CHAMPAIGN, Ill.—In a move that could make TV programming both accessible and engaging, Cobalt Digital announced a partnership with SineSix Media that will integrate SineSix’s vocalVision audio description solution into Cobalt’s 9922 frame synchronizer family.
The combined solution brings real-time audio descriptions of on-screen graphics directly into the broadcast workflow ensuring visually impaired viewers don’t miss critical information. Demonstrations of the collaborative solution will be conducted at 2026 NAB Show at Cobalt’s Booth # N 1340.
“By integrating vocalVision with our 9922 family, we’re enabling broadcasters to meet regulatory requirements while delivering a richer, more inclusive viewing experience,” said Suzana Brady, senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing for Cobalt Digital. “This collaboration goes beyond regulatory compliance to provide an environment that supports greater audience engagement, trust, and promotes safety.”
Designed to help broadcasters comply with the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (21CVAA), vocalVision ensures that visually impaired audiences can fully access critical information that is often conveyed visually during live and recorded broadcasts.
The solution goes beyond traditional compliance tools by providing automated, real-time narration of graphical content such as lower-third headlines, weather radar maps, election data, sports graphics, and more. Integration with Cobalt Digital’s 9922 enables visual and audio accessibility tools to be combined into a unified workflow, ensuring that critical visual information is both seen and heard, improving accessibility for visually impaired audiences while enhancing overall viewer engagement.
The integrated workflow allows broadcasters to trigger audio description events directly from existing graphics systems via SineSix’s Watchman API, or through a user-friendly browser-based interface.
The system also provides flexible control options, allowing operators to manage alerts and descriptions manually, on scheduled intervals, or via automated triggers. Shared watch folders enable seamless ingestion of text and image assets, while Cobalt’s +TTS functionality converts text to speech and inserts audio into the program stream in real time. Cobalt’s +EAS option supports emergency alert delivery, and +LOGO enables on-screen graphic insertion, creating a unified and efficient accessibility solution.
Additional capabilities include AI-assisted image description for elements such as weather radar maps, customizable pronunciation dictionaries for accurate text-to-speech output, and multilingual support for broader audience reach.
“vocalVision was designed to make accessibility seamless and meaningful,” said Taylor Hightower, CTO for SineSix Media. “Working with Cobalt allows us to bring this capability directly into the broadcast signal chain, making it easier than ever for broadcasters to serve all audiences effectively.”
