Provide a headphone facility with separate controls

Rationale

Different users often have different needs or preferences regarding audio output. People who are hard of hearing may have specific requirements for the volume and tone of the audio. People who are blind or partially sighted may need to access an audio description or other supplementary audio track. When watching television in a communal setting with people who don’t have these same needs, it can be very useful to have an audio output facility, through the headphone socket, that they can tailor to their needs without affecting the audio that others hear through the loudspeakers.

Directions and techniques

Provide the ability not to suppress or alter the main speaker output when headphones are connected

It is common for the main speaker output to be switched off when a headphone jack is inserted into the socket. But to allow a person to use the headphone socket while others are using the main audio, it is necessary to provide the option of not doing this.

Provide dedicated volume and tone controls for the headphone socket

This is most flexible if it allows separate adjustment of low, mid and high frequency output.

Allow users to route supplementary audio tracks through the headphone socket

This should result in both the supplementary audio track (e.g. Audio description, second language or spoken subtitles) being audible through the headphones at the same time that the main audio alone can be heard through the television’s loudspeakers.