[DX] NEW JVC RADIO WILL SLOW DOWN SPEAKERS' WORDS

[Jarmo Patala <jarmo.patala@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Päivän hupiannos,  73 JP :)
Tässäkö tulevaisuuden radio meille ikääntyville DX-kuuntelijoille:.....

NEW JVC RADIO WILL SLOW DOWN SPEAKERS' WORDS

Victor Co. of Japan will put on the market in early December a radio
that can slow down parts of broadcast speech so that older listeners 
and foreign-language students can more clearly catch each sentence, 
JVC officials said Saturday.

The device has been jointly developed by JVC and NHK Science & 
Technical Research Laboratories, and is expected to sell for around 
35,000 yen [$280], the officials said.

The radio first records the voice, such as that of an announcer, on an
integrated circuit, and then uses voice signal processing technology 
to slow down the speed of pronunciation of the first part of each 
sentence, gradually returning to normal speed in the latter part, they 
said.

The new product will be effective for such programs as news reports,
talk shows and sports broadcasts, the officials said.

Programs heard on the radio will still end within their designated 
slots even if it slows down the speech, because the new device 
eliminates silent parts of a news program, they said, adding that news 
anchors pause once every three seconds on average.

For example, if a speaker says "konnichiwa," which corresponds with 
the English word "hello," the radio will stretch out the pronunciation 
of the initial syllable, "ko," which tends to be pronounced most 
quickly.

The radio then gradually returns the speed of pronunciation of other
syllables to normal, with the last syllable, "wa," being perfectly
normal, the officials said.

The radio will also be able to automatically amplify a weak voice, 
they added.

"The price (of the radio) is more expensive than regular radios, but
inquiries from retailers have been frequent. I hope a lot of people 
will be able to enjoy radio broadcasts more comfortably," a JVC 
official said (The Japan Times: Dec. 1, 2002 via Kim Elliott, DXLD)
Topnews 3.12.2002



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