Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Idea: Smartphone app for audio description

This is topic Idea: Smartphone app for audio description in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Thomas Pitt (Member # 4322) on 03-25-2018, 05:55 PM:

I've been thinking this for quite some time now: instead of using IR headsets to give patrons amplified audio or audio description, why not just let them use their smartphones for it? An app could connect to a local Wi-Fi or Bluetooth network in the auditorium, and you'd be able to select which soundtrack you wanted to play through headphones of your choice! Surely it wouldn't be too difficult to implement, particularly with the advent of all-digital projection and such.

Of course, there might be the issue of potentially picking up the signal from an adjacent auditorium or even from outside the theatre itself; possibly pirating the soundtrack...

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 03-25-2018, 06:06 PM:

I'm sorry to inform you that it's already been done! Both for AD and closed caption!

I am very sceptical as
1. you are showing the whole auditorium that you are deaf, it's like going around with a sign.
2. despite I am told the app turns the display down to minimum brightness and has black background, I'm confident the subtitles on my device will affect other's experience.

That said, you did not mention subtitles, you only mentioned AD [Smile]

In that case yes it works!

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 03-25-2018, 06:25 PM:

How would a blind person use a touch-screen device to make use of the descriptive track?

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 03-25-2018, 06:48 PM:

Many senior citizens still don't have smart phones, so this would be an unreliable application. I was talking to a woman the other day who was excited about the idea of Movie Pass until I told her you go on your phone and check in. That's when she pointed out she still has a flip phone.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 03-25-2018, 08:06 PM:

quote: Scott Norwood
How would a blind person use a touch-screen device to make use of the descriptive track?

For many blind persons, smartphones are important support devices nowadays. They have usually no problem to operate them. Many of these phones offer special assistive functions.

- Carsten

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-25-2018, 11:26 PM:

I strongly dislike phone use of any kind in a commercial movie theater. Even when screens are set at minimal brightness levels they're still very noticeable and distracting in a dark auditorium. Any subtitles displayed on the phone screen will make the phone display light up that much brighter.

I wouldn't mind blind persons using the audio functions of a smart phone via headphones to get descriptive content. But what does the phone's display do while those functions are being accessed?

Posted by Jonathan M. Crist (Member # 413) on 03-25-2018, 11:33 PM:

In setting the requirements for both captioning and audio description devices - which (less anyone forgets) are mandated to be in place for all screens in the US with a digital projector other than drive-ins not later than than June 02, 2018 (unless you can somehow prove you can't afford it) - the department of justice specifically rejected cell phone apps as an alternative to requiring purchase of devices on the grounds that many seniors do not have smart phones or even if they do have smart phones many seniors do not have the ability to use the necessary apps.

Posted by Harold Hallikainen (Member # 5405) on 03-25-2018, 11:40 PM:

I don't think the DOJ would object to cell phone applications, but do require theaters to supply ther receivers. It seems, though, that if a theater has the required number of receivers, customers could stoll use their own receivers. More info on current requirements at http://ftp.uslinc.com/ftp/MultiProduct/Accessibility/q_wp_cin_accessibilityrequirement_171129.pdf

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 03-26-2018, 04:31 AM:

Handicaped persons and seniors are not the same.

Those apps that I know follow display standby while playing HI/VI-N. You can put them into your pocket during the show. Most supplied headsets offer inline volume controls. You start it before or when the movie begins, and then you don't need to operate it anymore.

- Carsten

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-26-2018, 09:10 AM:

CDM offers this as a module for their TMS system and will work with a wifi tablet or with a smart phone and Senhiesser offers it as well

Posted by Stephan Shelley (Member # 8587) on 03-30-2018, 03:13 PM:

Carsten, age and hearing and sight disabilities go hand and hand. The majority of our customers that request devices are seniors.

A theatre would still have to have the required number of smart phones on hand. Smart phone based aps have to be programed to the correct auditorium unlike infrared based systems.