This International Cochlear Implant Day (February 25, 2023), Cochlear is announcing that it will now offer Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA) support on Fire TV devices for people living with hearing implant technology. The advancement represents the first time that a smart TV device will stream sound directly to a hearing implant sound processor. With the implementation of ASHA, hearing implant users will be able to enjoy over 1 million movies and TV episodes with an active subscription to their favourite apps and local TV networks.
For people using implantable hearing technology, TV helps them to stay connected with the latest popular culture, news, and events. According to Amazon research improving TV sound quality was one of the most requested features among hearing device users.1
Hearing implant users often need to practice their listening as they learn to use their device. TV can be a useful way to help with language rehabilitation as people can combine lip-reading, visuals, and emotional cues with the sound they are hearing. Being able to directly stream audio from a Fire TV device to a hearing implant recipient's sound processor will make TV more accessible, removing the need for intermediary devices.
International Cochlear Implant Day (CI Day) has taken place every year on February 25 since 2009, helping to raise awareness of hearing implants and to celebrate the achievements of people using the technology.
How it works
Cochlear has configured direct streaming from Fire TV to Cochlear Nucleus® 8, Nucleus 7, Nucleus Kanso® 2, and Baha® 6 Max sound processors. ASHA-enabled Fire TV devices include: Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen), Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen), Fire TV Omni Series and Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series.*
With ASHA, sound processors connect with the Fire TV device at the system level, so customers can enjoy audio from their favourite streaming apps, use Alexa, listen to music, navigational sounds, and more. To pair a hearing implant sound processor and Fire TV device, customers can visit Fire TV Settings, navigate to Accessibility, select Hearing Aids, and follow the on-screen instructions to connect them. Note: the availability and uptake of Amazon Fire TV Cube varies between countries.
Watch this video to see how it works and to hear Amazon and Cochlear explain the technology. https://bit.ly/3kuW0uB
References
Det er alltid menneskene som har vært Cochlears inspirasjon, helt siden professor Graeme Clark utviklet det første flerkanals cochleaimplantatet etter å ha sett sin far slite med sitt hørselstap. Siden 1981 har Cochlear levert mer enn 650,000 enheter i mer enn 180 land, som hjelper mennesker i alle aldre over hele verden til å høre. Som global leder innen implanterbare hørselsløsninger, knytter Cochlear mennesker til livets muligheter, og tar dem inn i verdens største hørselsimplantatsamfunn. Cochlear har en global arbeidsstyrke på mer enn 4000 personer, som alle har en lidenskap for utvikling og som kontinuerlig jobber for å møte behovene til mennesker som lever med hørselstap. Selskapet er i kontinuerlig innovasjon for å forutse fremtidige behov, og har til dags dato investert mer enn 2 milliarder australske dollar [i forskning og utvikling] for å flytte grensene for teknologi og hjelpe flere mennesker med å høre. www.cochlear.com