Lenny Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 I'm in Australia, and I have been using the T setting on my Rondo and Sonnet with my Artone 3 MAX bluetooth loop. I will also use the T setting with my iPhone directly and can hear the sound quite clearly. I'm single sided and have good hearing in my other ear, so this has worked very well when I am training my implant side. I was at the cinemas on the weekend and had checked that a Hearing Loop was installed in the theatre. when I got there, I asked if this was turned on and working and they assured me it was. When the ads came on I switched to the T setting and got nothing. I was wearing my Rondo, but also had my Sonnet with me but I got the same blank nothing when I changed devices. So I asked again and was told that it may not turn on until the movie starts. When the movie started I still got nothing and after switching a few times between the Rondo and Sonnet I eventually left it on the M setting (M/T sounded the same as M) for the rest of the movie. After the movie I asked the attendant again and he was sure the Hearing Loop was working and he wondered if there was some other setting on my device that needed to be turned on. This was the first time I had tried to use my T setting in a public place, and I'm wondering if I've missed something and it's not as simple as pushing a button in order to "tune in". Would like to hear from people who have used a Rondo or Sonnet in a cinema and if I should be doing something other than pressing T on the Finetuner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted December 21, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 If the theater indeed had a working loop system, you would've heard it on T or MT. No additional devices needed. The movie theater near me has a sign like that but it is not a looped theater. You have to request their specific assistive listening devices to use for the show. Mary Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenny Posted December 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Thanks Mary Beth. I think I need to ask them a few more pointed questions. The person I spoke to said the theatre was equipped with a hearing loop, but now I'm not sure if he knew what he was talking about. Another attendant offered me a device for closed captions (subtitles), which I said I didn't need. I'm now wondering if that device also transmits the sound. I read the Medel blog ( http://www.medel.com/blog/choosing-the-right-assistive-listening-devices-when-out-in-public/) and the symbol at the top of the page looks very much like the one at the cinema, but it isn't exactly the same, so maybe it doesn't mean the same thing. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208682508523136&set=gm.619337198205601&type=3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted December 21, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Places use that symbol to mean assistive listening devices. Unfortunately, it's not always loops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Matt Posted December 22, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 Hey Lenny, Where are you from? I live in Newtown NSW and have tried my local Dendy several times with the assurance that the loop works. It doesn't - most times like you I heard nothing but once I heard two soundtracks which was really confusing. I have offered to go through all the cinemas and test the system for them but they haven't taken me up on the offer as yet. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenny Posted December 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Hi Matt, Did you just switch to the T setting on your finetuner when you heard the two soundtracks? I have a feeling most cinemas have put these things in to tick some public relations box and that no one actually knows if they are working or not. I'm in Sydney and went to a Hoyts cinema and I'm thinking of doing the same thing as you and "offer my services" to test if their hearing loops work or not. I just wasn't sure if I was doing something wrong. I called up the cinema yesterday and the guy I spoke to said the closed caption device does not transmit sound. He did think that all theatres were equipped with a hearing loop, but didn't know how to check and confirm. All he could do is call the tech support and tell them to make sure it was working. He didn't quite know what to say when I told him I would be happy to come by and test it Just wish I could find someone who actually knows what they are talking about! Lenny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Matt Posted December 23, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 I tried the T and the M/T setting and got the same result - both soundtracks. There's a guy from Sydney who's gonne as far as the Human Rights Commission with his complaint. Not sure of the outcome. I'm travelling at the moment but will hassle the Dendy when I'm home to ensure the system is working. I haven't tried the captioning device as yet, when I enquired about it the range of films was pretty limited. Its a good thing I like mostly foreign stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted December 23, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 I live in the US and a theater nearby added assistive listening options. They have captions for all films available via special glasses or by the wand device that sits in the drink holder. The special glasses are attached to a device that has a headset jack but the audio that comes out of there is descriptive audio for the visually impaired. So there is no way to use T unless you want to listen to the descriptive audio feed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted December 23, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 I once tried the closed captions device and had to constantly look away from the screen to the device and vice Vera. Wasn't very good. So I don't go anymore I wait for movies to come out on DVDs and buy them. It's actually cheaper than going to the theatre!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted December 23, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 The captioning glasses solve that problem. RHMANN 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted December 23, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Well I just can't go if to be disappointed. It costs too much. Rather buy and own and watch over and over!! If I could hear I may go but until then I will enjoy at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Ivana Marinac Posted December 23, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Well, in Croatia we don't have prblems - all movies are titled and that's it. Music os actially too loud, cca 90dB. It's very loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenny Posted December 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Matt, I called Med-el in Australia yesterday afternoon and according to them any theatre with the blue hearing symbol should be equipped with a hearing loop. Which means we really should just be able to change to the T setting on either the Sonnet or Rondo. The only reason it may not work is if they haven't turned it on or there are specific seats and I wasn't seated in the right one. Guess I will just have to check with the cinema again and hopefully speak with someone who knows what they are doing. Mary Beth / Kara / Ivana, I'm lucky enough to still have one good ear, so I can get by without closed caption, but I do find I am turning on subtitles when at home and watching Netflix or dvds. Lkoch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted December 24, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 I have been using captions for over 10 years. My good ear is my CI ear. Left ear is the pits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Sandy Posted December 24, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 I use closed captioning too. Can't stand the background music in many of the shows. Kara, I am like you but it's my right ear that's the pits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted December 25, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 25, 2015 Lol! Sandy! I sure hope I can solve that problem soon! I would really like to be bilateral. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Adam Posted December 25, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 25, 2015 I have noticed a trend lately here in the U.S. Of movie theaters having loop systems. Hopefully other businesses will follow suit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted December 25, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 25, 2015 That would be nice as the Bluetooth and my HA would both work!! I have a telecoil,on my HA as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Adam Posted January 1, 2016 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 Most of the cinemas here have a sign at the door letting you know it is looped. If not, all have caption glasses that they give you for the movie. Some theaters offer CC movies at certain times. This way you don't have to wear the glasses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenny Posted April 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 So . . . several months later and I finally decided to have another go at the movies. Called up the day before, told them all about my previous experience and the person I spoke to knew all about t-loops and assured me that all theatres have them installed. She did say that not all seats may be able to receive the signal, but if I let them know when I book my tickets they will ensure I am seated in the right spot. Got to the theatre an hour early, explained my situation and said I had called up earlier. The attendant wasn't sure so she called her manager who (after some behind-the-counter discussion), allocated seats for me and assured that everything would be fine. Ads started, nothing on the T-setting. Went out and was told it would only start with the movie. Went back in. Movie started, still nothing. Got up and walked through a few aisles before going out and complaining again. Everyone looked perplexed and I ended up going back in after missing the first 10 minutes. After the movie finished the manager found us and apologised saying that the T-loop had been removed when they replaced chairs about a month ago and she only just realised it hadn't been put back in! They were very apologetic and I got 4 free tickets for use later, but is it too much to ask for staff to actually know what they are saying?!? Sigh That's two for two now. I'll just have to hope for a better result next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Cara Mia Posted April 4, 2016 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 I think it is not too much to expect a cinema staff to be more helpful with ALDs but at some reason it sounds like a big deal to get that options working for us (from my experience and what I read). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Adam Posted April 9, 2016 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted April 9, 2016 I agree Cara If you work in a business that offers something like a loop system, every staff member should be knowledgeable on how it works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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