Yep, there are many discussions on alternatives too. Some say to look for low-latency devices.
Is the TV connector mains powered or battery powered?
The manual says that you can also plug the TV Connector in to an available USB outlet on your TV to power it.
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Oh yeah, alternatively via USB on the very next Page 9. Good catch. I stopped reading after Page 8 
I just picked up my new T13-90 Marvels and a 2nd TV connector. Here are a couple of responses to the questions that have been asked based on my experience.
- Power: The TV Connector is wall powered using a USB cable with micro USB on one end for the device and a regular USB plug on the other end. Theoretically you could power it from anything that can power the USB cable with whatever is required by the device. I’ve got a meter to test that, but haven’t hooked it up yet.
- Quality: The quality of the streaming seems exactly the same as the Bluetooth streaming from my phone. It provides another way of streaming audio so I don’t have to swap the pairing as often due to the single device pairing limitations with the Marvel.
- Frequency: The frequency/format of the streaming from the TV connector is that it is a custom 2.4 broadcast from Phonak proprietary to their Hearing Aids called AirStream. While that may be in the same band as Bluetooth, they aren’t using Bluetooth for this. The AirStream is really a broadcast to paired devices. Bluetooth doesn’t work that way and has a lot more security, handshaking and responding transmissions required from the Hearing Aids, (and probably power as well). The TV Connector can supposedly be picked up by an unlimited number of devices as long as they are paired and you can’t do that with Bluetooth. That also means that the TV Connector doesn’t know/care if your hearing aids are receiving the signal or not.
This is from an Audiology Online article sponsored by Phonak:
The TV Connector uses Airstream™, a Phonak proprietary 2.4 GHz streaming protocol which offers high quality audio streaming from any television directly into the hearing aids. Designed with the end user in mind, it is easy to use straight out of the box with no complicated pairing or connection steps. It is an easy plug-and-play setup when installing for the very first time. Some benefits of AirStream technology include:
- High quality, stereo audio signals to Audéo B-Direct hearing aids with very low streaming delay
- Audio streaming with the TV Connector, without the need for body worn/around-the-neck streaming interface
- Broadcasting to an unlimited number of listeners with one compatible accessory
- Lower energy consumption than any suitable Bluetooth classic protocol/profile
- Easy plug-and-play connection to the television
- Up to 80 hours of streaming and listening enjoyment with one hearing aid battery
Since we’re using the proprietary streaming protocol, it delivers low hearing aid battery consumption. Patients can stream up to 80 hours on one single battery.
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That’s the same frequency as the Phonak Roger.
Roger systems monitor continuously which channels are free and adaptively hop around channels occupied by other systems at 2.4 GHz.
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Thanks for detailed report GR8Dane. I’m a little puzzled though regarding the need for a TV connector, when someone trails new hearing aids, say Phonak Marvel. Shouldn’t the new HA by itself be so advanced that someone wearing new HA’s hears TV clearly without “device” support? One would think when new HA’s are worn for first time with TV, the HA user (1) would not have to turn TV volume up as high and (2) there would be improved understanding of TV language comprehension. If both of those are true then I would think a TV connector irrelevant. Everyone has different levels of hearing loss but one would expect that new HA’s that cost $2000 plus certainly should improve TV listening to the point a TV connector is not needed.
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When I am watching the 6:00 o’clock evening entertainment programs (used to be called news) and everyone enunciates clearly, then I don’t bother streaming. I can hear it well without streaming.
Ah, but if I’m watching a movie, or a series, and the actor or actress has a difficult to understand voice or accent, then I rely on streaming to understand more of the dialogue. Works the same for her. We both stream to catch more dialogue.
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So you make some very interesting observations. I have definitely benefited (as has my wife) from me now being able to watch TV without having to turn up the volume. In fact my wife now often asks me to turn it up a little for her!! But there are still some shows/movies we watch where both of us (she has “normal” hearing) have some trouble understanding the dialogue of certain actors especially when they have or are mimicking an accent (e.g. Outlander). I have an excellent surround sound system and I don’t want to give up the ability to hear all the sounds coming from various directions so I’m assuming when streaming from the TV Connector I would still have access to the streaming slider that allows for outside noise or elimination of outside noise; is that correct? And assuming I want to watch a movie on TV that is disturbing to my wife, can I mute the TV (my receiver/speakers) and still hear through the TV Connector? Lastly, I’m wondering if you have had occasion to hook up the TV Connector to a laptop and if so is it easy to move it from the TV to the Laptop and back again?
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Well I have Oticon Opn’s so I don’t know much about “your” sliders for mic volume and streaming volume. Maybe someone else has studied this.
My excellent surround sound system does not go to waste while I’m streaming. It still makes us jump out of our chairs during dramatic sounds that boost your side speakers and subwoffer. If you mute that source (to your mics) then you will lose your surround-sound and just get stereo.
I leave the TV Connector always hooked up without moving it to a laptop. Maybe it will lose the paring when/if you disconnect power. I don’t know. Should be easy enough to test.
Just some info:
Tv connector use less battery than bluetooth (as mention earlier).
The Tv connector has a power on/off - when on, the HA connect automatic when you get within its area.
Bluetooth - you only connect to one HA (“master” side is decided under fitting) - the other HA “spy” on the bluetooth signal with no delay. If you lose “master” HA - you lose the ability to connect through bluetooth. You pair devices with only the “master” HA.
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Ok hopefully somebody with Marvels can comment on the slider functionality with TV Connector. Can you tell me if you are able to mute the TV and still hear through the TV Connector? This would allow me to watch some shows/movies my wife doesn’t like to hear.
Oh, I’m sure you can do that. But you said you have surround-sound so will lose your surround sound channels (center/sides/subwoffer) because they will be muted/off. But the left/Right stereo channels will still be transmitted to your hearing aids for you to hear while your wife hears silence.
Let me try to summarize:
I think that @GR8Dane has answered the OP’s question by testing both TV Connector and Bluetooth streaming from a cellphone and noting that the quality seems to be the same. Thanks for that!
If we are trying to decide whether to pony up the “$200.00+ for the Phonak TV connector versus streaming by smart tv Bluetooth or a $50.00+/- streaming device like used for headphones”, then…
- Phonak’s proprietary Airstream vs Bluetooth, who cares? The connection seem simpler than Bluetooth handshaking, etc. But still, who cares? However, Airstream claims to deliver low hearing aid battery consumption. If it delivers significantly less battery consumption, that’s important!
- Auto-connect to the hearing aid when you move in-range. I would turn that off because I don’t always stream. eta, OH wait, some ppl like this feature.
- The TV Connector can supposedly be picked up by an unlimited number of devices as long as they are paired and you can’t do that with Bluetooth. This may or may not be important for you. How many ppl will stream at your house?
Has anyone tested battery consumption (Airstream vs Bluetooth). I dunno?
eta: Maybe I am over-simplifying by saying “Who Cares?”. It was just to make a point.
eta: Hey, Let’s ask about battery consumption over on the Phonak Marvel battery life thread.
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Bluetooth transmitters that transmit to two devices are common now. I have one, an Avantree, about $35. There is bluetooth broadcast but not sure that would be doable for a residence, but you could split the audio out cable and connect two bluetooth transmitters so that would take care of 4 people.
But, the Phonak transmitter probably works better and easier, no latency.
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(Sorry guys. I’ve been out playing this weekend.)
I took my new TV Connector with me on our family trip this weekend. Just this morning I was watching a show on TV while my daughter was sitting next to me playing on her phone. I was laughing at something and she gave me this look like I was such an idiot since she didn’t know I could hear the TV just fine with it muted.
Here are a few great things about the streamer that will hopefully answer some questions:
- Yes, you can use it without the TV volume being on. If you use the optical audio output on the TV, (which is the default and preferred method to connect) the volume control remains totally independent.
- I’m a huge closed captioning guy since I hate not being able to follow along. I’m sure everyone is different, but even with the best hearing aids, I still struggle with word recognition unless the audio is pretty clear. This is particularly difficult when the show is animated and I can’t read lips or the characters are speaking off screen. I can turn it up loud enough to understand, but my family gets frustrated. They don’t love the captioning either, but it’s better than the TV blasting. The TV connector gives me the audio from the TV matched up with my hearing loss and is pumped directly into my ears and the clarity and speech recognition is amazing.
- Yes, I still use the sound system when using the TV connector, most of the time. It’s great not to need the volume, but I have my TV Connector in a sound isolated theater in my basement. I love to watch movies late at night, and I didn’t want to disturb anyone with the volume and there is nothing to compare with all of the surround sound, bass, etc. you get outside of the streaming device. It’s really impressive what the hearing aids can do processing the audio in the room from the microphones and the audio coming in from the TV Connector. It’s like having a center channel for speech/dialog right in your head.
- The up/down volume works the same way it does when you are streaming over Bluetooth. Up Vol turns up the audio input from the streaming signal and turns down the input from the ambient microphone. Down volume turns down the TV volume in my ears and turns up the speakers and ambient noise in the room. This is a really great implementation and it’s like having your own volume control. I had a big group together watching a race on Saturday night and I’m very, very into this stuff. Sometimes the big group gets chatting/carrying on about whatever and I have a hard time hearing what is going on. Usually I just grab the remote and crank the volume and try to not notice the glares from my wife about my rude actions. With the TV Connector I just give it a tap up on my Marvels and it quiets them down and turns the TV up. When a commercial comes on or if I want to talk with someone I just do the opposite.
- Portability: Now that I have two of them I’m planning to leave on connected in my theater and will make the other portable to take with me on trips or possibly use in our master bedroom. It connects so easy that it’s worth taking with me if I know we’ll be watching a race or something while on the road.
- Battery life: Like I mentioned earlier in this thread, receiving a single from the TV Connector broadcast seems to be very efficient. Streaming for 3 hours over Bluetooth would have killed my rechargeable Marvels, but the TV Connector barely made a dent. It’s also nice to not fuss with the pairing and be able to get phone calls over Bluetooth even while streaming TV. I’ve got several Bluetooth streamers that I use for other projects. I could do this over Bluetooth if I wanted, but even my best Bluetooth streamer wouldn’t be close to the range I get from the TV Connector.
- Source for the connector: I’ve gotten both from my Audiologist and haven’t actually seen the price yet. I’m pretty sure it retails for $300, but I’ve seem them for $250 online.
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GR8Dane - great post and very helpful. I’ve been using close caption for years when watching TV - so the Phonak TV connector seems like a “no brainer”. It will be interesting to find out if connection with Marvel HA’s draws down my disposable HA’s faster. I can handle $250 - $300 for a device that works well and serves a daily purpose. Now the Roger Pen and Roger Select (though I have never used either) come across as a complete rip off and extremely expensive. I’ve rarely seen the Roger Pen used anywhere and due to the “limited” response to my Roger Select post - its obvious the “Select” is more hype than reality. But as you so amply pointing out the TV connector works well, is discreet and within a reasonable price range. Thanks for post.
Great information!! Thank you very much. I am definitely getting one. I intend to use as you are doing to be able to watch with TV muted. Have you had occasion to try it with a laptop computer?
Yeah, it worked great on my laptop playing videos. No problem with the connection. The laptops connect with a regular audio plug instead of the optical audio and the volume on the computer can change the volume sent to the TV Connector whereas the optical audio on your TV is independent. Pros and cons, for sure on this, but it does work. For me, I’m hoping the Roger device will be an aggregator for me at the office since it supports 2-way communication. Ideally the Roger will connect to my desk phone and my laptop so I can keep the pairing with my mobile phone directly with the Marvels. I haven’t used the current Roger, but I did have the first Phonak streamer with a remote mic 10 years ago. It was pretty helpful for me since I often work in large training rooms with lots of people. It was nice to place on one of the tables near the back and be able to hear their questions really well. Not an every day use for that purpose, but it came in handy.