Appendix 2 – Access to Described Video The following table presents information on methods of accessing DV as provided by the BDU members of the DV Working Group. The information was collected in the summer of 2010 by the CRTC, and updated by individual companies for this Report. The questions asked by the CRTC with respect to access to DV were: “How does a subscriber access an embedded DV audio track? If multiple interfaces exist (e.g. in different regions), please provide separate responses for each.
The customer’s selection of DV mode is confirmed by a flashing notifier as shown below for 6 seconds: Pressing the B button again toggles the DV audio selection back to conventional audio.
Distinct buttons presses: 1 for on, another 1 for off On-screen selections: No on-screen navigation is required to activate or de-activate DV reception Please describe each step and attach screen captures, if available. Step 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Brief description of user action required Press B button on remote to activate Press B button on remote to de-activate Once activated, is the selection of the DV audio track retained or must it be occasionally reactivated? Please elaborate.
2) Bell Satellite TV Distinct buttons presses: All major DV channels are available in Bell’s 2 digit channel tier which allows a DV customer to simply press the up or down button on their remote control to scroll through available DV content. Bell also hosts the “Described Video Schedule” or DV EPG channel which is located on channel 50. This DV EPG provides a visual (large font) and auditable DV schedule of the available DV programming in Bell’s 2 digit DV channel tier.
On-screen selections: DV audio is also available on the main broadcast channels for which Bell distributes DV by switching to the alternate audio option via menu selection. The following steps are illustrated below in sequence. This is a set-and-forget option.
A user can identify if the program is broadcasting with DV by selecting info on the remote while tuned to the main channel in the EPG. (DV) will be present at the end of the program info.
An additional feature of Bell TV Satellite STB is a favourite list option. This allows customers to create up to 4 user defined channel lists that can be selected and displayed in the EPG (Electronic program guide). Utilizing this feature with the 2 digit DV channels gives the user an easy access experience with a single up or down button push. Below is a high level view on how a Bell TV favourite list works.
Once the list is created and saved it will now appear in the EPG as a selectable option when pressing guide. This option remains in the EPG until the user selects a different list.
Once activated, is the selection of the DV audio track retained or must it be occasionally reactivated? Please elaborate. [√ ] default setting (set-and-forget) [ ] must be occasionally reactivated (e.g.
3) Bell TV - Fibe TV Distinct buttons presses: From watching live TV with the remote: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Press TRIANGLE (settings) to launch the Settings menu Press SELECT to select “DESCRIPTIVE VIDEO” Press DOWN to highlight “Descriptive Video on” Press SELECT to select this Press LEFT Press UP to highlight “SAVE” Press SELECT Press EXIT to return to TV On-screen selections view: Navigation: To select descriptive video, first press menu on the remote control and navigate across to settings.
Selecting general will take you to the next screen bellow where the user can then select “Descriptive Video”
From here the user can either enable or disable Descriptive Video. Enabling Descriptive Video will activate the feature for channels where it is available. Once activated, is the selection of the DV audio track retained or must it be occasionally reactivated? Please elaborate.
[√ ] default setting (set-and-forget) [ ] must be occasionally reactivated (e.g.
4) Cogeco How does a subscriber access an embedded DV audio track? If multiple interfaces exist (e.g. in different regions), please provide separate responses for each. Distinct buttons presses: On DTAs pressing the “Lang” button on the remote control will cycle among the different audio tracks available; one of them is ENM/FRM (DV Audio). On analog services the stream is provided as SAP. Each TV set has its own particular way to select SAP.
change) [ ] other For DCTs the setting remains in place until changed; for DTAs it has to be reset every time the channel is changed. Analog services will depend on the TV set SAP feature. 5) Eastlink How does a subscriber access an embedded DV audio track? If multiple interfaces exist (e.g. in different regions), please provide separate responses for each. Distinct buttons presses: see below On-screen selections: see below Please describe each step and attach screen captures, if available.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Once activated, is the selection of the DV audio track retained or must it be occasionally reactivated? Please elaborate. [X] default setting (set-and-forget) * [ ] must be occasionally reactivated (e.g., after a channel change) [ ] other *Some broadcasters do not carry regular audio during non-DVS programming. This results in no audio being heard unless the customer selects regular audio again.
5) MTS Allstream How does a subscriber access an embedded DV audio track? If multiple interfaces exist (e.g. in different regions), please provide separate responses for each. MTS operates two distinct technologies for its television service, MTS TV. The first, MTS Classic TV, launched in 2003 and has no capacity for high definition or PVR. The second, MTS Ultimate TV, launched in 2009 and provides all services.
or on. This effectively provides a one-button solution for switching between the normal audio track and the DV audio track. For example, a customer chooses to set the STB audio to default to “DVS” and chooses to program the “C” button on the remote control to turn the default audio off or on again. With these settings, every channel change will default to the DV audio track. Once a channel is selected, the customer may then press “C” on the remote control to switch to the normal audio track.
Step Brief description of user action required 1 Assume a customer has chosen to set the STB audio to default to “DVS” and to program button “C” on the remote control to control the default audio, effectively turning DV off and on. Changing channels will default the audio to DV. To turn off DV, press “C” on the remote control. An on-screen confirmation will display for approximately five seconds, then the on-screen display will disappear. 2 To turn on DV again, press “C” on the remote control.
Currently, the notification regarding which audio track is activated is a five-second, on-screen text message. MTS is exploring the possibility of triggering a sound effect, such as one bell/two bells, to indicate that the audio track is set to normal or DV. This might or might not be possible with the current version of technology. MTS Classic TV: MTS Classic TV uses Motorola RG2200 or RG2400 set-top boxes (STB).
Step Brief description of user action required Main TV 1 To activate DV on the main TV, press the “wrench” button on the front of the RG2200 or the “Menu” button on the RG2400 to display “Gateway Menu” on-screen. OR To activate DV on the other TVs, press “B” on the SRC200 remote control or “Home on the SRC300 remote control to display “Gateway Menu” on-screen. All other steps are performed with the remote control.
2 Press “Select” to display “TV Set-up Menu” on-screen. 3 If DV is required on TV 1, skip Step 3 and proceed to Step 4. If DV is required on TV 2, scroll down once to highlight “TV 2” on-screen. 4 If DV is required on TV 3, scroll down twice to highlight “TV 3”on-screen. Press “Select” to display “Setup 2” on-screen. Secondary Audio “English” will be highlighted. (If DV is already activated, “DVS” will be highlighted.
5 Press “Select” to switch “English” to “DVS” on-screen. (To deactivate DV, press “Select” to switch “DVS” to “English”.) 6 7 8 Press “Exit” to return to “TV Setup Menu” on-screen. If DV is required on more than one STB output, return to Step 3, scroll to another output, and repeat Steps 4 to 6. Press “Exit” to return to “Gateway Menu” on-screen. Press “Exit” to return to TV program. DV audio will begin within 10 seconds, if the programming service is providing DV.
DV remains activated for all channels until the customer deactivates DV. Where a programming service does not provide normal program audio on the DV track when DV audio is not available, the channel is silent. Once activated, is the selection of the DV audio track retained or must it be occasionally reactivated? Please elaborate. MTS Ultimate TV [X] default setting (set-and-forget) [ ] must be occasionally reactivated (e.g.
6) Rogers How does a subscriber access an embedded DV audio track? If multiple interfaces exist (e.g. in different regions), please provide separate responses for each. See “Detailed Instructions” to follow. This is provided only for our SA STBs. Similar steps would apply to accessing DV on Motorola, once the solution described in the answer to Q2 is implemented.
Rogers – Detailed Instructions Detailed Remote Instructions - Accessing Described Video Service (DVS) Programming on Rogers Ontario (SA Explorer) Digital Boxes 1. Enabling DVS on analog channel via Secondary Audio Program (SAP) setting on the TV: When DVS is passed through with an analog service, it is only accessible on that channel through the use of the SAP feature, which is available on most televisions. The directions for activating the SAP feature will vary by TV brand.
ii) Moving immediately to the right of the Settings button is a circle with four parts (Left, Top, Right, and Bottom) with a “Select” button in the middle. iii) Press the upper part of the circle. iv) Press the right part of the circle. v) Press the Select button, in the centre of the circle. vi) To turn off the DVS audio stream, repeat the same procedure. Rogers’ ‘Big Button’ Two-Device remote** (UEI ‘Polaris’ Atlas DVR/PVR’ URC-1090 Model): i) Press Menu button.
conjunction with the DVS Complimentary Standard Definition Digital Box Program, or separately through the Rogers Call Centre for courier delivery.
7) SaskTel 1. How does a subscriber access an embedded DV audio track? If multiple interfaces exist (e.g. in different regions), please provide separate responses for each. SaskTel Max provides 2 options for enabling DV: DV can be enabled globally (for all On-screen selections: channels) via the on-screen Settings menu to configure TV settings.
Some programs include an audio description, which is a second audio stream that is audible with the primary audio and provides a description of the visuals, such as the scene setting or character actions in a program. This feature assists the visually impaired and is called Described Video (DV). To turn on DV: 1. Press MENU on the Max remote 2.
3. Highlight Secondary Audio, and then press OK. 4. Use the ARROW buttons to highlight Use secondary audio if available, and then press OK 5. Highlight Save, and then press OK. Described Video will now play when it is available for the program.
Once activated, is the selection of the DV audio track retained or must it be occasionally reactivated? Please elaborate. [X] default setting (set-and-forget) If enabled globally through the settings menu, DV (secondary audio) persists until manually deactivated. Settings are retained when the set-top-box is powered down to sleep or rebooted. The setting may need to be re-enabled when the software on the settop box is updated. Software updates may occur 2-3 times per year.
8) Shaw Direct How does a subscriber access an embedded DV audio track? If multiple interfaces exist (e.g. in different regions), please provide separate responses for each. A subscriber is required to make an audio selection in the STB under the user settings. This selection is identified as Descriptive Video. However, a short-cut key sequence is provided, as described below. Distinct buttons presses: 2 On-screen selections: 0 Please describe each step and attach screen captures, if available.
9) Shaw Cablesystems How does a subscriber access an embedded DV audio track? If multiple interfaces exist (e.g. in different regions), please provide separate responses for each. Analog customers (no digital cable set top box, with stereo Televisions and SAP or MTS: Select MTS or SAP on the TV-provided remote control or activate through the menu settings of their television. Shaw Digital customers: The Descriptive Video Service audio selection is a one time selection to turn on.
The Descriptive Video Service audio selection is a one time selection to turn on. As such, for the benefit of visually impaired customers and their family members with sight, it is very important for programmers and broadcasters to duplicate the regular default audio as pass through from the main program, onto the DVS channel. Failing to do this will cause customers to lose their audio entirely, when DVS is not offered on that channel. Screen captures follow.
Shaw Cablesystems Screen Captures
10) Telus How does a subscriber access an embedded DV audio track? If multiple interfaces exist (e.g. in different regions), please provide separate responses for each. Mediaroom Distinct buttons presses: 11 On-screen selections: 1 Please describe each step and attach screen captures, if available.
