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TA for the deaf?

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Elnora Cornstalk (U5646495) on Thursday, 15th May 2008

  A close friend seems to be steadily losing her hearing. As she's a very long-term listener, I've been wondering whether TA appears in written verbal form anywhere. If not, could scripts feasibly be posted on this site, perhaps in a section linked beneath the synopses? I imagine that they probably change somewhat during recording, but they'd give a far more vivid idea of the epi than any bland summary; and could interest TA devotees in general. (I could picture hours of happy time-wasting /posting over some ambiguity in a minor line.. even without any mention of briefcases.)

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Serafina the Virgo Witch (U3287790) on Friday, 16th May 2008

  I think that's an excellent idea.
  
  We don't have a digital radio, so I'm rather vague about this, but don't digital broadcasts have some text services? So if you listen to the digital broadcast using your TV set, can't you see the text in that way? Sorry if I'm wrong about this.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by Spartacus (U38364) on Friday, 16th May 2008

  Sadly not. You just get the "tagline" that the CA reads out before the episode.

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by Serafina the Virgo Witch (U3287790) on Friday, 16th May 2008

  Oh, all right. Thanks, Peet. Perhaps I heard of that service as something being planned for the future.

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by Elnora Cornstalk (U5646495) on Friday, 16th May 2008

  Thanks for responding, you two. I thought this post was sinking out of reach.
  
  The line on the radio would be a really useful facility, Seraphina, though I suppose it needn't happen on the radio itself, but could be fed through to a larger screen (TV or computer), for more comfort. I've noticed a lot of detail about access for the unsighted, but less for the deaf. I've worked with some deaf people over the years, and have been told that even my writing out of transcripts if showing a group a video has been very helpful. With so many advances (pod-casts etc.), I'd think there might be lots of space on the web for deaf users.

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Vicarshusband (U6051871) on Friday, 16th May 2008

  Fri, 16 May 2008 19:06 GMT, in reply to Elnora Cornstalk in message 5
  
  Hm. I wonder if it would be possible to run the podcast though a speech recognition system (some are pretty good these days) and produce readable text? Of course the system would have to cope with multiple voices - I think when you use it produce documents, etc it's normally trained on one voice.
  
  VH

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Keri Davies (U2219620) on Monday, 19th May 2008

  I'm extremely sympathetic to your friend's problem; it must be awful.
  
  Having said that, I'm afraid I don't have any real solutions. Archers scripts do exist in an electronic form, but once they are printed out they are subject to (sometimes considerable) changes in the pre-recording and recording processes, so that the actual written representation of the finished programme is the hand amended "studio script".
  
  Leaving aside any policy issues, it would be difficult and/or time consuming to make this available on the internet.
  
  And from my limited knowledge of speech recognition software, I think it's very unlikely - in its present form - that the technology would provide a satisfactory voice-to-text service from the radio programme.
  
  Again, I'm sorry to be so useless on this subject.

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by Spartacus (U38364) on Monday, 19th May 2008

  Mister K., just for the terminally curious, would it be possible to do a "Backstage" story showing scans of an original printed script and the hand-altered final copy, with annotation of how the alterations came about...? I think it could be quite interesting and educational.

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• Message 9

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by Elnora Cornstalk (U5646495) on Monday, 19th May 2008

  Thanks for the full response, Keri; I see the difficulties, and there is no need for you to apologise. Technology will no doubt catch up in time (I hope sooner rather than later, especially as computer innovators get older and change their priorities!); and meanwhile friends, synopses, and snippets on site, will have to fill the gaps.
  
  Perhaps even the occasional snatch of dialogue in a synopsis - of a sharp one-liner or climactic moment - might liven up a summarised epi a bit? It's sometimes very hard to tell, if you haven't listened, what was actually dramatised. (e.g. last Thursday, starts: 'Alan's visiting Jack and Peggy when he bumps into Jennifer' - Not that it really matters, in the larger universe, but I prefer the Lowfield format, which makes it easier to reconstruct mentally, what one might have heard.)
  
  On Peet's suggestion above: I'd be really interested in seeing this too, and I'm sure some others would. Even a short extract could be full of material for a nice 'back-stage' story. All takes time, of course ...... ,

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• Message 10

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  Posted by Vicarshusband (U6051871) on Monday, 19th May 2008

  Mon, 19 May 2008 19:11 GMT, in reply to Elnora Cornstalk in message 9
  
  Maybe we could all, between us, produce something closer to the broadcast text and post it up (the Omnibus board seems a suitable place, somehow?)
  
  VH

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• Message 11

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by Elnora Cornstalk (U5646495) on Monday, 19th May 2008

  
  
  That's a generous and fascinating idea, Vicarsh; though it would take a huge amount of commitment. (I remember when the original creator of the Lowfield summaries described his efforts - immense work and dedication, especially in the years before Listen Again.) Perhaps something that didn't promise too much might be more realistic to sustain: even, on the Omnibus Board, a weekly thread which enriched the synopsis where people might post some of their top moments, or favourite lines. One could, with effort, extrapolate quite a bit from the boards as they are, but it's an art!
  
  I like those threads we have from time to time where people chip in with their take on events in Ambridge, to fill in for posters who have been away. But to rely on those if one could never hear the real thing wouldn't work. My own friend can still hear functionally, but there must be many others.

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• Message 12

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Amy Bridge (U2239711) on Monday, 19th May 2008

  Mon, 19 May 2008 22:09 GMT, in reply to Elnora Cornstalk in message 1
  
  How awful for your friend.
  
  Would Slightly Foxed's (sadly all too occasional, these days) parodies in Fantasy Archers be of any comfort to her?
  
  As I'm a regular listener I don't know if they'd be as funny without having heard the original programmes, but they might provide some snorks since obviously she is familiar with the characters and eveything. Dunno.
  
  Amy x

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• Message 13

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by Keri Davies (U2219620) on Tuesday, 20th May 2008

  >Mister K., just for the terminally curious, would it be possible to do a "Backstage" story showing scans of an original printed script and the hand-altered final copy, with annotation of how the alterations came about...? I think it could be quite interesting and educational.
  
  It would - it's a nice idea and I've added it to my "Ideas for Backstage stories" file!
  
  

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• Message 14

  , in reply to message 13.

  Posted by Elnora Cornstalk (U5646495) on Tuesday, 20th May 2008

  In reply to message 13
  
  Keri - Oh great! I'll look forward to this, and am bumping the thread for Peet.
  
  Amy - Slightly Foxed is a lovely resource, and I think any listener with the 'voices' in the head, could benefit!

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• Message 15

  , in reply to message 14.

  Posted by Spartacus (U38364) on Tuesday, 20th May 2008

  bumping the thread for Peet. 
  
  Thanks, Elnora, but I saw as soon as he posted - I hang about in h2g2 and any Archers threads that get posted to are reflected there.

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