About Digital Dictation & Transcription

If you're currently using a dictation system, you know first-hand that dictation can be a wonderful tool for increasing your work output. Professionals, such as doctors and lawyers, have long appreciated how dictation and transcription helps to free up more of their time to attend to important concerns.

The persistent problems with tape-based systems have been reliability and expense. Tapes break, motors wear out, service contracts cost a fortune. Today's digital dictation systems eliminate these issues while adding a few unique benefits of their own.

Reliability

Digital voice recorders, desktop recorders and telephone dictation systems all have one thing in common: no moving parts (other than buttons and switches). There are no motors to burn out, no capstans to wear, and no record heads that need constant cleaning.

No Service Contracts

In fact, while some dealers might try to sell you a service contract for a handheld digital recorder, American Dictation doesn't because there's almost nothing to service. Our tech support is done quickly via remote access, negating the need for expensive on-site visits to remedy technical issues.

Advanced Engineering

While digital sound technology adds advantages, the hardware instruments themselves have evolved to become more ergonomic, studier and better capable of supporting the internal systems that make digital voice recording not only possible, but more productive in the workplace.

Ease of Use

Technology does not have to make things more complicated. In fact, new technology should, if it's done right, make you work and live more productively. Of course, any new technology requires a learning curve. However, professional digital voice recording devices today - from handheld recorders to transcription foot pedals - work much like they do in the analog (tape) world. The biggest differences come in what can be done with the digital recording that you cannot do with a taped recording, such as sending it by e-mail to a transcriptionist or colleague, archiving dictations on CDs, and coverting your dictation to text using Speech Recognition.

Quality

Our American Dictation customers who have adapted to digital dictation and transcription have never looked back and wished they still were using tapes. The number one reason is audio clarity.

Better Sound

The electronics in today's digital recording devices not only provide the instant conversion of sounds into digital audio files, they also allow the recording devices to record at higher fidelity rates than older analog (tape) recorders. Some of our recorders sample sounds at CD quality or better. Others, focused entirely on dictation (versus music) are able to enhance the spoken word to give the listener (in most cases, a transcriptionist) a much clearer reproduction of the dictation.

Better Speech Recognition

For our customers who wish to have their computers convert their voice directly into text, today's speech recognition software products are so advanced, they can approach accuracy rates of 98-99%! Imagine if you could type and not make more than 1 mistake in 100 words. And the speed of the conversion greatly outpaces the fastest typist.

Better Service and Support

Since digital voice recorders rely on your computer to download and play back your recordings, American Dictation is able - through the magic of the Internet - to provide quick and able support by remote access. Never pay for an on-site support visit again!

ROI

Many of our "converts" to digital have been amazed at the cost savings they are realizing since making the switch. Assuming that the cost of a digital recorder is similar to the cost of a professional tape dictation recorder, by switching to digital you do away with service contracts, tape replacements, regular cleanings, and storage costs if you choose to archive your dictations.

Gain Time, Gain Money

We can all agree that time is money. Your time is valuable. With tape-based systems, time is wasted in more ways than allowed with digital dictation:

• No Transportation Costs. Many physicians hired outside transcriptionists. Since digital files can be sent over the Internet, you can end the costly trips to pick up tapes. Rush or "stat" dictations can be sent to the transcriptionist by e-mail or FTP, avoiding huge overnight delivery costs.
• No Lost Dictation. If a tape breaks and the recorder "eats" it, you may lose hours of important dictation. While digital is not 100% foolproof, you can configure most systems to make multiple backup copies of your dictation as soon as it's saved to a computer.
• No Lost Time. Ever dictate away from the office and need the transcription ASAP? With digital, you can dictate, download, and e-mail your dictation instantly to your transcriptionist. They can return the typed document to you by e-mail as soon as your dictation is typed. No waiting for FedEx deliveries.
• Fewer Errors. Errors take time to proof, correct and proof again. Most transcription errors are due to bad dictation audio. Worn out cassettes and dirty tape recorders are the biggest culprits. With digital, audio recordings are clear and crisp, and the recording "mechanism" never wears out.

Find Out More About Digital Dictation

At American Dictation, we make it our mission to help folks like you understand how digital dictation can improve your own productivity, record important events, or reduce physical stress and strains. We want you to explore this Web site, as we've put a lot of information throughout that, collectively, represents the most extensive, informative site on the Internet regarding Digital Dictations.

More specifically, we invite you to consider these following resources:

Guide to Digital Dictation & Transcription

Our latest version of this very popular download has been updated with more current information. It's a helpful primer on digital dictation and should help you consider how digital dictation, transcription and speech recognition might work for you.

Guide to Digital Dictation & Transcription

About Digital Dictation Blog

Yes, we blog, doesn't everyone? Seriously, blogs can be wonderful ways of creating on-line discussions on important topics. Ours focuses on digital dictation. We have entries regarding new products, trends, reviews, hints and industry-specific solutions.

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Personal Consultation

Try as we might, we know we cannot possible answer every question you might have about digital dictation, transcription and speech recognition on one Web site. Every day, we get calls from professionals, students, ministers, government officials and others who need guidance and advice on how to implement digital recording technologies into their workflow. Don't hesitate to simply pick up the phone and call us toll-free.

866-408-1383, Monday - Friday, 7a - 5p, Pacific