Senior friendly TV remote

[senior]

When is BELL going to recognize the need for a senior friendly remote? The current model has both very small characters and buttons. It is very difficult to see numbers and manage buttons with arthritic fingers. Given the largest growing demographic is the senior population, providing a larger remote should definitely be a priority!

[Ritz]

Anyone know of a method, when entering a channel directly on the remote control, to increase the delay or pause time in between pressing the numbers before the bell Fibe decides all numbers have been pressed??  My senior family member is slow when directly entering 4 digit channel number and bell Fibe thinks she’s done after 2 or 3 digits.  Thanks.

[AlexS]

Is she with the latest Voice Remote?

[Lyphe]

Hi,

Recently moved from Rogers and love the Bell TV service.  One thing I miss from the Rogers TV service though, are the back-lit remotes where you could see the buttons at night or in the dark watching a movie.  This has me wondering if there is a 'viable' universal remote option to use in place of the default Bell remote.  

I'd want to keep all voice and normal functionality, although I'm not sure if this exists.  Has anyone had luck finding something where you don't lose functionality and gain back-lighting?

Ty and cheers!

[kle]

 I am going to buy the big flipper. I’m hoping that will work for my 80-year-old mother. Seniors are the biggest population in Canada and are probably the ones watching the most TV. Bell needs to service them better. 
I would also like them to be able to lock in my favorites. Having 200 channels is overwhelming. It took me two hours to set her favorites, but then she accidentally hits the guide and can’t get back into her of my favorites. I wish you could just work the settings to lock in the channels you want and that’s all they get. It is way too overwhelming for them.

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day & Welcome to the Bell Community Forum

Thank you for reaching out in providing feedback & your suggestion for improving an area that would improvee viewing experience for Bell's senior customers.

The Bell Community is a place for you to ask questions, find answers and share your thoughts on all of Bell's products and services with other Bell customers like you. All ideas and solutions posted on this site are reviewed by Bell staff and are referred on to Bell's development team for future consideration. There are no bad ideas.

Depending on the remote that your mother is using, if by chance she should select the: All channels guide by accident, she can return to her Favourite lists.

On a Bluetooth Slim or Slim remote:

1. Select > Options button on the remote control.
2. Select > Favourite lists. Select > My Favourites.

On a Voice remote with Google Assistant, there are two ways to select or go back to your Favourite lists:

Method 1: via Viewing Options

1. While watching live TV or viewing the GUIDE, press ENTER on your remote control.
2. Select Favourite lists.
3. Select desired list.

Method 2: via MENU

1. Press MENU on the Fibe TV remote.
2. Select Live TV > Favourites.
3. Select desired list.

Take care.

[dks]

Thanks for your comment. I agree, the Bell Slim remote is not the friendliest in terms of accessibility. At minimum, a backlit remote would be helpful. I also use the Logitech Harmony remote with my 9500 Satellite TV receiver. Unfortunately it is harder to set up and no longer available. At the same time, the hardware Bell distributes is not made by Bell. The satellite receiver comes from Dish Network. The Fibe device comes from Arris, I believe. Bell would have to make representations to them and could likely not commission their own remote. A quick internet search found many "accessible" TV remote control devices available from a number of sources. Most have drawbacks, however, from being difficult to set up to lack of compatibility, high cost to not working with streaming services. We can only hope, however.  

[Tvizz]

My parents recently had to switch to Bell Fibe due to their condo complex changing.  They have the new receiver but the remote is awful for them to use. The voice command function is not straightforward and they can't even get to that point anyways because the voice command button is so small.  I've been given the runaround between bell reps and receiving conflicting information.  I was told to contact the accessibility team and then was told by the escalation department that the accessibility team only handles mobility issues.  Come on Bell - that's ridiculous.  I pressed to speak to them anyways and of course, they were of no help.  This is unbelievable with the aging population that we have, that Bell shows a complete disregard for their needs.  I'm searching for a bluetooth universal remote to see if that will work but they're all these high tech ones with too many buttons.  I even tried to get them an older receiver that was not Bluetooth but I'm told that due to what has been installed in the complex, the older boxes are not compatible.  Bell really needs to step it up because it is absurd that they are not considering a growing and substantial demographic.  It's frustrating and disrespectful.

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day & Welcome

@Tvizz , I do not work for Bell. This is a community forum. It is a website composed of members trying to help each other out by solving problems and coming up with solutions.

I am sorry, but i have exhausted my resources in coming up with a solution to the issue you have presented.

Since mid-morning today, I have done my best to find a solution that best meets the needs of your parents.

Unfortunately, I have not come up with anything offered by Bell or any other supplier that will meet their needs.

If you can share some further details with us in terms of restrictions and needs, I will do my best to search out what is readily available on the consumer market today.

We are here to support & help you. Please let us know.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

Take care.

[Tvizz]

Thank you so much. I appreciate your efforts. I’m trying to find a Bluetooth to infrared adapter so he can use a senior friendly big buttoned universal remote. The Bluetooth remotes that I’m finding are much more complicated and usually black with silver buttons that are hard to read. He has visual and auditory issues (Tv has to be up very loud) and this change in system has really thrown him off; I feel so bad for him so I’m desperately trying to find a solution. Thanks again!

[BellNick]

Hi @jimnto 
Thank you for your post and welcome to the Community.
If your parents happen to have a mobile devices or tablet, we do offer the ability to use the Fibe TV app as a remote for the receiver. For further information on this we recommend you check out our support article How to use the Fibe TV app to control your receiver
Hope this helps. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Community.

[Tvizz]

Unfortunately, this is not an option. Using a touch screen is difficult for a 93 year old. A universal remote with large coloured buttons (and very few buttons) is the best option. The universal Bluetooth remotes that are available are not elderly friendly. My one last option is to purchase an Apple TV and have him try to use the Apple TV remote. It has larger buttons and fewer buttons. The interface seems easier to use than the bell receiver. I’m still dumbfounded about how Bell doesn’t have solutions. And if I’m told one more time “but it has voice assist”, I will ask that person to find me someone over the age of 80 who knows how to make proper commands to google assist. Unles you are around the elderly, please don’t think that these “easy” tools are easy for the elderly as that is very short sighted. This has been extremely frustrating as I am exhausting potential solutions so my dad can go back to enjoying his only source of entertainment without having me drive 30 minutes each way, just so I can get him setup to watch a tv show. 

[dks]

You raise a valid point, but it likely won’t be any provider who will solve it. The whole issue of equipment being age and ability appropriate and accessible is a huge market yet to be tapped. 

[Tvizz]

There obviously is a larger market opportunity for more accessible technology (it’s the largest growing demographic in most Canadian communities) That said, when a company promotes having an accessibility team, it’s reasonable for customers to expect they can help identify or escalate solutions when the standard equipment isn’t usable. For seniors like my 93-year-old father, television is one of the few daily activities that keeps them connected to the world, so something as basic as a simple, accessible remote really does matter.

[dks]

I agree with you. It may be helpful to remember that Bell does not manufacture their own equipment and hasn't for many years. I still have a rotary phone branded Northern Electric squirrelled away. Bell contracts with third part equipment providers and licenses their technology. Bell will rebrand the equipment with their own name as part of that agreement. Perhaps, some day, Bell will find and brand suitable accessible equipment, but until then we are left to our own devices. TV compatibility is also an issue to consider. I see many large button remotes on Amazon, but again, compatibility is an issue as there are no standards in place.   

[Streamer]

Hi..looks like the Flipper works with bell 9241 satellite and some bell fibe set top receivers...just a channel update/down , volume up/down , on/off and mute I don't see the bell streamer on there so not sure of that device. 

Flipper codes link