Tag Archive for: ASR technology

SubCaptioner, VoCaption, WincapsASR, Q-LiveASR, More than just ASR

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BroadStream has a suite of ASR solutions to meet virtually any captioning or subtitling needs.

Automated Speech Recognition and uses AI elements to convert speech to text. Our speech engine provides accuracy in the high 90’s depending on the language and can be used to replace or supplement human captioners. These solutions encompass new automation, as well as, hybrid and traditional human applications. Here’s a brief recap:

SubCaptioner

SubCaptioner is our on-line, automated solution for captions, transcriptions and translation. It accommodates both live and file-based content and is available in over 50 languages. Users can upload MP3 audio and MP4 video files, and receive captions in SRT, WebVTT and transcriptions in Word format within minutes for just 25 cents per minute for all three files. The system can also translate converted files into multiple languages for an additional 25 cents per minute taking a task that when provided by humans can cost hundreds of dollars and take several days and delivering highly accurate files for just pennies in minutes. New users can open a free account and receive 40 minutes free (20 minutes if using translation), just for signing up.

SubCaptioner includes an online editor that is easy to use along with custom dictionary at no additional fee. Visit SubCaptioner for more details.

WincapsASR

For enterprise users, WincapsASR is available as an on-premise or private cloud implementation. It’s a bybrid solution for handling  hundreds of hours of content with human editing as a bonus. Files are uploaded and converted by our speech engine. Once converted, use Wincaps to QC the file and make any edits necessary to improve the already highly accuracy. WincapsASR is especially beneficial for clients needing higher security for their content or prefer to avoid moving their content outside of their domain.

VoCaption

Need live captioning or subtitling? VoCaption is our solution for low-cost, highly accurate live captioning. Using the most accurate speech engine available, BroadStream has added the necessary features to make it easy to turn on live captioning with just a mouse click or automation command from OASYS Integrated Playout. If you are a Polistream customer and interested in adding live, automated captioning to your channels, VoCaption can be integrated with many of the existing versions of Polistream.

Q-LiveASR

For broadcasters needing live captioning with human intervention Q-LiveASR is our enterprise solution that combines live, automated captioning with human editors to deliver an application that provides users with the ability to correct or edit live captions before they are published thus providing the ability to improve accuracy on-the-fly.

Please contact our Sales Team for details. If you use a 3rd party caption inserter and would like to know if VoCaption can work for you please contact our Sales Team or Support Team and we’ll be happy to help you.

 

A Brief History of ASR Technology

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A Brief History of ASR Technology

Did you know that the first ASR Technology was invented in 1952?

ASR stands for Automated Speech Recognition. This technology uses machines (computers) instead of humans to convert speech to text for captions, subtitles, transcripts and other documentation.

One of the earliest projects that can be considered an ASR technology was developed in 1952 by researchers at Bell Laboratories. They called this technology “Audrey” and it could only recognize spoken numerical digits. A few years later in the 1960’s, IBM engineered a new technology called Shoebox which, unlike Audrey, could recognize arithmetic commands as well as digits.

Later in the 1970’s, a new model of ASR was developed called the Hidden Markov Model. In brief, this ASR speech model used probability functions to transcribe what it determined to be the correct words. Although the original technology was not very efficient nor accurate, about 80% of the ASR technology currently being used today derives from this original model.

So how did these technologies evolve into the ASR software that we know today?

In the 1970’s, various groups began to take speech recognition technology more seriously. The U.S Department of Defense’s ARPA, for example, began the Speech Understanding Research program which funded various research projects and led to the creation of new ASR systems. In the 1980’s, engineers began taking the Hidden Markov Method seriously which led to a huge leap forward in the commercial production of more accurate ASR technologies. Instead of trying to get computers to copy the way humans digest language, researchers began using statistical models to allow computers to interpret speech.

This led to highly expensive ASR technologies being sold during the 90’s which thankfully became more accessible and affordable during the technology boom in the 2000’s.

Nowadays, ASR technologies continue to grow and develop to constantly improve accuracy, speed, and affordability. The need for humans to check the accuracy of these technologies is decreasing, and the availability of ASR technology across all industries is spreading. No longer is ASR considered to be only useful for broadcast TV. The importance of this technology is being explored by universities, school systems, businesses, houses of worship, and much more.

What first began as a technology to recognize numerical digits has now developed into a highly advanced system of recognizing hundreds of languages and accents in real-time. BroadStream continues to innovate and improve upon ASR products to create systems that are accurate, easy to install and run, and affordable across various industries.

Our VoCaption and SubCaptioner solutions, provide real-time live captioning and on-premise, file-based captioning that saves time and money when compared to using human captioners and increases video accessibility and engagement. To learn more about these solutions, please visit our Captioning & Subtitling page!