Budget electronics brand Goodmans has announced a Freeview box that talks.
The Smart Talk isn’t just a gimmick, it’s come about as a collaboration with the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) to integrate text to speech facilities for blind, partially sighted, elderly or severely dyslexic users.
The manufacturer has been working with Harvard International, Pixsan and Loquendo to develop the box, which offers speech-enabled information to make on-screen navigation easier. Users can also control the way text on screen is read out to them and change the size of the text on screen.
The box also comes with all the usual features for a standard Freeview machine including seven-day EPG, reminders and parental controls. Steve Tyler from the RNIB said: “The development of this product will allow millions of people across the UK to enjoy digital television independently. It is fantastic to see it becoming a reality."
The Goodmans Smart Talk box goes on sale in August for £99 from the RNIB and selected high street retailers.