For deaf people who love watching films, choice is limited when it comes to what the local movie theater is offering. They may enjoy watching box-office hits, but they have to wait until the middle of the screening to enjoy film that have subtitles. Usually, foreign-language films are the only ones that have subtitles, leaving those who are hearing-impaired to wait for a DVD release of the movies they were eagerly waiting to see.
The majority of movie goers do not like going to subtitled film screenings and the movie theater industry need to give in to their wants. So, deaf movie goers are taking a hit. Now, Sony Corp. is developing special glasses for use in theaters that displays subtitles, so the deaf and the general audience can watch films together.
In a BBC video report, reporter Grahan Satchell talked to Charlie Swinbourne, who has difficulties in hearing, about the problem. “One in six people have some level of deafness and currently that audience isn’t being served well,” said Swinbourne. “If you did serve them well, you could well be making more money out of them so there’s good reason for improving the service.”
The reporter then went with Swinbourne to the Sony headquarters to test the new device.
After trying it out, Swinbourne seemed impressed with the device. He said that the good thing about the glasses is that you don’t need to refocus. He said that the text is not too near and the screen is far away, “it feels like they’re together.”
Sony said that the subtitle glasses could hit the United Kingdom early next year, although it is unclear at this point if it will work with a 3D film.
via: The BBC
