I have a hard time hearing a conversation in a coffee shop and such places. There are a lot of apps out there that translate speech to text but none that I tried worked unless the people were almost talking right into the cell phone. Any app that will pick up distant speech?
need a text-to-speech app for cell phone.
- Thread starter Georgewes
- Start date
You might want to see if Alex will help with changing your title or start a new thread. By saying
need a text-to-speech app for cell phone.
as your title that title is asking for the opposite of what you describe as what you need.
I am trying out Googles new Live Transcribe. It does still make errors but seems better than earlier apps.
need a text-to-speech app for cell phone.
as your title that title is asking for the opposite of what you describe as what you need.
I am trying out Googles new Live Transcribe. It does still make errors but seems better than earlier apps.
I have only used Live Transcribe once but I found it to be the most accurate and real-time of all that I have tried so far. I used it in a noisy restaurant during a busy Saturday lunch crowd. It worked well in my group of third other people.
Mark Rejhon
Member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2003
- Messages
- 355
- Reaction score
- 10
Live Transcribe works well but it's not available for iPhones yet.
I've been using Otter, https://otter.ai
Although this one does not translate automatically, it's good for offline translations because the transcription quality is really good.
I like Otter because it's free (up to 600 minutes), and cheap (if you need more time).
- Continuous
- No one-minute limit
- Worked in classrooms
- Worked with lectures
- Worked with loudspeakers (e.g. auditoriums)
- Worked in a noisy mall (if mic is closer to speaker)
- Worked in a crowded business meeting room
- Can transcribe 10 voices simultaneously in a 10-person meeting if only one person speaks at a time.
- It keeps a recording of the audio
I find it is almost as good as a $100/hour human transcriber now. Just get a Blue Yeti microphone, connect it to your laptop, put microphone in the middle of the meeting room, and it realtime transcribes everybody continuously for two hours nonstop! At least the subject matter is common (not too many unusual tech terms such as computer programming).
Cloud AI has dramatically improved voice recognition to the point where I can finally now do "group conversations in noisy places"!!!
I've been using Otter, https://otter.ai
Although this one does not translate automatically, it's good for offline translations because the transcription quality is really good.
I like Otter because it's free (up to 600 minutes), and cheap (if you need more time).
- Continuous
- No one-minute limit
- Worked in classrooms
- Worked with lectures
- Worked with loudspeakers (e.g. auditoriums)
- Worked in a noisy mall (if mic is closer to speaker)
- Worked in a crowded business meeting room
- Can transcribe 10 voices simultaneously in a 10-person meeting if only one person speaks at a time.
- It keeps a recording of the audio
I find it is almost as good as a $100/hour human transcriber now. Just get a Blue Yeti microphone, connect it to your laptop, put microphone in the middle of the meeting room, and it realtime transcribes everybody continuously for two hours nonstop! At least the subject matter is common (not too many unusual tech terms such as computer programming).
Cloud AI has dramatically improved voice recognition to the point where I can finally now do "group conversations in noisy places"!!!
Last edited:
Mark
We are wanting to know what is being said as it is said. Not AFTER the lunch, church service or other event. You might also want to see this other thread where the title more closely fits the issue. http://www.alldeaf.com/threads/need-a-speech-to-text-app-that-works.131598/
We are wanting to know what is being said as it is said. Not AFTER the lunch, church service or other event. You might also want to see this other thread where the title more closely fits the issue. http://www.alldeaf.com/threads/need-a-speech-to-text-app-that-works.131598/
Nita Thomas
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2016
- Messages
- 136
- Reaction score
- 47
In Michigan There is an organization that provides free texting for HoH and Deaf for landline phones, but they are still working on it for cell phones. You could check with the HoH and Deaf services in your area for recommendations for you needs.
Mark Rejhon
Member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2003
- Messages
- 355
- Reaction score
- 10
Correct.
Google Live Transcribe is also Cloud AI too. Real-time.
Otter is like the iPhone version of “Android Live Transcribe”.
That way I can do the same thing on iPad & iPhone & Laptop & Windows & Surface.
Also real-time too.
Search “Otter” on App Store. It gives you 600 free minutes a month. Text is a bit smaller than Live Transcribe but very very accurate too.
I’m so happy I can do the equivalent of “Google Live Transcribe” on all my machines, not just Android only.
For Apple iPhone: Search “Otter” on App Store
For Apple iPad: Search “Otter” on App Store
For Microsoft Surface: Open “https://otter.ai” in Internet Explorer and login; real time captions inside web browser
For Windows Laptop: Open “https://otter.ai” in any web browser; real time captions inside web browser.
For Android, Search “Live Transcribe” in Google Play. But “Otter” is also available too.
Otter will recognize speakers if you assign speakers names. It can also stream captions to a different location too (much like StreamText.net) if you put your iPhone/Android near the speakers, and you’re at the opposite end of a long table, you can view the captions on a 2nd phone or tablet! (One device “listens”, other device shows “captions” in realtime) — Otter does this, Google Live Transcribe cannot.
But Google Live Transcribe has bigger text and recognizes sounds (e.g. water, clapping, etc).
Having both apps is useful!
I can join real time conversations in person, using any device.
Just make sure your device has a good microphone, and background noise not too loud.
It can also caption a phone call in real time tool, just put your cellphone into speakerphone & use a 2nd device (laptop, iPad, iPhone, Android) to caption the phone call. So it works well when you talk to good speakers in quiet environment (e.g. talking to your parents), it’s just a “2nd device needed”.
So I can skip relay operators when I talk to some family members or my spouse; it’s good enough now and Otter can actually caption 3x faster than a relay operator for my spouse on the other end of the phone! The relay operator is better for noisy environments and foreign speakers but the Otter outperforms relay operators for clear telephone speakers, captioning at >300wpm in realtime sometimes for very fast speakers. But you need a good Internet connection, because it streams audio to a cloud supercomputer to put captions back in real time on your phone. Only about 2 seconds delay (or so), which is sometimes less than the delay of a relay operator.
Just make sure the microphone is working well on the device, and it’s a good microphone. For example the microphone in newer iPads and newer Galaxy Tab is much better than the old iPad 2.
But the great thing, you can use any device now, even a 10-year-old laptop or a very old phone
It’s amazing I can now do it on any machine now.
Last edited:
Sorry for borrowing this thread, but is there any windows program that actually live transcribe all sounds in a pc? e.g in computer games, videos, voice chats (teamspeak) where hearing people communicate with each others via pc?
or do I gotta buy speakers for my pc and use my phone to transcribe?
or do I gotta buy speakers for my pc and use my phone to transcribe?
Last edited:
Mark Rejhon
Member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2003
- Messages
- 355
- Reaction score
- 10
That worked. External device pointing at speakers.
Although an Android phone is cheap, you can use any 2nd device now, doesn't have to be a phone. If you have an iPad or laptop lying around, just use that. Any screen can caption with Otter. Just type "https://otter.ai" on that screen (register to get 600 free minutes a month)
____________
The two "must-have" apps are:
-- Live Transcribe
-- Otter.ai
They both have pros/cons, but I keep both as different tools like a screwdriver and a hammer.
The Two Killer Transcription Apps:
Live Transcribe: Better for personal conversations, Android-only, bigger text, easier to read, detects sounds
Otter: Small text but runs on everything (laptop | PC | Mac | iPhone | Tablet | etc), better for big groups of people (office room meeting), saving files, broadcasting caption livestreams to other screens, stenocaptioner substitute, etc.
More about transcription app tricks:
I even use Live Transcribe to caption streaming broadcasts on television too (YouTube, Twitch, etc) that has clear-speaking speech.
It's like "DIY Closed Captioning"
P.S. Use the 2-device trick to gain more capabilities
Captioned telephone is possible by doing a 2nd phone can caption a 1st phone doing a phone call. (Regular / Skype / FaceTime / Facebook / Etc). For this reason, I now carry 2 devices, so that I can caption the other device, e.g. a telephone call. Most phone services let you add a 2nd phone SIM card for only $10-15/month for "data sharing" (data-only) so having 2 phones is almost as cheap as 1 phone using a good data-sharing plan. Or you can just use Mobile Hotspot or WiFi Sharing, and run 2 devices off 1 phone plan. Even an iPod or iPad works! As long as 1 device has LTE and wifi-sharing ability (for the 2nd device).
P.P.S. I can broadcast live captions to anybody for free!
I discovered Otter now lets you share links like a "StreamText" link onto your social media! So I can caption from my phone to hundreds or thousands of people for free! Or caption one teacher for 30 students from one phone. Pretty neat this tech is happening.
P.P.P.S. I can use a 2nd phone as a remote microphone for a different caption screen!
If my microphone is far away, I can even use the Otter link-share feature with my 2nd phone. I park the 2nd phone on the microphone podium (next to teacher or speaker), and I read the captions on my other phone (captions streamed through Chrome or Safari browser), even while I go to the bathroom or sit at the back of the room.
P.P.P.P.S. If you can afford it, carry 2 devices to create a free "do-it-all" system
Otter does all the below:
- $0. Pushbutton instant stenocaptioner for cheaper than a stenocaptioner.
- Caption phone calls without needing a captioned telephone! Phone-captions-a-phone!
- Caption something far away from you (even 100 feet away) One phone as the "remote microphone", for the other phones.
- Caption a school teacher, even from the back of a classroom
- Realtime broadcast captions to a few of your friend's phones in realtime. Phone-streams-captions-by-web! (like a Streamtext link!)
- Caption an uncaptioned video. Phone points to video on other phone. (this one also be done by Android live Transcribe too)
- Caption an uncaptioned Skype call. Phone points to speaker on other phone. (ditto)
- Caption an uncaptioned FaceTime call. Phone points to speaker on other phone. (ditto)
- Caption an uncaptioned Facebook Video call. Phone points to speaker on other phone. (ditto)
- Attach photos in middle of captions (good for school blackboard photo, or a a PowerPoint photo)
- Easily email a copy of the audio and captions to office meeting organizers as "meeting minutes"
- Just have 2 devices (phones, tablets, laptops). Install Otter on all of them. And you get to do ALL THE ABOVE. REAL-TIME.
I now have two LTE SIM cards (cost only $10 extra for a 2nd phone) so I can now do these tricks like broadcasting live captions from my phone in realtime (via "streamtext-style" link), or using other device to caption a phone conversation or an uncaptioned video playing on the other phone. Or using one device like a wireless microphone, for the 2nd phone that displays captions. Otter even keeps audio recordings so they can be referenced if need be. That's how magical the free "Otter" app is for me! (for 600 minutes)
(My only complaint about Otter is the small text size of captions, but the other things make up).
Last edited: