Niels Borg Selects Autoscript's VoicePlus

VoicePlus, a new voice-activated teleprompting software module from Autoscript, is transforming broadcast, one studio at a time. It provides accuracy, and is an add-on to Autoscript's WinPlus software.

TV MIDTVEST is one of those studios using the VoicePlus module, led by Project Manager and Technical Director Niels Borg. TV MIDTVEST is a publicly funded 24-hour channel and caters to an audience of around 500,000 people in the mid-western Jutland region of Denmark.

The layout of the TV MIDTVEST studio means that an anchor can use the foot pedal whenever they are sitting during production, but for standing segments they needed an alternative solution. Borg selected VoicePlus as an add-on to his WinPlus workflow.

He said: "VoicePlus was a great way to give the anchor control of the prompting without having to operate something, giving us a brilliant opportunity to avoid additional controllers as well as enabling the anchors to control the speed of prompting while presenting naturally. The first test of VoicePlus blew us away because it was completely seamless and showed us this great new possibility for our workflow. And, in the end, we made no significant changes to our original infrastructure to accommodate it. We do have an operator available right now, so our main target is not cost reduction, but to ensure the script is where it is supposed to be at all times."

With its voice activation capabilities, the presenters can control the scrolling speed of the text by adjusting how fast they are speaking. Due to its simple operation, the VoicePlus system can be turned on with the press of a button, and productions can choose to include an on-screen message informing the presenter if voice activation is 'Enabled' or 'Deactivated'.

"Actually, I was directing yesterday and, at some point, the prompter operator had to focus on other activities, so I turned on VoicePlus," added Borg. "The transition was completely seamless – I'm not even sure that the anchor noticed. VoicePlus ensures that the text the anchor needs to read is by the white marker, and it just works. So if we are ever shorthanded, we can just enable it."

For Borg, reliability is key to prompting. TV MIDTVEST has used Autoscript WinPlus for a number of years, integrated with Avid iNews, and VoicePlus is a natural extension to the software.

"It does exactly what it says on the tin," Borg concluded. "It delivers what you expect it to deliver. It scrolls when it's supposed to and doesn't scroll when it's not."

www.autoscript.tv

(JP/LM)