Equipment
In the Equipment section you will find information about equipment used to access audio description both within Australia and internationally.
What do I need to watch Audio Description?
Audio description on broadcast television programs is not available yet on Australian television. The opportunity to listen to audio description on your television is only available via audio described DVDs. To access audio described DVDs, just a standard DVD player is required. Check our Audio Described DVD Database for titles currently available with audio description.
Audio Description Equipment Used Overseas
Audio description is available on television in the United Kingdom and United States, and different equipment is required to watch audio description depending on where you are.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, you may need some of the following equipment to receive audio description.
Digital Terrestrial Television (Freeview)
Freeview is a digital service received through an aerial and is available to 73% of the United Kingdom. Audio described programs are currently available on B BC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, CBeebies and CBBC. To get audio description on Freeview there is a range of integrated digital televisions available from Sony and Panasonic.
Portset Digital Media Centre is a stand alone device for people without a television screen. It offers sound only Freeview Television access with audio description, access to electronic program guides, a DAISY talking book player and a recording function.
Digital Satellite Television (Sky)
Digital Satellite Television is received through a satellite dish connected to a set top box. Sky's audio description, or "narrative" service is available for any Sky set top box user and is present on the same channels as Freeview, plus some of Sky's own movies, sports and travel channels.
The audio description function is selected through the set top box menu. Televisions can be programmed so that you hear a short beep whenever you tune to a program with audio description.
It is also possible to switch audio description on or off temporarily whilst watching a program.
Another new feature recently introduced by Sky is that viewers can now set their systems so that all programs that are audio described are highlighted in white on the on screen television Guide.
Sky also offers a no subscription service called Freesat. For a one-off fee the viewer receives a Sky set top box, a dish, installation and around one hundred and twenty television and eighty radio channels.
Cable: Virgin Media (Formerly NTL or Telewest)
In some areas of the United Kingdom people are able to receive digital television via cable now provided by Virgin Media. This was previously the ser vice provided by one of the two cable television companies NTL or Telewest. Virgin Media provide audio description on approximately thirty stations.
Computer Adapters
Nebula Electronics has produced a computer adapter called DigiTV for accessing televised audio description content via computer.
United States
In the United States, audio description on free-to-air television is broadcast on a second audio channel (called the Second Audio Program or SAP). Most televisions and VCRs manufactured in the United States since 1990 can access the Second Audio Program.
There is currently no digital television service in the United States that offers audio description.
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