Headphones for watching television

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rjb
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by rjb »

If your TV has a scart socket. Plug in adaptors are available which have audio outputs. They usually have phono sockets on them. Red for right and white for left. You could then link this to a separate amplifier. The scart audio output should still be present even if Mrs TC has the headphones plugged in to the TV.

like these on flebay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351285852130 ... gLzaPD_BwE
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thirdcrank
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by thirdcrank »

One of my main concerns is that I want to be confidant of getting this to work straightaway, rather than having to experiment with different connectors, especially if none eventually works. A few quid here or there for connectors is neither here nor there but I don't want to shell out £100-200 on earphones to experiment.

Re the SCART connection, the telly does have an unused SCART socket. (The HDD recorder is connected through the HDMI.)

Here's the relevant page of the instructions and the arrows seem to suggest that the SCART is in/out.
Screenshot (16).png
Also, I've checked the HDD recorder and that has digital audio out. I'm not clear if that only works with audio content or whether it works with recorded TV content.
rjb
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by rjb »

The scart socket on your TV will be audio both ways otherwise your VCR wouldn't record the audio content. :wink:
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
thirdcrank
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by thirdcrank »

rjb wrote: 15 May 2021, 1:59pm The scart socket on your TV will be audio both ways otherwise your VCR wouldn't record the audio content. :wink:
I suppose it wouldn't both record and play back. It sounds like this may be the way to go, although I'll also check the digital output of the HDD recorder. If anybody has suggested this route higher up, it's only my poor IT skills which meant I didn't grasp the point.

I'm beginning to feel a lot more relaxed about this. (Once upon a time I dealt with quite serious things.)
steve browne
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by steve browne »

Recently solved our problem of one deaf viewer wanting the sound louder than the other viewer tolerates by using bluetooth headphones (Sony) and an Avantree Orbit bluetooth transmitter which was the only one I could find which did not mute the sound bar when using the headphones. Despite low latency the lip sync is out a bit for the headphone user - I focus on their eyes rather than their lips and have got used to it now. Works well for both of us. Also has the added advantage of me not getting irritated by people talking when I am watching tv with my headphones on!
thirdcrank
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by thirdcrank »

This thread has been really useful and among other things I've discovered is that latency seems to have gained an extra meaning. And nobody has got patronising.

rjb's info about SCART looks as though it will be useful and a check of our HDD tv recorder reveals it has a PCM audio output which should also work. I'm attracted by a Sennheiser set up.

If all goes to plan, I now hope to have two sets of headphones - his 'n' hers - for when we both watch and the tv can be muted. We do less childcare now and when we do, telly is a last resort but we'll be able to just have the sound from the telly. If this were to be just me on my own I'd simply plug in to the earphone socket but - touch wood - I'm not on my own and the socket is at the back of the telly.
Jdsk
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by Jdsk »

I was about to ask how the options felt now, but you've summed it up.

On those analogue connections... it's trivial to convert between headphone sockets, SCART connectors and RCA/ phono/ line out connectors.

In general I'd be looking for digital solutions from here on, but the latency problem has been outlined.

Jonathan
thirdcrank
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by thirdcrank »

I can't overstate how important total simplicity has to be in our circumstances. It's dawned on me that the failed sound bar I mentioned is still in place. That failed largely because it needed a third remote. A more radical solution might involve a new telly, but this one was newly-bought for my sister-in-law when she was in terminal care and that's the one we will continue to use. We do have more tv's than we need. As well as the two I bought over the years - one in the sitting room, another in the bedroom - we have the one I bought my mother in her declining years and that's on the kitchen window sill - largely unused.
thirdcrank
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by thirdcrank »

A further numpty question about digital optical connections. I found this online
Connect optical audio cable by inserting one end of the cable into each device that you wish to connect. Optical cables will only connect fully if they are right-side up, so take a moment to verify that you are not holding the optical audio cable upside down. (My emphasis.)
Mine's not marked "this way up" so how do I know?
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Paulatic
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by Paulatic »

They have a flat bit .Offer up the plug and with light pressure turn it until you feel it fit. Bit like turning cogs in a cassette until they slide on.
Don’t forget to remove protective plastic from the pin.
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thirdcrank
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by thirdcrank »

The cross-section of mine is circular, but with two opposite faces flat. One of those flat faces has two tiny metal contacts an a single one on the other side. (I suspect that if they weren't encase in pink plastic they would be "U" shaped.) Nearer the end it's square, with a single raised rib on two opposite faces parallel with the direction of the cable and a smaller ridge on the other two faces, at right angles to the cable. Towards the end there's a round bit with what I now appreciate is the protector.
rjb
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by rjb »

The reference to making sure it's the right way up is to cover the manufacturer from someone trying to force it in if it's not lined up correctly. Take care and it goes in with a gentle push. BTW optical cables can come in 2 sizes. Toslink or mini toslink. The mini toslink ones have a small connector about the size of a 3.5 mm headphone plug. :wink: adaptors are available and sometimes come with a cable when purchased.
This pic shows a standard toslink socket which shows the connector only fits one way.
_TOSLINK.jpeg
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Jdsk
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by Jdsk »

rjb wrote: 18 May 2021, 1:27pmBTW optical cables can come in 2 sizes. Toslink or mini toslink.
Yes... that post saved me some typing. : - )

Jonathan
thirdcrank
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by thirdcrank »

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rjb
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Re: Headphones for watching television

Post by rjb »

Apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, but you need to pull the clear plastic cover off the end of the white plug before inserting it. :wink:
And remove the white cover from the box, or check if it pivots inside. What do the instructions say for connecting?
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
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