It’s great to see that cinemas are becoming more involved in catering for those who may have previously been disadvantaged in the enjoyment of film, due to sense impairments. Special screenings are available, but this is still somewhat an isolating experience. A large part of that movie-going experience is sharing it with friends and Sony has addressed this.
In its plan to aid those film fans with hearing issues, Sony UK has come up with some ingenious subtitle glasses, with lens that actually display speech as words and sound descriptive closed captions.
Meaning no more need for those lonely (and very select) solo screenings for deaf movie buffs, these viewers are designed to sit as comfortably as a normal set of specs (if a little oversized), with inbuilt technology balancing the words on the lens with the movie on the big screen – and you wouldn’t really know the difference according to a “test subject” who has tried the early version of Sony’s audio replacement eyewear.
“The good thing about them is that you’re not refocusing. It doesn’t feel like the words are really near and the screen is far away. It feels like they’re together.” says the movie-goer.
The Sony subtitle glasses are due to hit cinemas within the next 9 months, just in time for next year’s summer blockbusters!
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