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More on DTV Transition: Some Converter Boxes Support Video Description for Vision Disabled Persons

There is some good news from the Media Access Group at WGBH. They advise that they have tested two of the government-certified coupon eligible converter boxes used  to translate digital TV signals back to analog. Such converter boxes are necessary for TV viewers who use older "rabbit ears" TVs and who don't want to purchase newer (expensive!) digital TVs or be compelled to sign up for pay TV service (cable and satellite) to receive digital television (DTV).

Media Access Group determined that you can indeed receive and hear video description from a broadcast digital TV signal that includes it on at least two models, Insignia from Best Buy and Digital Stream from Radio Shack. While many of the digital-to-analog converter boxes are known already to pass through closed captioning, it was unclear which converter boxes would allow for accessibility for persons with vision disability who rely on video description. Video description consists of verbal depictions of key visual elements in a video or television program which are inserted into natural pauses in the spoken dialogue and is optionally turned on by viewers.

The testers also state that these two converter boxes have both Closed Captioning and SAP (or audio) buttons on the remote controls that allow you to access the various caption signals and alternate audio channels -- used for video description -- without having to go through the set-up menus. Media Access Group reminds that the broadcaster must be properly tagging and sending the alternate audio in order for the boxes to pick up those signals and present them to the viewer.

This means that viewers with vision and with hearing disabilities should not lose their means of accessibility to television on February 17, 2009, the date when most TV stations will stop broadcasting analog signals. Other converter boxes are being tested and may also pass through this essential accessibility means.

For more information on the nation's transition from analog to digital TV transmission, please visit AAPD's Consumer Alert on the Digital TV Transition at: http://www.aapd.com/News/tech/080407aapd.htm .