with the world. As the variety of content that users can access continues to grow, the variety of entertainment available on televisions is also expanding. Despite these innovations, however, for those with hearing difficulties, the deaf, the visually impaired, and the blind, accessing basic TV features such as volume control and screen settings remains a challenge that must be overcome.
As Samsung revealed at the First Look 2021 event, the company’s 2021 TV line will take advantage of the latest developments to enable the hard of hearing, deaf, visually impaired and blind to enjoy their TV experience. This will be achieved with the help of Samsung’s award-winning new CES 2021 Best of Innovation TV accessibility features, such as Caption Moving, Sign Language Zoom, Multi-Output Audio, and Voice Guidance. Samsung will continue to develop new AI-enabled features to keep Samsung TVs more intuitive.
The Samsung newsroom looked at the accessibility features available on Samsung TVs, as well as the company’s commitment to its new vision.Screensavers for everyoneThis helps to ensure that everyone can enjoy their TVs to the fullest.
SeeColors: a new world of colors for those with cardiovascular disease
The ability of Samsung TVs to reproduce true-to-life colors is constantly improving, but unfortunately this is not very apparent to those with CVD. Samsung SeeColors app[1] It stabilizes color to help CVD patients benefit from an enhanced color viewing experience.
With the app on TV, users can select the type and severity of the CVD, and directly reset the monitor settings based on the results. The SeeColors app is available for download from the Apps, Smart TV app store.
Color Reflection: For comfortable viewing without glare
It’s also difficult for people with low vision to perceive colors clearly. In particular, black text on a white background can cause glare for visually impaired people who have special sensitivity to light. The fact that their eyes tire easily also hinders comfortable TV viewing.
In this case, Color Inversion proves to be effective. Flipping the menus color so that text is white with a black background increases visual perception and reduces eye strain. In addition to inverting colors in menus to make it easier to navigate the TV, this feature maintains the same colors as actual content to better meet the needs of visually impaired users.
There are also features to help people who report full color blindness, like Grayscale, which converts color photos to black and white. Additionally, the focus feature allows users to enlarge text and smaller details on interfaces such as the Smart Hub.
Audio Description (video): To better appreciate the most exciting scenes
Amazing action movies and exciting sporting events can keep viewers in suspense. However, blind people are often restricted in appreciating the performances of actors and the physical exploits of the athletes only by their hearing. Under these circumstances, the information these users obtain through sound effects and dialogue should be reduced.
Audio Description (Video) + feature that provides verbal descriptions of scenes and actions displayed on the screen, along with additional dialogue or commentary. This helps blind viewers fully appreciate the content by providing interpretations of elements that may be difficult to grasp with sound alone, such as the characters’ clothing or their body language.
Learn TV Remote: For easy use of the remote control
The remote control is a useful tool, as it gives you the ability to control channels, volume and TV settings in the palm of your hand, making your viewing more comfortable. However, it can be difficult for blind people to know what each button does. For this reason, blind people generally take a long time to learn the buttons and get used to using the remote control.
Learn TV Remote is the feature that helps blind people get used to using the remote control and know the location and functions of each button, through frequent use. By pressing a button on the remote control when the feature is active, Learn Tv Remote will talk about the name and function of the button. To return to normal remote control use, simply press the “Back” button twice.
Audio guide: for better navigation between channels and volume control
When viewers want to watch an episode of a TV show, they generally turn on the TV and switch to the correct channel by looking at the channel number or name. However, when turning on the TV for the first time, it is difficult for blind viewers to recognize which channel is being played and at what level the volume is being adjusted.
By speaking the name of the current channel and indicating the volume level that has been set, the Voice Guide feature eliminates the need to press buttons on the remote control multiple times to move between channels and set the desired volume level. The function enriches the convenience of use, providing information on the program on the air and the TV schedule.
Access shortcuts
If you press and hold the mute button on the Samsung TV remote control for more than two seconds, a menu will appear in which you can customize a variety of accessibility settings. It is possible to select the most appropriate accessibility functionality for each user. The menu is accompanied by an audio guide, which allows any user to navigate without difficulty.
Ongoing commitment to accessibility, based on user feedback
Based on the belief that a thorough understanding of low vision conditions is essential to developing appropriate accessibility features, Samsung has gathered user feedback to create comfortable and accessible televisions even for the blind and partially sighted.
Toward this end, Samsung has been working with the UK’s Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) since 2013 to ensure that Samsung products are equipped with the right features to provide accessibility for all consumers. Thanks to its ongoing commitment, the company was awarded the “Tested and Tested Certification” by RNIB for Smart TVs for 2020: it is the first time that the award has been awarded in the TV sector.
In pursuit of his visionScreensavers for everyone“Samsung will continue to innovate to ensure that Samsung TVs provide an enjoyable viewing experience for everyone.
[1] This application is not intended for use in diagnosing diseases or other conditions, or in the treatment, mitigation, treatment or prevention of any disease or medical problem. Any information found, obtained or accessed through this application is provided for your convenience and should not be considered medical advice.
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