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Frequently Asked Questions:

Will any PDA work?

NO…Only a PDA that has Captionmate software, WiFi(802.11) wireless connectivity and Pocket PC operating system will be able to receive and display the captions by a PCS™ system.

(See recommended list for details.)

Why must I download the CaptionMate™ software to my PDA?

Even though the PDA you own has the capacity to receive our transmission your PDA must have our CaptionMate™ software to process the PCS data into readable text displayed on the screen.

Where can I buy a PDA that will do the job?

You can buy a PDA at any of the computer, entertainment, or department stores that carry one of the recommend models. Or you can purchase one directly from us --with the CaptionMate™ software already installed.

What will I see on the display unit?

Text such as a play script, speech, sermon, lecture, or announcement formatted to standard captioning with white letters on a dark background. YOU can then adjust the font style and size along with the number of lines shown on the CaptionMate™ display.

How should the display unit be positioned?

There is no single best way, I suggest you experiment. Hold the gooseneck with one hand near the base and the other near the top under the display unit. Bend it, twist it, up, down, left, right, forward, and backward. The flexible nature of the support is intended to meet YOUR needs and preferences. I like to position the display unit directly behind the person sitting in front of me. I can then glance at the captions and see what is happening on stage -similar to the way you glance at the speedometer while driving.

Will this work at the grocery store or pharmacy?

NOT AT THIS TIME!

At the present, only pre-script captions (those made in advance) are available.

In the future, captions will be accurately generated by "speech recognition computer technology" and will then be available for display on your PCS CaptionMate™ …but not at this time.

Where do the captions come from?

That depends upon where you are. If you are in a museum, movie, or tourist attraction at which the same things are said over and over the captions are pre-scripted (entered into the system in advance). The management of the venue uses the same script that is spoken and shared over the public address system. The text is converted into caption screens and sent wirelessly to all of the CaptionMate™ units within the range of the transmitted signal. The caption screens change as the spoken presentation progresses. Captions can also be generated in "real time" by CART (Computer Assisted Real Time Captioning) or a Court Reporter using a key pad.

I have heard that some captioning is being done with computers that 'listen'

to someone who is speaking. Is PCS investigating this technology?

That is correct. It is called "third party captioning" or "revoicing."

A voice captioner will listen and repeat what has been said into a microphone that is connected to a computer which has been preprogrammed and trained to "understand" the captioner's voice and convert it to text. The computer will only understand the specific voice that has trained and practiced using the technology.

YES, we have been using "speech recognition" for our Classroom Captioning

System™ .

The classroom teacher wears a wireless microphone which sends their voice to our base station. Speech recognition technology is based upon the splitting of the spoken word into its phonemes and then comparing those subparts to a previously established speaker's dictionary/speech file. Establishing the speaker's dictionary/speech file requires that every speaker whose voice is to be captioned MUST train and maintain their individual voice file. The initial training takes 15 to 30 minutes. From that point on, the system needs to be corrected whenever an error occurs. If errors are not corrected, the system memorizes incorrect associations between the spoken word and the captions displayed.

Practice and making all corrections is the only way for the technology to become faster and more accurate.

At the present time, speech recognition computer technology provides less than 100% accuracy. Some users consider the initial training too time consuming and cumbersome, while others say the correction process is not "user friendly." In addition, the nature of the English language causes difficulties when words that sound the same but have different meanings (homophones [to, two, too]) are spoken in context.

CaptionMate™ works at my Church but nowhere else?

That is because your Church is the only venue in your community that is transmitting a PCS caption signal. We would be happy to work with other venues (movie theaters, sports stadiums, civic centers, etc.) in your community to encourage them to install a PCS captioning system and provide you with the captions you desire.

What is a "Clip On Captioning Display Unit™"?

A PCS "Clip-On Captioning Display Unit" provides line of sight captioning… the text seems to "float" in front of your eyes. This allows the user to see facial expressions, lip movement, and read the captions at the same time. A pair of prescription glasses can have a “Clip-On Captioning Display” temporarily attached to the frame or a "Clip-on Captioning Display" can be held in place using a headband or a generic eyeglass frame. The captioning is always between the eye and the object being viewed. Turn or tilt the head, the captioning remains within the line of sight.

What is the history behind your efforts?

For a long time, Murray Fisher, cofounder of Personal Captioning Systems, has wanted to make first run movies accessible for individuals who are unable to enjoy them because they are deaf or hard of hearing. While growing up, typical teenage social activities either excluded some of his friends or force him to suffer through one of those rarely shown “artsy” foreign films with subtitles.

In 1997 Dr. Fisher published his first article about using the fore-runner of the current “Clip-on-Captioning display unit" in Innovative application

creates a “personal captioning system” in Closing the Gap newsletter. Numerous

articles and television features have followed.