# DIRECTV2PC Accessibility for the Visually Impaired



## Speedy (May 28, 2009)

I am visually impaired, but I watch TV constantly. Recently. I upgraded to a DirecTV R22 SD DVR. High Definition is not very important to me at this point. Immediately, I was able to use live DVR features like pause and skip ahead. The on-line scheduling and Video On Demand features are also completely accessible to the visually impaired and even to those totally blind! I was hopeful when I discovered the beta for DIRECTV2PC and developments with Media Sharing. Computers are very accessible and provide the oppertunity to make TV technologies, which heavily depend on on screen menus to be more usable to the visually impaired. DIRECTV2PC was impressive and disappointing at the same time! It runs very well and is consistent with the on screen displays. However, none of the information is available to JAWS, my screen reader! I was hopeing to be able to easily hear MyPlaylist. Watching from my computer is a nice bonus, but my biggest obstacle is moving through MyPlaylist on the TV. At least on my computer, magmnification is possible, but not preferable. 

1. I have not seen any way to provide feedback to DirecTV or CyberLink! This is strange for a beta product. Does anyone know the proper, effective mechinisms; email, phone, forums, rock and chisel, etc? 
2. The keyboard hotkeys are great, but they do not always work! I get the SD video in a separate window from the main window with the seek control / indicator and the sound. I have written a JAWS scripts to swap the active window to pass the key through and swap back. Is HD video displayed in the main window?

3. I would really like to get the info on ythe screen, especially MyPlaylist to JAWS, so it cab bwe spoken! If CyberLink could make this info available to screen readers by using standard Windows classes likre Tree views or exposing user innterface object info using Microsoft Active Accessibilirty (MSAA). Apple finally did this with iTunes to open up a whole new community of dedicated users. I would love to be able to recommend and guide 40 million new users to the world of DVRs and beyond through DirecTV!


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