SysMedia claims 'perfect timing' breakthrough with Speech Follower

SysMedia has announced the development of Speech Follower, a system that achieves real-time synchronisation between the spoken word and the equivalent scripted text, a capability that has so far proved elusive.
SysMedia is always researching innovative methods to enable its customers to enhance workflows and optimise productivity and Speech Follower is a prime example. By reliably tracking the progress of spoken audio through a prepared script, the company can deliver previously unseen levels of automation in the prompting and subtitling sectors, allowing broadcasters to achieve greater efficiencies in a cost-conscious environment.
This groundbreaking technology developed by SysMedia solves a range of problems that previously required manual input, now enabling text to be followed accurately yet with sufficient flexibility to cope with different speakers and accents. It forgives minor delivery errors and small deviations from the prepared script - enough to recover and continue automatically.
This technology has significant benefits in SysMedia’s key business of subtitling systems. It enables automatic subtitle transmission for short scripted programmes such as regional news bulletins, avoiding the need for an operator to cue the subtitles manually or input text in real-time.
The first commercial application for Speech Follower is in SysMedia’s Teleprompt Speech Control software where the company has exclusively provided the technology for the Voice-Plus option in Autoscript’s WinPlus product, winner of four awards at NAB 2006. Automated speech control of the prompter in this way avoids the need for an operator during short bulletins and allows the presenter to move freely around without the restriction of a foot/hand control.
Andrew Lambourne, CEO, SysMedia, explains, “SysMedia has extensive experience of the application of speech and language technology, and its live subtitling product WinCAPS has long incorporated value-added speech recognition for the subtitling of live events using re-speaking. This new Speech Follower technology delivers massive further value adding to our reputation as a leading supplier of innovative solutions.”
(SP)