After Amazon had already introduced audio streaming for Bluetooth hearing aids (ASHA) on Amazon Fire TV in April last year, with models from Starkey, Audibel, NuEar, Telefunken, Pro Acoustics and KIND were supported, the expansion of audio streaming to cochlear hearing implants follows today.
While conventional hearing aids mostly only amplify the volume of noises and tones, cochlear implants bypass them the ear and stimulate the auditory nerve directly. Direct audio streaming from a Fire TV Cube (2nd and 3rd generation) is supported today to the following cochlear hearing implant sound processors:
- Nucleus 8
- Nucleus 7
- Nucleus Kanso 2
- Baha 6 Max
The sound processors connect to the Fire TV at the system level, allowing users to stream audio from video and music streaming services, Alexa, apps, games, navigation sounds and more directly to their hearing implants – there's no such thing as just audio from streaming video services.
To pair a hearing implant, users must go to Settings > > in the compatible Fire TV Cube menu. “Accessibility” > Select “Hearing aids” and follow the instructions. The hearing aid can then be connected like a Bluetooth headset. It should be noted that both hearing aids must be connected independently if you are using a right and a left hearing aid. Details on how to connect the hearing aid can be found in the help directly from Amazon.
Nothing has changed in the other accessibility features listed below for Fire TV devices in Germany, they can still be used:
- VoiceView is a screen reader that reads the text on the screen aloud while customers navigate through menu options and settings.
- Subtitles can be turned on during video playback to display text for dialogue in films and series. Subtitles are also known as “closed captions”. They can be enabled as a preference in the Fire TV's accessibility settings.
- The text banner is an assistive technology that consolidates information from different parts of the screen into a central location that doesn't move. A rectangular box appears on the screen with the title of the currently selected item and its associated text. This feature is important for customers with visual impairments and a limited field of vision.
- Screen magnifier is an assistive technology for customers with low vision. It magnifies the screen as customers navigate the Fire TV interface. This makes reading and watching easier.
- Alexa enables customers with limited mobility to turn on or off compatible TVs, search, control and play content with voice commands. Blind and visually impaired people can also use the audio film skills of the German Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBSV) to find audio films from the media libraries of public television stations and access them via voice control via Alexa-enabled devices.
- Fire-TV- Devices can display high-contrast text. This feature helps make text easier to read. This makes the on-screen text either black or white with a border of the opposite color.
ComputerBase received information about this article from Amazon under NDA. The only requirement was the earliest possible publication date.