See a voice captioning demo
Submitted by floridagal on Tue, 08/28/2007 - 12:39.
For those who are interested, one of the CAT vendors, Advantage Software, has a demo of its captioning software, Total Eclipse Vox, on its website. You can see it in action from the voice captioner's perspective.
Go to http://www.accucap.com/?q=node/1358. Make sure your sound is on.
The captioner doing the demo is using ViaVoice. I know this because I had spoken to her a while back, and she's the first person who told me that ViaVoice was the only SR software suitable for captioning and CART.
This is the first time I've posted a new topic, and I'm not sure I'm doing it correctly. If not, I'm hoping someone will step in and move my post to the right place.
floridagal wrote: The
The captioner doing the demo is using ViaVoice. I know this because I had spoken to her a while back, and she's the first person who told me that ViaVoice was the only SR software suitable for captioning and CART.
Bruce and KnowBrainer,
I am quite sure you saw this. They would hardly continue to use ViaVoice if they did not think it was a viable programme
Quentin
All this means is that
All this means is that Advantage Software is too lazy to code for NaturallySpeaking. This will come back and bite them on the butt when they can't get any more copies of ViaVoice. Just because one software company makes a decision to go with one specific product doesn't mean they necessarily made the right decision. One company, out of hundreds of thousands, choosing to go with ViaVoice means absolutely nothing. I'm sure if you look hard enough, you'll find a company using the Windows XP speech engine too but that doesn't mean that they're working efficiently. If this is your best effort you may as well do what IBM did and throw in the towel
The following paragraph isn't to toot my own horn and I apologize if anyone takes offense. The following paragraph is solely to give evidence on ViaVoice’s inadequacy:
I'm one of the world's largest retailers of DNS Pro (note the Nuance Gold certification) and a couple of days a week I run our company solo (no assistance or help). I not only have time to post messages on 4 major speech recognition forums but I answer 25% of the postings at the KnowBrainer Speech Recognition Forum (the world's busiest speech recognition forum). While doing that, I find time to perform virtual on-site technical support, test new products, update the Quick Tips (52 page NaturallySpeaking knowledgebase), add commands to KnowBrainer 2006, field sales & support calls, process orders and ship those orders around the world. This simply wouldn't be possible with ViaVoice unless I enjoyed working 23 hours a day. I use NaturallySpeaking to run every aspect of my company from answering e-mails, surfing the web and even dialing phone numbers. I start work at 9 a.m. and I punch out at 4 p.m. CST and I can usually able to squeeze in an hour lunch. Now you know why I don't sell, support or recommend ViaVoice!
Lunis Orcutt - Developer of KnowBrainer (DNS Command Software)
A Nuance Gold Certified Endorsed Vendor
All this means is that
All this means is that Advantage Software is too lazy to code for NaturallySpeaking.
Wrong. You can use either DNS or VV with Advantage Software's product. Of the four major CAT companies that have voice CAT software, three of the four offer both options. Only one is limited to VV at this time.
Oh, and you are not limited
Oh, and you are not limited to one or the other. You can have both DNS and VV and choose to use whichever one you want at any time. Actually, with my software from Stenograph, I can choose from three options: steno machine, DNS, or VV. I believe Advantage Software's product works the same way.
floridagal, floridagal
floridagal,
The captioner doing the demo is using ViaVoice. I know this because I had spoken to her a while back, and she's the first person who told me that ViaVoice was the only SR software suitable for captioning and CART.
...
Oh, and you are not limited to one or the other. You can have both DNS and VV and choose to use whichever one you want at any time. Actually, with my software from Stenograph, I can choose from three options: steno machine, DNS, or VV. I believe Advantage Software's product works the same way.
A mixed message! Only VV is "suitable" but its also offered with DNS, which presumably is "unsuitable". Which would lead to questions about the integrity of a vendor who sells a product it deems "unsuitable".
Or maybe the rep used some other characterization, like "VV is best", which you misquoted? Or maybe the rep was expressing her personal judgment rather than the company's considered judgment?
If CART users prefer VV, that is definitive for that niche market: You know your needs better than anyone else.
It behooves us to empathize with all of those who are dependent on a dead-end product whose manufacturer abandoned it because they couldn't make enough money with it. We hope that going forward you will be able to find a product that functions just as well as things change.
For example, general text writers have enjoyed measurable, quantum improvements with each generational change to DNS. And now we have MS' Vista SR to keep DNS competitively sharp -- a function no longer performed by IBM's VV.
It would be useful to hear comparative evaluations by captioning/CART users of VV and DNS and/or MS Vista SR. That might help to focus Nuance's or MS' attention on changes needed to respond to your market's needs. That would deserve a separate topic.
Bruce
Okay, I've obviously not
Okay, I've obviously not explained things well. The CAT software vendors are not advocating either SR engine. They merely offer software that is compatible with both because that's what their users want. Most court reporters choose DNS.
On Advantage's website: "Choose the Speech Engine that works best for you!" Stenograph's website merely offers its software with either DNS or VV without comment.
CAT vendors are very user-driven. They encourage their customers to request enhancements and do their best to implement those requests. Their marketing material focuses on their software's capabilities only.
Or maybe the rep used some other characterization, like "VV is best", which you misquoted? Or maybe the rep was expressing her personal judgment rather than the company's considered judgment?
She's not a rep. She's one of the first - if not the first - to do captioning using speech recognition. And it definitely was her personal judgment. She uses Advantage software, but I didn't contact her through them. In fact, I didn't even know what CAT software she used until after our conversation about DNS v. VV. The only people stating that VV is more suitable are the actual users.
I am hoping that Nuance or MS will respond to the voice captioning market's needs.
Thanks for clarifying
Thanks for clarifying matters! It is important that people speak accurately.
It seems you are saying that court reporters prefer DNS, while captioners prefer VV. As I said before, you know your own needs better than the rest of us, so I accept your report as being definitive: Captioners prefer VV.
Do you think that means the issue is so clear cut that there is not point in making a comparative evaluation that I suggested?
Bruce
It seems you are saying that
It seems you are saying that court reporters prefer DNS, while captioners prefer VV.
Floridagal said precisely that, explicitly, in a previous thread, Bruce. She may even have said it twice before now.
Judy
Judy, I intended to show
Judy,
I intended to show that I am not disputing or arguing the point that floridagal knows what works best for her.
I wasn't aware she had said court reporters prefer DNS.
I also intended to show that I'm gradually getting up to speed with this discursive discussion.
I disagree she explained it well originally -- in fact, it was ambiguous exactly what her point was. Or maybe I just don't catch on quite as quickly as you do.
Bruce
http://www.speechcomputing.co
http://www.speechcomputing.com/node/1498#comment-6295
Judy
BruceCyr wrote: Or maybe
Or maybe I just don't catch on quite as quickly as you do.
Bruce
Exactly
Quentin
You know how big a believer
You know how big a believer of constructive criticism I am
Bruce
Do you think that means the
Do you think that means the issue is so clear cut that there is not point in making a comparative evaluation that I suggested?
I think that's already been done by the experts in this field (I am not one), but I've just purchased VV Pro USB 10 so I can do my own evaluation. I'm still in the process of reading the stories. Much easier with DNS where you can hit the Back button if you make a mistake.
Don't worry if you make
Don't worry if you make mistakes. VV is very forgiving
Don't forget to analyse some documents.
Quentin
You explained it well,
You explained it well, Floridagal.
Judy
Thank you, Judy.
Thank you, Judy. Unfortunately, my explanations are spread out over multiple threads. I tried not to be repetitive, but I probably should have, as I think the general public has little knowledge of the court reporting/captioning/CART field. We do our jobs silently in the background, unnoticed in the drama of a courtroom, invisible to the captioning audience.
Floridagal, good to see you
Floridagal, good to see you back
my explanations are spread out over multiple threads.
well yes, but not that many...
I think the general public has little knowledge of the court reporting/captioning/CART field.
certainly; the forums have taught me a bit about court reporting but captioning is new to me. I've been reading about it since you posted, though.
Judy
Your posting is fine! I'm
Your posting is fine! I'm going to check out that site and see how it works. I notice we have the same site software.
WOW! That'sa some pricey software they gots there! I think I can buy new cars for less than that! Too rich for my wallet!
I do like how it works though. Seems well integrated even if looking at the price requires smelling salts.
Sorry I didn't warn you
Sorry I didn't warn you about the price. I tend to forget that not everyone has to take out a second mortgage to buy software.
Hello all, new the caption
Hello all, new the caption and CART field here. Have my own setup of VV just to further my skills, I did a quick search in my area of classes or any other seminars I can attend and just came up with a few names, Chris Ales, Gayle Hardeman to name a few. Was wondering if anyone could help me pick where to go or how I can further better my skills in the business. Any info around the florida area would be appreciated, Thank you
(Was going to post this as a new topic in the Caption forum....but it didnt seem to let me. Thanks again)
John, Send me an email:
John,
Send me an email: purpleheron at comcast dot net.
I'll share what info I have.