My father has significant hearing loss and has trouble enjoying his favorite T.V. programs. I encouraged him to use closed captioning, only to discover that none of the three T.V. sets in his house have built-in decoders (apparently they were all purchased before the 1993 Federal mandate). Rather than have him replace his large-screen cabinet T.V., I would like to purchase a set-top decoder for him. I need some advice on which one to purchase. Does anyone have recommendations for brands or models? Websites or stores to check out? What should a set-top decoder cost? Can you tell me whether the captions from a set-top box show up on the T.V. screen or on the decoder itself? Any help would be appreciated.
From what I’ve seen the decoders aren’t much cheaper than a new television.
So, what’d you find out?
BTW I have some hearing loss and use my closed caption most of the time. However a lot of programs aren’t available with closed caption.
I have my stereo attached so that I can run the audio through it. I then will use a pair of lightweight headphones while watching a program. It works very well. You’d be surprised I think at how much more stuff you hear using the headphones. I’ve got a couple that I can plug into stereo w/amps/equalizers etc. a decent TV and headphones, my friends with normal hearing are impressed at the audio results when we watch a good movie this way. good luck 