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Inject text alerts into a CATV system

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.

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.

We've already got various phone flashers scattered around the house, but I would also like to pipe Caller ID info to the screen as well so that he

*knows* who's calling, not just that there's a phone call. I don't know if other folks' parents are like mine, but after years of being barraged by telemarketers, they are as likely just to let the phone ring if they aren't expecting a call. It's become a real issue.

I'm still very much in the planning stage and would like to hear from anyone who's done something similar. It's complicated by the fact that there are three TV's he's likely to be watching.

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green
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Three TVs does complicate things.

Here are a few links to get you started...

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Mike Baptiste used to offer an OSD device that was RS485 but he's no l>Dad's nearly deaf and is not terribly compliant about keeping his hearing

Reply to
Dave Houston

Heh, your situation mirrors mine. My father *finally* bought hearing aids last year after much prodding from the rest of the family. His TV volume was making the rest of us deaf. I was speaking to my mother the other day and she told me he is being very careful of his hearing aids. He keeps them rolled up in a clean cloth in his dresser drawer all the time. :^)

There are devices that the CCTV industry uses to inject titles and time stamps into an image as it's being viewed / recorded. Perhaps one of these can be configured to work with your HA system. Alternatively, there are PC cards that are used for video capture which allow titling. I'll give a couple of suppliers a call tomorrow and ask if there's one that can display text from a background app running on the PC. There are Caller ID devices that can handle that.

Also, if you happen to be considering satellite vs cable, note that some satellite TV providers offer on-screen caller ID prompts which pop on screen when the phone rings. I have DISH Network and ISTR they provide the service at no charge.

Reply to
Robert L Bass

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.

Check out the HomeVision controller.

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"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."

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.

Reply to
Lewis Gardner

Yeah - that's Dad. But I know he'll pay attention to text message on the screen because of how he complains at any interruption of the program by those emergency alert test messages they run every now and then.

Thanks for that. I am trying to keep it as simple as possible. I've complicated the problem by buying them a VCR/DVD/TV combo that has only a coaxial antenna input. Mom just couldn't handle the standalone DVD and VCR and the switching of inputs, etc. I tried a programmable multibrand remote but that didn't help either. The combo unit works nicely for them, but really complicates the insertion of text into anything but the CATV signal.

Nope. Comcast Cable. )-: I've seen TV caller ID boxes but it usually means having some sort of composite connection that can be "broken into."

I've been thinking that instead of an overlay I can switch the TV's to a "house information" channel that's got an RS-232 to videotext input like those that Dave pointed me to. The problem there is knowing which channel Dad was watching so I could switch away from it and then switch back once the message was delivered.

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

Don't use the tuner in the TV. Use a video (composite or s-video) to the TV and put the overlay in-between at that point.

Reply to
Bill Kearney

Give Comcast a call. ISTR they have caller ID with their newer digital set top boxes.

Reply to
Robert L Bass

powered speaker with volume and tone controls on the front. I tried a PC

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.

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.

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.

Reply to
Robert Green

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