TV Ears HDTV set
If you attended last week's CES in Las Vegas, maybe you're still hearing that din in your ears from the exhibit floor? A company called TV Ears was there to help. The firm—which makes TV listening devices for senior citizens and the hearing-impaired (which is not necessarily the same thing)—used the show to roll out what it believes to be the "first ever senior-friendly" HDTV set.
The 32-inch unit (no word if its LCD or plasma) comes with a built-in transmitter and wireless TV headset to help viewers with hearing loss hear HD shows more clearly without having to yank up the volume in the room with other viewers.
The HDTV even boasts an automatic shut-off feature that engages "after four hours of inactivity," said the Spring Valley, Calif.-based firm — just in case the viewer leaves the room or nods off in the middle of the show (which maybe could say more about the program in question than the viewer).
The headset primarily is designed to help viewers who can physically hear the dialog in TV shows but have a hard time distinguishing it from background noise, such as crowd scenes or music.
TV Ears also said its hearing-conscious HDTV set also provides larger screen text than usual for easier viewing.
