YES, in fact the Roger ON V2 streams audio in STEREO when connected to the TV. That requires both the toslink cable plugged into the back of the TV and the power cord plugged into the wall.
It actually does a pretty great job of streaming audio stereophonically with MUCH greater range than the TV Connector, but my ears prefer the quality of sound of the old TV Connector to the Roger V2. Not sure why that would be, but my hearing is very nuanced, even as my “cinderblock ears” are operating at a different level than most folks.
Oh my GOSH! You are way ahead of me with these very useful tools. I’ll make a note of both, so when I get home I can order them. For travel, the short toslink that comes with the Roger V2 is BARELY long enough to connect the TV to the Roger base. That can be really problematic when that same base has to also be plugged into a WALL socket in order to work. DOH!
I can’t help but think that Phonak develops and releases these accessories without having the front guard like US try them out! Anyone who’s stayed at a dozen hotels knows there are HUGE challenges to getting these Roger V2 bases connected to TVs on the road! Many are wall-mounted (as ALL of ours are at home - groan!) so there is no way to get at the optical audio outlet on the back of the TV.
On top of which, at some hotels, the wall socket for the TV is located smack behind the middle of a HUGE, 1,000 pound piece of furniture on which the TV sits! GROAN. Am I supposed to bring a folding dolly with me to start moving furniture around? It’s got to be made simpler, easier, faster, less stressful for us to use. The Roger V2 is such a useful, transportable accessory to use in multiple locations, but the TV streaming technology is arcane.
I’m no engineer, so I don’t know how it could be improved but what about wifi or Bluetooth or something where the base doesn’t HAVE to be hard-wired/plugged into the TV?
Thanks for your suggestions here! Greatly appreciate the shopping list.
Are you not turning it off?
It has a rechargeable battery, if you keep it on, it really won’t last very long, in terms of failing early as rechargeable batteries don’t last forever.
From what you’ve said, you weren’t turning off your TV Connector off either.
My Roger On has never worked in stereo (on any of my TVs), even though Phonak claim it should. I even bought a 2nd base unit, thinking my Roger On was faulty! In each case, I’ve unplugged the Toslink from the TV Connector and plugged it straight into the base unit. Yes, it plays to both ears, but definitely in mono.
I’ve recently picked up a Roger Select, and that is the same… mono only.
The TV Connector sounds better in every way (for that purpose)
Correct! I’m NOT turning the Roger V2 off. Reason being that the dang thing sits in its cradle BEHIND the TV here at the hotel, so it’s not in plain view. If I turn the TV off, I forget to turn the Roger off, and only realize it’s still on as I walk away from the room and it tries to connect with my aids.
GREAT IDEA THERE! And here, I administer a slap to my forehead for not thinking about that. But I’ll add that USB battery power brick to my packing list. THANKS!
Now I’ve got a question about how to MUTE the Roger V2. I’m still traveling, but composing a list of things to follow up with when I get in to see my audi next week.
When the Roger V2 is ON (streaming TV, that is) I am unable to MUTE it during the commercials. I can only take it out of streaming program manually. Granted I don’t have a phone app yet, but I thought I’d read in the manual that if you press the ROUND button twice on the stick, it mutes? Nope! Does nada. Commercials blast my eardrums at twice the volume of the show.
I also find that if I manually take the aids OUT of streaming mode with the Roger, it takes 3-4 or MORE tries to get it back IN to streaming mode - also annoying, as I miss a couple minutes of TV time.
Maybe it’s “buggy”, but it’s likely I’m just doing something wrong here.
WooOoOoOO!!! Just found another amazing use for this Roger V2 stick - probably already known by other Roger mic users?
I was on a speakerphone call today with family. They INSIST on always calling us on a crappy iPhone - horrible connection - everyone scattered in the general direction of the phone, then yammer on and on and ON catching up?
Well, today I got tired of the exhausting task of trying to make out all that’s being said as folks constantly talk over each other - some from across the room, others booming into the dang phone.
I got my Roger V2 stick out, put it in “tabletop” mode, placed it right next to our phone (on speaker of course) and OMG!!! I was streaming that call probably better than if I was in Acoustic Phone with the phone held up to one ear. No kidding. It was another game-changer for me.
Can I ditch Acoustic Phone? Well, probably ONLY if I had the Roger V2 stick on my person all the time. I use Acoustic Phone when using OTHER people’s phones (family, friends, in an office, etc.,). But it sure was a BANG to hear 98% of the call today.
Just be aware the table mics are designed for a work environment, office meetings etc. They are brilliant in that you can network them together but they don’t have as much noise reduction in a social environment as the Roger ON or Select do when you lay them flat on a table.
Just weighing in here with my Roger V2 in “tabletop” mode. It’s still just NOT that helpful in a restaurant. Sometimes it’s great, but most times I end up putting my aids into Speech in Loud Noise and putting the Roger away. Feh.
I find that it adds a LOT LOT LOT of ambient noise in a restaurant! At home, I can put the Roger V2 in tabletop mode and place it in front of a laptop or the speakers with TV on, and it does an adequate job of streaming sound to my ears. The quality of the sound is harsher and more like a public address system than the quieter, richer TV Connector, but at least the Roger V2 offers more flexible options for where it can be used.
I was out at a fairly noisy place Fri night and tried using the Roger in tabletop mode, but it wasn’t working well at all. In fact, on the way over to the restaurant, I was sitting in the back seat and pointed the Roger at those in front talking? Not much help there at all either. I had it in “Pointer” mode and would move it back and forth to catch whomever was talking. Ack. It was a bust.
I’m still trying it out in as many situations as I can think of, and the tabletop next to cell phone was a DELIGHT!
This reminds me of 2016 and being huddled round a rubbish desk phone on speaker taking part in a conference call. Except the tinny, awful audio meant nothing to me. Guess who was usually asked to minute the meeting???
OH GAWD!!! I can so relate. I don’t know if it’s my Karma or my Fate, but during my working years, I was always called to the whiteboard to take notes, or do the “minutes” like you talk about, or be up on the big stage at Oracle representing my team’s suggestions to a full audience, or, or, OR! I was probably in a pair of AGX aids way back then, but can’t even recall now what I wore in the '90s.
did you turn off the microphones for the hearing aids? and only use the Roger mics. I also find table top mode not super helpful thou, and usually at a restaurant turn off the hearing aid mics and use the pointer mode, this way I can talk to the people closest to me by pointing at the speaker.
