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Costco - Phonak TV Connect

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Has anyone seen Phonak TV Connect devices back in stock at Costco since the alleged chip shortage a few months ago?

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Thank you for your update. A couple of years ago I got a refurbished Resound Streamer via eBay and while it worked, it wasn’t of the quality as a new out of the box Streamer. I am hoping to get one through Costco if I can.

@biz1219 said:

Has anyone seen Phonak TV Connect devices back in stock at Costco

They are different TV Connectors then the previous TV Connectors as the chip shortage is still going on. The TV Connectors that are now at Costco don’t have the buttons on tops and I believe don’t have the Dolby connector.

Thanks everyone. That gives me the basis for what I need, and I’ll pursue it from here. Without the buttons on top sort of suggests the first generation TV Connect. clif

I take things for what they are and they typically don’t bother me - let the buyer beware. One “scalper” on eBay currently is asking US $660.21 for a new Phonak TV Connect 2. The normal price s/;b around $150 retail and perhaps ~99US at the big warehouse outlet store. On top of that he asks $33.01US for shipping. Claims 10 available, 1 sold. Unreal. FWIW. I truly hope that no one falls for doing business with that vendor.

I have one Phonak TV Connect 2 which was part of my purchase. While it works fine the quality doesn’t compare to Resound Streamer II which I used before; perhaps some of that is due to Bluetooth instead of MFI. What works - works and that counts the most. I am fortunate to hear what I do. With HAs out at night I cannot hear a thunder storm. Peaceful sleep.

In reply to @sterei

Hi Sterei. My one Phonak TV Connect uses the 3.5mm analog audio jack output from the TV. I’d prefer to use digital optical but that output from the TV already goes to a Sony Sound Bar (which didn’t help my hearing materially). I’m hesitant to get a powered optical splitter due to extra cords and power adapters, i.e., clutter. An un-powered optical splitter will cut the available volume output. So for now, I’m continuing to use the 3.5mm audio jack output from the TV.

Regardless, in my subjective opinion, the sound via the TV Connect to my is significantly better than from any other speaker in he room, either TV or Sound Bar. FWIW. c!

@biz1219 said:

An un-powered optical splitter will cut the available volume output.

I don’t think it has an impact on volume or sound quality. Its digital, and either the light arrives or not.
Maybe shorter cables help if it doesn’t work at all.
I would give it a try, they are cheap.

I have gone a different route, I use a Roger Select.
It can be connected with a 3.5 mm or optical.
When I am the only one listening to the tv I put the Select in the stand, when the Wife is also listening I lay the select in front of the speaker and we can both hear the TV. The Roger has almost no delay so I don’t have an echo … for me it work very well.

In reply to @biz1219

I’ll second what serei said - it’s digital, not analog, don’t worry about the volume being reduced.

I have an un-powered splitter feeding both the Costco TV connector, and a sound system. It works fine. I velcroed both to the back of the TV. The TV connector is powered by a USB port. No wall-warts needed.

splitter
.

Nice labeling. :+1: I can never be bothered.
Is the branding on the back of the TV Connector Phonak or Costco? That looks like the V2 with the buttons. I thought I read here that the Costco was not V2.

In reply to @z10user2

@z10user2 said:

Is the branding on the back of the TV Connector Phonak or Costco?

Neither! Just a Sonova label.

tv_conn

I bought it from Costco soon after the K10s came out, and before the great chip shortage.
The box has no obvious brand, just “TV Connector” with a very small Sonova label on one side. So it appears they didn’t bother to rebrand a Kirkland model.

My “Phonak” connectors are Sonova branded as well. One was via ebay, so I have no knowledge of its original provenance. The 1.1 was direct from the phonak mothership, in the same kind of packaging that my hearing aids, Roger On, the battery for the charge case, etc all came in. No version number on the 1.1.

Hope this helps someone.

WH

IMG-5934

In reply to @oetbyg

Mine is like yours. Underneath your velcro will say Connector V2.
So what, if anything, makes the Costco at all different? Maybe they’re just selling the same thing anyway.
@WhiteHat : So it seems the only thing to distinguish the 1.1 from the 1.0 is that the LED only puts out one color. Does yours?

I dunno. Haven’t played around looking at colors much. The V2 is on my desk so I see it all the time.

WH

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