Cochlear’s TV Streamer, Phone Clip and Mini Microphone make up a new range of wireless accessories that are changing the way Cochlear implant recipients experience audio. Jacob Harris discovers how.

In order to be a successful integrator, you must be able to offer a solution that is suitable for the whole family. So, what do you do if your client is hearing impaired?

Cochlear implants have been helping people with moderate to profound hearing loss for over 30 years. And while implants can greatly improve quality of life for their recipients, enjoying media with others can still be a challenge. Cochlear’s TV Streamer overcomes this by streaming audio directly to the recipient’s sound processors.

“The TV Streamer is fantastic. I notice a big difference in the clarity of sound when I use it,” says Cochlear global product manager of sound processors, connectivity, products and strategy Roger Smith, who is himself a Cochlear implant recipient.

Because Cochlear’s TV Streamer streams directly to the paired sound processors without impacting the microphone input of the sound processor itself, users can comfortably participate in conversations around them while using the device. Without the TV Streamer, Cochlear implant recipients usually need to have the volume set significantly higher than is comfortable for an average person, making watching television or listening to music with others difficult.

“If I watched TV and set the volume to a level that was good for me, it would be too loud for the rest of my family. Also, because of the echo and reverberation within the room, the sound quality wouldn’t be great.

The TV Streamer is a big improvement because the sound is crystal clear and basically streaming directly inside my head – it’s pretty cool. I’ve had to use closed captions on my TV for the last 25 years, until now,” says Roger.

The TV Streamer is a plug-and-play set-up, with the choice of coaxial, digital or mini jack to connect to any device with an ‘audio out’ channel. Then there’s an initial pairing process to the sound processor. Each processor has three channels for a selection of Mini Microphones and TV Streamers, and a dedicated channel for the Phone Clip.

“If I want to stream music from my phone, I just turn on the Phone Clip and it automatically kicks in and starts streaming music. If I want to listen to someone with the Mini Microphone I select channel one, channel two for the TV Streamer, and so on,” says Roger.

These devices really come into their own when used in social and family environments. Because the user has an independent volume control, they are able to adjust the levels to suit the situation. The range is also becoming more common in schools. Students with Cochlear implants can use the Mini Microphone to hear the teacher clearly, and watch movies with their peers using the TV Streamer.

“In the past, if I was in a room full of people, I had a disadvantage because I couldn’t hear well. Now there are actually certain situations where I feel I’m the one with the advantage because of these wireless accessories; which is really exciting for me, but also for the company,” says Roger.

The TV Streamer has a 7m range with a five minute time-out. So if the user moves out of range and returns within that time-frame they will automatically be reconnected. It streams at 20kHz sample frequency, and there’s even an optional adjustable delay mode available to counter any echo or syncing issues that could arise with surround sound systems or set top boxes.

Classified as medical devices, the accessories are currently only available through surgeons and audiologists, and play a vital role in assisting the hearing impaired access quality audio.

The TV Streamer, along with the other Cochlear wireless accessories, is not only making a marked difference in the way Cochlear implant recipients interact with AV devices, it is making it easier for them to enjoy media with others, without disadvantage.