Hard of Hearing? 2021 LG TV Models Have You Covered

For years, I’ve been saying to TV companies that they should better cater for viewers in the home with poor hearing.

Hosting the Life and Technology radio show over many years, it’s been clear to me that a large section of the community, mainly older viewers, would benefit from support in this area.

For most of us, we turn on the TV and sound is delivered via the inbuilt speakers or a sound bar – this method delivers audio to everybody in the room at the same volume.

Earscience.org.au says more than 50% of Australians aged 61 to 70 experience hearing loss, and this number rises to 75% of Australians at age 71 or older.

A solution that looks after people in the room watching the television who have hearing loss seems like a smart idea.

Sadly, solutions to this problem have not been easy to find – but the good news is this is beginning to change.

In an interview with LG Australia, it was confirmed that the company’s lineup of televisions for this year will include models that allow multiple listening options. TVs with this feature will allow up to three smart phones to be connected wirelessly to the television, with each phone able to then connect to a Bluetooth headset.

Simply put, this means up to three people can have their own volume level delivered during the viewing experience, with the volume controlled via the paired smartphone.

This will bring personalised volume control to each viewer, delivered using their headphones – so if one viewer is hard of hearing, their headset can be adjusted.

We look forward to seeing how flexible this feature is as we review compatible models. But a great solution would be a Bluetooth sound bar connected to the TV providing audio to the room, with a smart phone connected wirelessly delivering a personalised audio level to one viewer. Such a scenario will mean a comfortable level of audio for all, allowing everyone to enjoy the show.

It’s great to see this feature coming to select LG TVs this year, and we will keep this in mind during discussions with other television manufacturers to see who else is providing features like this.