Media Player for seniors

[Tortuga]

I need some suggestions for a media player for a 90-year-old. She has no computer skills; she can barely figure out how to use her cordless phone and TV remote. I am looking for a simple way that she can listen to the bible. She wouldn't know what to do with an old phone or tablet, she has a Smart TV but she doesn't know how to use the media player on it. I think she needs something with a few simple buttons on it. Any suggestions?

[jwhess]

Does she need to see the Bible books and make various choices about which scripture to listen to?

 

If she is just going to listen to the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and just needs a start-stop button, you could copy all of the mp3 files from the Bible and put them on any super-simple playback device.  Does she need various volume controls?

Edited 14 hours ago by jwhess

[Tortuga]

7 minutes ago, jwhess said:

Does she need to see the Bible books and make various choices about which scripture to listen to?

 

If she is just going to listen to the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and just needs a start-stop button, you could copy all of the mp3 files from the Bible and put them on any super-simple playback device.  Does she need various volume controls?

I wish she could manage an old tablet or phone media player, but I don't think she can.

I think something simple with push buttons would work but I am looking for options.

I would like her to be able to select which book of the Bible she wants to listen to.

[Qapla]

If she has internet, have you considered that you can use the jw.org action on Google Assistant-enabled devices to interact with JW.org. To do this, say "Hey Google," and use one of the commands that work with it.

 

Once it is properly set up it would be as simple as her saying "Hey Google, read [scripture] from jw.org"   -  or words to that effect

[Tortuga]

13 minutes ago, Qapla said:

If she has internet, have you considered that you can use the jw.org action on Google Assistant-enabled devices to interact with JW.org. To do this, say "Hey Google," and use one of the commands that work with it.

 

Once it is properly set up it would be as simple as her saying "Hey Google, read [scripture] from jw.org"   -  or words to that effect

Thanks, but she doesn't have internet. 

[Myew]

You can only simplify it so far. If a voice assistant or old mp3 player/phone or TV won't work, the next best thing I can think of is burning the MP3s to a CD-R/DVD-R and use an old MP3 capable CD/DVD player. Is there any type of media player that she does already know how to use?

Edit: Today I learned that these exist, but I don't think I can recommend them... https://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Talking-Player-Version-Endorsed/dp/B0756P9VRS/ Sadly most of the other senior-based mp3 devices tend to be extremely marked up prices. https://www.amazon.com/Relish-Dementia-Alzheimers-Portable-Personalization/dp/B095XH6J35/

Edited 13 hours ago by Myew

[jwhess]

I went to ebay and typed in the search for 

simple MP3 player for elderly.

 

Several pages of devices came up (starting around $50).

iGuerburn Dementia Music Player for Elderly, Memory Loss, Vision Impaired

this brand was popular.

 

I don't see how the playback can choose bible books.  There is not visual display.  MP3s are on a micro SD card.

[Myew]

I was looking similarly, but about the best I can find for a reasonable price is something similar to this styled off an old radio. They can play MP3s off a TF (SD) card. If you want a visual display, you typically need at least an MP3 CD player or some TV sound bars.
https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Bluetooth-Adjustable-Rechargeable-Charging/dp/B0BRFYCZW5/

[Qapla]

Does she have a cell phone with a data plan?

 

[ChrisW]

4 hours ago, Qapla said:

If she has internet, have you considered that you can use the jw.org action on Google Assistant-enabled devices to interact with JW.org. To do this, say "Hey Google," and use one of the commands that work with it.

 

Once it is properly set up it would be as simple as her saying "Hey Google, read [scripture] from jw.org"   -  or words to that effect

I didn't think Google had that capability anymore.  

[Parale]

40 minutes ago, ChrisW said:

I didn't think Google had that capability anymore. 

 

https://www.jw.org/en/whats-new/Google-Assistant-Support-for-JWORG-Discontinued/

[ChrisW]

3 hours ago, Parale said:

 

https://www.jw.org/en/whats-new/Google-Assistant-Support-for-JWORG-Discontinued/

Yes.  That's what I remember.  I was really hoping that eventually google could have that support again. Because we've had Google speakers for years.  I still haven't switched to Alexa. 

[Qapla]

Since I do not have Google Assistant or Alexa, I am not sure what does what at this time - I just know some who, in the past just asked for the daily text or music and it was delivered to their speaker.

 

The idea of a senior using it still would be possible if they use Alexa instead of Google ... still a hands-free way of listening

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Qapla

[Tortuga]

8 hours ago, Qapla said:

Does she have a cell phone with a data plan?

 

No. She barely knows how to manage her TV remote control, so a phone, tablet or PC don't seem to be an option.

[Tortuga]

9 hours ago, Myew said:

I was looking similarly, but about the best I can find for a reasonable price is something similar to this styled off an old radio. They can play MP3s off a TF (SD) card. If you want a visual display, you typically need at least an MP3 CD player or some TV sound bars.
https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Bluetooth-Adjustable-Rechargeable-Charging/dp/B0BRFYCZW5/

Thanks. I have been looking at what was available for seniors, and I am not sure that is what I am looking for. I was hoping there was something else available. Thanks for your help. 

[Tortuga]

10 hours ago, Myew said:

Today I learned that these exist, but I don't think I can recommend them... https://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Talking-Player-Version-Endorsed/dp/B0756P9VRS/ 

That would be pretty nice if there was a way to modify the case and replace the Bible with a NWT.

[foghorn]

I did a similar thing for an elderly sister. I bought one of the MP3 players that includes an SD card slot. I pre-loaded Bible MP3 files onto the card, and set it to start in "MP3 mode". All she had to do was turn on the power, and it would start reading the Bible. 

 

Of course, each time she powered up, it started over. But that was OK, because she didn't remember too much!

Edited 1 hour ago by foghorn
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