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Listening to the TV FAQ
Hello, I hope you can help me. I visit clients at home to support them with their hearing loss and I have had many queries regarding digital TV and their loop systems.
Some have had digital boxes installed and afterwards the induction loop via scart fitted are picking up the correct picture but the signal from ordinary TV, not the program they want to watch?
My solution is to disconnect the scart and put a microphone onto the TV speaker. Whereas this can solve the problem, it doesn’t give a person the same quality sound when listening to the TV. Also, TV has to have some degree of sound on for the microphone to pick up.
Will there be any solution to remedy this problem? I know of one company who has changed the induction loop to accommodate the scart and digital box but you have to purchase another system to use this. Have your technical department come up with a cheaper option? I find that when someone has purchased a loop not 6 months ago thinking there troubles are over, that digital TV is now causing more problems for them.
I’d appreciate some feedback please, Cumbria will be turning digital in 2006.
Your solution to use a microphone is an easy realistic solution and may well be the best for some people.
There are many myths when talking about ‘digital’ devices - digital or non digital should actually make no difference, a digital hearing aid does not work better with digital TV any more than an analogue hearing aid would. With regards to inductive loops whether the hearing aid is digital or analogue, whether the TV is digital or not, whether it is Freeview or Sky or cable are all irrelevant and certainly does not require any change of loop amplifier and the philosophy of connection does not change.
The philosophy of connecting a loop amplifier to a television is simply to connect the TV sound into the loop amplifier - the problems you give simply indicate that the loop is not actually connected to the output sound of the TV but to one of the inputs, resulting in not hearing the correct sound.
How should a loop amplifier be connected to a TV?
a) Best – many TV’s have an audio out connection for connection to a Hi-Fi system – if such a connection exists it will be a pair of phono sockets (probably red and black) on the rear of the TV marked audio out. The advantage of using the audio out connection is that it offers ‘exactly what is shown on the packet’ i.e. the sound output as heard from the TV speakers. If this audio out is already being used we supply leads with stackable/doubler phono plugs - follow this link to purchase.
Different TV's have varying socket arrangements, to help you we show some examples below. What you are looking for on your TV is a pair of phono sockets marked AUDIO or AUDIO OUT.
So our advice is if there is an audio out phono connection on the TV use it.
b) SCART. A universal method of interconnecting TV & video equipment – using a SCART connection will not affect the TV speaker sound, in fact the speaker sound does not even need to be turned up to listen to a connected loop amplifier.
follow this link to purchase SCART leads.
Points to remember when using SCART connections to connect to a loop amplifier.
1) Some SCART connections are one way and some two way, IN and OUT. Not all TV SCART sockets are two way – if you are having problems with getting TV sound to external equipment/loop amplifier read the TV user instructions to check that the SCART socket actually has an audio out connection – ie two way.
2) If the TV has more than one SCART socket usually only one of them usually has audio out – ie two way – sometimes the SCART socket is a non black colour, there are labeling conventions e.g. be marked IN/OUT or a logo with an in/out arrow – read the TV user instructions.
3) Some TVs allow its SCART sockets to be configured in the TV menu – read the TV user instructions.
Where should a loop amplifier SCART connection be plugged in?
Into the OUT SCART socket on the TV
What do I do if the IN/OUT SCART connection is already in use?
Use an inline SCART adaptor to allow you to ‘break in’ to the TV sound output or use a SCART doubler – follow this link to purchase an inline adaptor or follow this link to purchase a SCART doubler.
I want to connect more external boxes than I have SCART sockets what should I do?
Use an SCART switching box, there is a choice of manual push button - follow this link to purchase and remote control - follow this link to purchase, TBD.
Connecting a loop amplifier via a headphone socket is a bad idea as using the headphone socket will probably mute the TV sound which is antisocial for non hearing aid users.
If technology is too baffling always remember that you can just use a microphone on the speaker!
Should you have questions about a specific TV/DVD/Freeview/SKY combination please direct them to your TV equipment supplier as Connevans customer services will be unable to provide advice.
The following are a couple of links which may (or may not!) help you with connecting up your TV system.
Sony have a connecting together help page here which worth a look.
The dtg site has a rather nice connection wizard to explain how to connect your TV, DVD, digital decoder etc. together.
To help those who find the names of plugs confusing we have prepared the following chart to show the commonly found connectors.
page search ref FAQTV08
