Re: Inject text alerts into a CATV system

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Lewis Gardner" <lgardner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:442a2d10_1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Robert Green wrote:
> > Dad's nearly deaf and is not terribly compliant about keeping his
hearing
> > aid turned up.  Instead, he watches the TV with the set's *sound* turned
way
> > up - we're talking thunderous volume here.  Unfortunately, this means
he's
> > almost completely unaware of his surroundings.
>
> It can be VERY helpful to locate a remote speaker near the "nearly deaf"
> person's chair so they can have a loud speaker within 2' of their best
ear.
>
> I have used a AR powered partner speaker fed from a volume controlled
> line output on the back of a TV before. This allows the "nearly deaf" to
> have a elevated volume while not blasting the rest of the room to get
> the volume level they need.
>
> After doing this wrong the first time the key is to use a quality >
powered speaker with volume and tone controls on the front. I tried a PC
> speaker at first and it was not up to the task.

That sounds like a plan.  I think it will be far easier to interrupt the
audio with a canned voice announcement than to put it on the screen.

> > What I would like to is create a fairly low cost HA system that's
capable of
> > putting up brief text messages over the TV so when he's watch March
Madness
> > and someone's pounding on the door and ringing the buzzer, I can send
"Front
> > Door bell ringing" or "phone call" or "smoke detector activated" or
> > "FIRE!!!" or whatever on the screen so he knows to take some action.
>
> Check out the HomeVision controller.
>
> www.csi3.com/homevis2.htm
>
> "HomeVision generates video text for display on your TV. The line-level
> (RCA jack) output connects directly to a video jack on your TV or VCR A
> built-in video switch can switch the output between HomeVision's video
> screens and an incoming video signal, essentially bypassing HomeVision
> when desired."

I've rejected most solutions as too complex or costly.  The "speaker at the
chair" sounds like a much better direction.  It's the sound that's the
problem so it's not surprising that sound is the solution, too.

> Cost is subjective. By the time you get the same functionality with a
> character generator, video switch, sensors and a controller you will
> likely be close to $600.

Labor and materials to do 3 TV's would be enormous.   But if I go the audio
route instead I can handle this with an Ocelot and a Speakeasy and maybe a
SECU module from ADI.  I am surprised that PC speakers didn't cut it for
you.  The last Creative 2.1 speaker I bought sounds very impressive and the
speakers themselves are tiny.  I might even be able to incorporate them into
the top of Dad's recliner.

Thanks for the input, Lewis!

--
Bobby G.