Looking for info/site on TV's for senior citizens

Discussion of all things technological and/or gadgety
Post Reply
Rich Jordan
Posts: 1840
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:04 am

Looking for info/site on TV's for senior citizens

Post by Rich Jordan »

My parents are both having eye issues. Their current 22 and 28" flat screens are ok to watch but the text displays (channels mainly) are too small, and the remote for the 28" has tiny buttons. We've checked and on those models there is no way to increase the text size. Ironically the older tube TVs were better; with the lower resolution the number display 'fonts' were a lot larger.

I found a couple sites purporting to be tech review for seniors but the listings were either quite old or didn't cover items like ease of use, OSD text size, remote ease of use, etc.

Any good current resources?
User avatar
mekender
Posts: 13189
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:31 pm

Re: Looking for info/site on TV's for senior citizens

Post by mekender »

The first thought occurs is that you might shop around at some thrift stores and pick up a larger sized tube TV for $50 or so...

The other thought is that some TV's and cable boxes have the option to change the contrast colors on the OSD so that they might be seen easier.
“I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democrat Party has adopted our platform.” - Norman Thomas, a six time candidate for president for the Socialist Party, 1944
Rich Jordan
Posts: 1840
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:04 am

Re: Looking for info/site on TV's for senior citizens

Post by Rich Jordan »

I actually browsed a walmart and a best buy; salesfolks were useless but I was able to review some TVs and run through their display settings. So far, without going way too big for the space, I don't think any of them have given good readable results. Its like with the higher resolution, the manufacturers just decided to pack more info in each info screen instead of allowing options to make them take as much room as on older low-res TVs.

A big tube TV is out; we'd have to replace the stand at this point and they like their furniture. And they like HD even though its all OTA, not cable/satellite which they won't pay for.
User avatar
Odahi
Posts: 700
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 3:21 am

Re: Looking for info/site on TV's for senior citizens

Post by Odahi »

You should at least be able to find a large-button remote. I have seen them online, and Harbor Freight sells one- if you want to try them. Personally, I'd try Amazon first, even though I have a Harbor Freight store just up the road.
Birds gotta swim, fish gotta fly, assholes gotta ass, until the day they die.

"Common sense" is an oxymoron.
User avatar
HTRN
Posts: 12397
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:05 am

Re: Looking for info/site on TV's for senior citizens

Post by HTRN »

Odahi wrote:I have a Harbor Freight store just up the road.
They finally opened a local one here - no more going to Jersey or stopping off on the way to work.

I will say that most of their tools are complete crap. But they're a good source for certain things, like tools you want to modify - don't want to take an O/A torch to a Proto, donchaknow. ;)

Also, their toolboxes are both better and cheaper than Craftsman these days - I'm thinking of buying their 42" box with the side boxes for work..
HTRN, I would tell you that you are an evil fucker, but you probably get that a lot ~ Netpackrat

Describing what HTRN does as "antics" is like describing the wreck of the Titanic as "a minor boating incident" ~ First Shirt
Post Reply