# Fun with automatic translation

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-automatic-translation/532701>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 16, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-automatic-translation/532701 "2010-03-16T21:54:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-automatic-translation/532701/1 "2010-03-16T21:54:37Z")

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YouTube just added a new feature to automatically transcribe the speech in uploaded videos. The results are usually…[interesting](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceJzBfuvIT0#t=1m11s). Especially when you’re dealing with non-American accents.

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**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-automatic-translation/532701/2 "2010-03-16T23:41:09Z")

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I’ve yet to see any that come close. Doesn’t anyone know of a video where it works for the most part? It reminds me of “Dragon Naturally Speaking.” I spent over six hours training that thing and more, and still can’t get it to come close 😃

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**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-automatic-translation/532701/3 "2010-03-16T23:49:04Z")

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“…the album the floor infection let’s try it on the table tops…”

Great stuff.😃

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**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-automatic-translation/532701/4 "2010-03-17T02:16:48Z")

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> [@DCnDC](#):
>
> “…the album the floor infection let’s try it on the table tops…”
> 
> Great stuff.😃

Instant Poetry Slam!

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**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-automatic-translation/532701/5 "2010-03-17T04:05:36Z")

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> [@Markxxx](#):
>
> I’ve yet to see any that come close. Doesn’t anyone know of a video where it works for the most part? It reminds me of “Dragon Naturally Speaking.” I spent over six hours training that thing and more, and still can’t get it to come close 😃

Really? I use it and have excellent results. I’ve used it to transcribe hours of radio interviews, and have learned how to “echo” speech hear via earphones like a [stenomask operator](http://www.nvra.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=9).
