Captioning Software Comparisons (updated regularly)

Note: these are my personal notes. To assure accuracy, please contact representatives from these companies to provide current prices and information since software is continually being updated.
**Indicates a strong pro or con.

Dragon Naturally Speaking 8 – Professional

• Price: $550 ($5550 to provide captions/no steno)
• Primary function: Word Processing
• Accuracy: Reads the context of the words providing more accuracy for documents. Accuracy decreases in real time setting.
• Speed: Delay in response due to built in intelligence
• **Requires save after about 40 minutes of dictation, thus miss some of the message
• If it is to be used for captions, additional software must be purchased ($3000, plus encoder $2000)
• **Number of users: one

Caption Mic by Ultech (Mark 888-360-0010)

• Price: $7,695 (no steno)
• **Required to buy whole system, including their computer & microphone
• Primary function: Captioning
• Accuracy: ViaVoice, Likely higher than Dragon in a real time setting
• Speed: almost immediate
• No additional software or encoder needed
• **Used in church setting successfully
• **Unlimited users allowed

ISIS

• Price: $1945 ($3945 to provide captions/no steno)
• Includes 2 month training class
• **Is being discontinued, but can be purchased through the Voice Writing Institute if we enroll for their classes
• Primary function: Court Reporting
• Accuracy: Higher than Dragon in a real time setting
• Speed: Almost immediate
• It can be used for captioning without additional software
• Some hesitancy with this software do to the Voice Writing Institute representative’s lack of directness when I ask questions.
• I've heard product is being discontinued -- must be purchased as a student of the Voice Writing Institute
  
• Encoder will be needed ($2000-$3000)

Audio Scribe

• Based on Dragon so I believe it’s not a good match for us.
• Highest price of all I have researched (so I’ve been told. I was unable to find a price on their website)

ProCat’s CaptiVision (Deby Owens in sales, 800-769-6841 & Tammy Johnson about VR)

• Price: $7,090 ($9,090 to provide captions/PLUS steno)
• Primary Function: Court Reporting
• Accuracy: ViaVoice, Likely higher than Dragon in a real time setting
• Speed: Almost immediate
• It can be used for captioning without additional software
• **Records on more than one track: Voice Writer & original speaker documented.
• **Speaker identification window & “tokens”
• **Use of stenography and VR in one system
• Limited to 2 users (VR & Steno). For Additional VR $495
• Insurance needed in case of lost “key”
• **Corrections not based on actual dictation (HUGE negative!!)
  

Advantage Software's Total Eclipse Eclipsecat.com(800) 800-1759. (For San Diego 858-967-7599, Linda, or Will Wilcox 818-766-7346)

• Captioning (AccuCap) with Steno & speech (including Speech Gate) $8590
• Captioning For steno: Add on called AccuCap (used by TV stations, adds captions to line 21 of screen) $6995 with Eclipse S/W, Our Stenographer already has Eclipse (about $3000 off)
• Captioning for VR only: AccuCap $6995 (speech only)
• $3000 for AccuCap with our stenographers software ($4000 to buy her out if she moves, etc.-- AccuCap will not function without steno portion of software)
• Recommend character generator instead of encoder ($500-$1000)
• Speech Gate – allows voice entry to court reporting software (bridge between dragon and Accu Cap) (need Speech Gate – written by Audio Scribe).
  
• Total Eclipse with AccuCap can be used with either Via Voice or Dragon
• Yearly support cost (more than $500). First year included with purchase of software.
  
• VR for Eclipse $3795 voice only, no Captioning.
  

Encoders:

EEG (Eric 516-293-7472 X102)

• EN370DT
• $3090
• 2 year limited warranty

Link Electronics (Bob Hanson 573-334-4433)

• VBI Encoder/Decoder Model PDR-885 - $2700
• **With 25% church discount - $2000
• **10 year limited warranty
• This model needed to equal speaker speeds over 250 wpm
• Shipping $30