In the July 2016 issue of AccessWorld, we describe how Amazon brought its VoiceView touch screen reader to the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite using AudioAdapter. Already, the company has taken screen accessibility another step further with the release of VoiceView Over Bluetooth on Kindle (8th Generation), which enables VoiceView access over a Bluetooth speaker or pair of earbuds and costs less than the Paperwhite to boot.

The VoiceView touch screen reader is a ground-up rewrite of what was originally a modified version of the Android TalkBack screen reader. One of the advantages of writing VoiceView from scratch is that a preview version of VoiceView has been added to the Amazon Fire TV. Recently, I obtained a $49 Amazon Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote. Keeping in mind that this is a preview version, here's what I discovered.

The Amazon Fire TV

Similar in function if not content to the Apple TV, the Fire TV is a set-top device that enables streaming of both audio and video content through a television's HDMI port. Most flat screen TVs include at least one HDMI port; most include multiple ports.

The Fire TV comes in three versions. The current configuration of the original $99.99 Amazon Fire TV features a quad-core processor, 2 GB of memory, expandable flash storage with an SD card slot (up to 200GB), Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, and wired Ethernet access. These last two features increase the throughput enough to support 4K ultra high-definition video.

The $49.99 Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote has a dual-core processor, 1GB of memory, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, and supports 1080p video. There is also a $39 version of the Fire Stick that does not include voice control, but as you will see, the extra $10 will more than pay for itself in convenience.

Since I don't plan to store a lot of applications and content on the device itself, and don't own a 4K TV, I went with the Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote. Along with the device itself, the box also included a USB charging cable, wall adapter, and the voice remote (batteries included). There was also a male to female HDMI extender cable, in case the stick does not fit behind your set and needs to be connected to the far end of an HDMI cable.

The stick resembles a thick package of gum, with a male HDMI jack at one end and a USB charging port along a side edge. The remote is smaller than a standard TV remote, but somewhat larger than the Apple TV remote. There are only a few buttons, so their functions and positions are easy to memorize. At the top center is the Voice Command button (the version without voice control does not include this button). Press and hold this button to issue voice commands. Directly beneath is the Select button, which is surrounded by a standard navigation ring with controls for up, down, left, and right. Completing the layout are two rows of three buttons each. The upper row from left to right: Back, Home, and Menu. The bottom row, also from left to right: Rewind, Play/Pause, and Fast Forward.

Getting Started

VoiceView Preview will automatically update over the air, so if you already have a Fire TV, the chances are good it has been updated to the latest version. To check, simply press and hold the Back and Menu buttons for a few seconds to start VoiceView.

Not every new Fire TV will arrive with the latest software updates already installed. Brand new Fire TV owners will require sighted help to set up the unit. Although mine came with my Amazon credentials pre-entered, I did need sighted assistance to help select a language and Wi-Fi network. Once this was done, the Fire TV auto-played a brief instructional video outlining basic commands used to operate the device.

Unfortunately, the software did not automatically update to the latest version at this point. I didn't know you can manually initiate a software update via the Settings/Device/About menu, so I simply turned off the TV and waited overnight to see if it would update on its own. It did. In the morning, when I pressed and held down the Back and Menu buttons, VoiceView began speaking almost instantly.

Using VoiceView

In order to save network bandwidth, the over-the-air update that includes VoiceView Preview doesn't include the high quality IVONA voice. Instead, the preview began with the lower quality Android SVOX Pico voice offering a brief tutorial on how to use VoiceView. Midway through the tutorial, the IVONA voice kicked in. This is the same text-to-speech voice used on VoiceView for Fire tablets, and the new VoiceView for Kindle. The IVONA voice is clear, crisp, and easy to understand, even you've never used a screen reader before.

One of the controls missing from this preview version is the ability to change the VoiceView volume. The preset volume is acceptable, but while viewing one program with an especially quiet soundtrack I turned my TV volume so high that VoiceView blared uncomfortably loudly.

The Left and Right controls on the navigation ring move the user forward and backward through the various menus and listings, offering screen-reader-like feedback along the way. The Select button confirms your choices. Additional information unrelated to menu structure, such as program descriptions, is often presented on the screen; pressing Up and Down provides access to these points of interest. Note that some information, such as user reviews, are not currently accessible, and will announce "Disabled" when VoiceView encounters them.

For a sighted user, the Fire TV menus do not always run from left to right (some run top to bottom), but VoiceView rearranges them for easier navigation. This is done through the screen reader's Enhanced Navigation mode. To toggle between Standard and Enhanced navigation, press and hold the Menu button.

For sighted users, pressing the Menu button once opens a control menu with options such as Jump to Time and Play from Beginning. When VoiceView is running, the first press of the Menu button speaks a context-sensitive help screen. Double pressing Menu button? will call up the secondary menu.

Accessing Media on the Fire TV

You can use the Amazon Fire TV to purchase and play movies, TV shows, music, and other content directly from Amazon, or to play content already in your Amazon library. Amazon Prime members also have access to Prime Video and Prime Music.

Use VoiceView to navigate through the various category menus and listings until you locate your desired title, then use the Select button to play, purchase, or add the title to your watch list. Titles available for free play via Prime Video are announced as such after their title names are voiced.

Alternatively, you can use the Search box to jump directly to a title. Users of the original Apple TV will be familiar with the style of keyboard used. It consists of a single row of letters and numbers that you navigate using the Left and Right keys. Press Select to choose a character. There is an audible click when you press the select button, but you will not hear audible confirmation of the letter you have typed. I found these clicks to be hit and miss. Sometimes I would hear them, sometimes not. If I didn't hear the click, I would reenter the character only to discover that I had now entered it two or three times. I could not find a way to review what I'd typed. The Backspace key is at the extreme far bottom right of the multi-row keyboard, and in the preview version of VoiceView, at least, you are not able to review what you delete.

When I entered the letter "B" and arrowed to the end of the keyboard the first listing I found was "Batman vs. Superman," which I'm guessing is currently the most popular movie beginning with the letter B. Other titles followed. I do wish at least the first two or three of these titles would have auto-voiced as I typed. The Up and Down keys enable rapid navigation through the keyboard, so they cannot be used here to voice otherwise inaccessible screen content.

Some Fire TV mobile apps include a keyboard. I used the iPhone app, and was pleasantly surprised when it recognized my Fire TV and VoiceView announced the PIN I needed to enter to activate the app. I found that the iPhone app was a much easier way to enter text into the search box, although I did have to return to the Fire remote to confirm my selection. You can also choose to bypass the keyboard altogether using Voice Search.

Voice Search

If there is a specific movie, TV program, or audio track title you are looking for, you don't have to cramp your fingers navigating menus or typing in the name. Instead, press and hold the Voice button at the top center of the remote. You will be prompted with a sound to begin speaking. When you're done, release the button. I found this feature to be quick and easy to use and extremely accurate.

You can also use many Alexa commands by beginning your inquiry by speaking the name "Alexa." For example, "Alexa, what's the weather?" or "Alexa, play the Beatles." Basically, purchasing a Fire TV with Voice Remote is a bit like getting many features of the Amazon Tap, which we reviewed in the May 2016 issue of AccessWorld, for free.

Third-Party Content

Along with games, which are currently mostly inaccessible using VoiceView, the Amazon Fire TV also offers access to a growing number of third-party content providers, including Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, and Pandora. CNN, CBS, and NBC News are also available. For competitive reasons iTunes is not available, just as Amazon Video is unavailable on the Apple TV.

As of this writing, very few of these third-party apps have been optimized to work with VoiceView. I was able to install many of them, but then I would encounter a non-speaking screen and have to back my way out. Amazon does not require third-party vendors to make their services accessible, though they do offer developer resources to help get the job done. A little lobbying on behalf of Fire TV VoiceView users might also speed the process. We shall see.

Final Thoughts

If you own an Apple TV and wish you could also accessibly stream Prime Video on your home TV, the $40 cost of a Fire TV makes it an affordable option. Amazon Prime membership makes available any number of movies and TV shows that are not available on other streaming services like Netflix.

The Fire TV VoiceView Preview is by no means a finished product. But it does most of what it needs to do to allow you to watch Prime Videos or accessibly purchase and play a movie or TV episode with the rest of your family.

As with the Kindle Paperwhite Audio Adapter, the proof of Amazon's commitment to accessibility will come in the form of software updates. For now, I commend Amazon for releasing VoiceView as a preview, instead of spending many months assuring the blind community that something was in the works but not—if you will excuse the wordplay—ready for prime time.

I have enjoyed many of the Prime Video exclusives, such as the TV series Catastrophe. But in all honesty, I prefer to watch Netflix for the simple reason that Netflix offers audio description, and Amazon does not. However, considering the resources the company has dedicated thus far toward making their various products speech accessible, I have to think that audio description will be included sooner rather than later. Stay tuned.

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Author
Bill Holton
Article Topic
Product Evaluations and Guides