A Developer's Guide to Creating Talking Menus for Set-top Boxes and DVDs

Introduction
Defining the Problem, Exploring Solutions
    Access to a Set-top Box — An Ideal Scenario
    Access to a DVD — A Current Implementation
The Art of Design
Prompts and Responses: System Concerns for Talking Menus
Speaking of Graphics
Best Practices for Talking Menus
    System Operation
    On or Off
    Voice Choice
    Prompts and Feedback
    Timing and Global Variables
    Translating the Visual to the Verbal
    Visual to Spoken, Step by Step
For the Set-top Box Developer
    STB Memory Constraints
    Synthesized or Recorded Speech Constraints
    Possible Approaches
For the DVD Developer
    Workflow
    Interface
    Bit Budget
    Menus and the Development Environment
    Asset Management and Quality Assurance
    Keep in Mind
About NCAM
Acknowledgements

Combined version to print

ZIP archive to download

Written by Chris Schmidt and Tom Wlodkowski
The Access to Convergent Media Project, July 2003

Funding provided by the U.S. Department of Education, award number #H133G990105-01 through the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Principal Investigator: Larry Goldberg.

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