<s>
Text	B-Device
to	I-Device
speech	I-Device
in	I-Device
digital	I-Device
television	I-Device
refers	O
to	O
digital	B-Application
television	I-Application
products	O
that	O
use	O
speech	B-Application
synthesis	I-Application
(	O
computer-generated	B-Application
speech	I-Application
that	O
“	O
talks	O
”	O
to	O
the	O
end	O
user	O
)	O
to	O
enable	O
access	O
to	O
blind	O
or	O
partially	O
sighted	O
people	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
combining	O
a	O
digital	B-Application
television	I-Application
(	O
a	O
television	O
,	O
set-top	O
box	O
,	O
personal	B-Application
video	I-Application
recorder	I-Application
,	O
or	O
other	O
type	O
of	O
receiver	O
)	O
with	O
a	O
speech	B-Application
synthesis	I-Application
engine	O
,	O
blind	O
and	O
partially	O
sighted	O
people	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
access	O
information	O
that	O
is	O
normally	O
displayed	O
visually	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
operate	O
the	O
menus	O
and	O
electronic	B-Device
program	I-Device
guides	I-Device
of	O
the	O
receiver	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
problems	O
can	O
be	O
split	O
between	O
interface	B-Application
accessibility	O
barriers	O
and	O
impediments	O
in	O
using	O
the	O
content	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Text-to-speech	B-Application
features	O
in	O
television	O
products	O
helps	O
address	O
interface	B-Application
accessibility	O
barriers	O
for	O
blind	O
and	O
partially	O
sighted	O
people	O
who	O
may	O
be	O
unable	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
standard	O
visual	O
interface	B-Application
or	O
even	O
special	O
features	O
such	O
as	O
large	O
fonts	O
,	O
magnifiers	O
,	O
adjustable	O
color	O
schemes	O
,	O
etc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	B-Application
television	I-Application
solutions	O
are	O
often	O
more	O
complicated	O
products	O
compared	O
to	O
their	O
analog	O
ancestors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ability	O
to	O
navigate	O
many	O
menus	O
,	O
to	O
see	O
on-screen	O
program	O
information	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
browse	O
electronic	B-Device
program	I-Device
guides	I-Device
or	O
on-screen	O
content	O
listings	O
to	O
find	O
out	O
what	O
is	O
available	O
to	O
watch	O
,	O
is	O
essential	O
to	O
using	O
digital	B-Application
TVs	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Text-to-speech	B-Application
software	I-Application
has	O
been	O
widely	O
available	O
for	O
desktop	O
computers	O
since	O
the	O
1990s	O
,	O
and	O
Moore	O
’s	O
Law	O
increases	O
in	O
CPU	B-Device
and	O
memory	B-Architecture
capabilities	O
have	O
contributed	O
to	O
making	O
their	O
inclusion	O
in	O
software	O
and	O
hardware	O
solutions	O
more	O
feasible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
wake	O
of	O
these	O
trends	O
,	O
text-to-speech	B-Application
is	O
finding	O
its	O
way	O
into	O
everyday	O
consumer	O
electronics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
text-to-speech	B-Application
solutions	O
for	O
computers	O
,	O
we	O
now	O
see	O
talking	O
watches	O
and	O
clocks	O
,	O
calendars	O
,	O
thermometers	O
,	O
kitchen	O
aids	O
,	O
and	O
many	O
other	O
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Organizations	O
representing	O
blind	O
and	O
partially	O
sighted	O
people	O
are	O
long-standing	O
supporters	O
of	O
text-to-speech	B-Application
technology	O
in	O
consumer	O
electronics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Digital	B-Application
TV	I-Application
Group	O
,	O
the	O
UK	O
Industry	O
association	O
for	O
Digital	B-Application
TV	I-Application
,	O
first	O
discussed	O
the	O
topic	O
in	O
2007	O
and	O
subsequently	O
brought	O
the	O
industry	O
together	O
to	O
write	O
a	O
technical	O
specification	O
for	O
text	B-Application
to	I-Application
speech	I-Application
in	O
the	O
horizontal	O
market	O
in	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Subsequently	O
,	O
the	O
plan	O
was	O
incorporated	O
in	O
the	O
U-Book	O
-	O
UK	O
Digital	B-Application
TV	I-Application
Usability	O
and	O
Accessibility	O
Guidelines	O
including	O
text	B-Application
to	I-Application
speech	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2010	O
,	O
two	O
talking	O
products	O
for	O
digital	B-Application
television	I-Application
came	O
into	O
the	O
market	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
,	O
the	O
Smart	O
Talk	O
Freeview	B-Device
(	O
terrestrial	O
digital	O
broadcasting	O
)	O
set-top	O
box	O
was	O
also	O
launched	O
into	O
the	O
UK	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
a	O
Goodmans	O
branded	O
Freeview	B-Device
set	O
top	O
box	O
,	O
developed	O
by	O
a	O
partnership	O
between	O
Harvard	O
International	O
Ltd	O
and	O
the	O
RNIB	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
complete	O
talking	O
solution	O
for	O
digital	B-Application
television	I-Application
in	O
the	O
UK	O
,	O
including	O
speaking	O
of	O
the	O
Electronic	B-Device
Program	I-Device
Guide	I-Device
,	O
menus	O
,	O
and	O
providing	O
spoken	O
assistance	O
during	O
setup	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
2011	O
in	O
Spain	O
,	O
a	O
talking	O
,	O
Linux-based	O
set-top	O
box	O
solution	O
,	O
using	O
the	O
free	O
Festival	B-Language
text-to-speech	B-Application
engine	I-Application
,	O
was	O
distributed	O
to	O
blind	O
and	O
visually	O
impaired	O
people	O
free	O
of	O
charge	O
by	O
the	O
Ministry	O
of	O
Industry	O
,	O
Tourism	O
and	O
Trade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
available	O
for	O
Freesat	O
and	O
Freeview	B-Device
receivers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
in	O
2012	O
,	O
TVonics	O
,	O
a	O
former	O
UK	O
digital	B-Application
video	I-Application
recorder	I-Application
maker	O
,	O
launched	O
its	O
talking	O
PVR	O
solution	O
:	O
a	O
twin-tuner	O
Freeview	B-Device
HD	B-Device
recorder	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Ivona	O
TTS	O
engine	O
which	O
is	O
widely	O
lauded	O
by	O
disability	O
groups	O
for	O
its	O
high-quality	O
voice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
RNIB	O
acquired	O
the	O
core	O
DVR	B-Application
IP	O
including	O
the	O
text-to-speech	B-Application
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Speaking	O
the	O
electronic	B-Device
program	I-Device
guide	I-Device
(	O
EPG	B-Device
)	O
and	O
assisting	O
the	O
user	O
in	O
navigation	O
of	O
the	O
EPG	B-Device
and	O
other	O
lists	O
of	O
services	O
and	O
content	O
including	O
browsing	O
on-demand	O
,	O
catch-up	O
content	O
,	O
previously	O
recorded	O
or	O
downloaded	O
content	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
user	O
customizable	O
lists	O
(	O
favorites	O
,	O
etc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Interaction	O
with	O
interactive	O
services	O
and	O
widgets	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
early	O
effort	O
to	O
capture	O
the	O
user	O
requirements	O
and	O
define	O
a	O
functional	O
specification	O
was	O
undertaken	O
by	O
the	O
Digital	B-Application
TV	I-Application
Group	O
(	O
DTG	O
)	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
,	O
who	O
published	O
a	O
White	O
Paper	O
on	O
the	O
subject	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
White	O
Paper	O
has	O
since	O
been	O
submitted	O
into	O
the	O
publication	O
UK	O
Digital	B-Application
TV	I-Application
Usability	O
and	O
Accessibility	O
Guidelines	O
(	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
U-Book	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
same	O
White	O
Paper	O
was	O
also	O
used	O
as	O
the	O
basis	O
for	O
a	O
discussion	O
between	O
disability	O
user	O
groups	O
and	O
DigitalEurope	O
,	O
a	O
European	O
industry	O
body	O
for	O
manufacturers	O
of	O
consumer	O
equipment	O
on	O
the	O
topic	O
of	O
text-to-speech	B-Application
for	O
television	O
,	O
The	O
DigitalEurope	O
work	O
stream	O
led	O
to	O
the	O
International	O
Electrotechnical	O
Commission	O
(	O
IEC	O
)	O
setting	O
up	O
a	O
project	O
group	O
(	O
IEC	O
62731	O
)	O
to	O
create	O
an	O
International	O
Standard	O
for	O
text-to-speech	B-Application
in	O
digital	B-Application
television	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Standard	O
does	O
not	O
dictate	O
implementation	O
but	O
provides	O
a	O
functional	O
description	O
on	O
how	O
a	O
text-to-speech	B-Application
enabled	O
television	O
product	O
should	O
behave	O
and	O
what	O
should	O
be	O
spoken	O
when	O
properly	O
used	O
.	O
</s>
