A Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) is a piece of media that uses a disc on which data can be saved; it is then read by a player through the use of a laser. DVD transcription is a service by which data that is recorded on a DVD is transcribed into a text document. If someone records an interview on video, and then burns that video onto a disc, then a transcriber can play it back and type out what is said in the video. This type of DVD transcription is quite popular for companies that may have training materials on tape or for students and professionals who have recorded interviews.
There are a number of different ways in which a transcriber can perform DVD transcription, though it often involves playback of recorded material while he or she is typing. Professional transcribers frequently use a system with a foot pedal, which allows them to play, pause, and rewind or fast forward video without removing their hands from a keyboard. This makes DVD transcription faster and easier, and allows someone to maintain efficient and accurate typing. A transcriber often wears headphones to make the audio information from a recording clearer and easier to hear at a reasonable volume.
Depending on the type of DVD transcription service a person uses, information provided by a transcriber can vary. Most services offer at least limited transcription, which ensures that any words and language spoken are transcribed to a text document. There are some services, however, that can offer more precise DVD transcription methods, through which every sound made in the recording is written out in the transcription. This means that even if someone clears his or her throat in a recording or stumbles over words while speaking, those details are recorded meticulously by the transcriber.
Different types of businesses may request a DVD transcription, often for the purpose of having a record of what was said in a recording. If a company has a training video on DVD, for example, then it may want a transcription of that video so that people making a new training program can easily learn from what was done before. A student who is studying linguistics might also request a DVD transcription if he or she recorded an interview and wants to be able to easily refer back to what is said in it. Since a transcription is recorded on paper, it is often easier for someone to mark certain passages and then quickly find them again for research purposes, rather than watching through video to find a particular moment.