Philips offers a variety of professional voice processing solutions designed to fit just about every need to capture crystal clear audio. Recently, I’ve received a number of inquiries from users asking if they should purchase a Philips Digital Pocket Memo or the Philips Dictation Recorder App. Although both solutions are great, I recommend that professional authors choose the Digital Pocket Memo as their primary dictation device and use the Dictation Recorder App as their secondary or back up device. Of course, the next logical question everyone wants to know is WHY? Below is a list of advantages the Philips Digital Pocket Memo has over the Dictation Recorder App for Smartphones.
1. Real-time file encryption. With the Philips Digital Pocket Memo, recordings can be encrypted in real time using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES or Rijndael Algorithm) with a key length of 128 or 256 bits. AES provides a very high degree of security and has been approved in the USA for the most highly classified government information. The device itself can be assigned a PIN code to protect against unauthorized use or file playback. Moreover, the Pocket Memo can be configured with write-protection so that it cannot be used as a mass storage device, in order to prevent theft of sensitive company data. Encryption is only an option for transmitting data in the Dictation Recorder App.
2. Superior Audio quality – Digital Pocket Memos have a High-quality microphone and DSS Pro file format optimized for speech-recognition. The unique high-quality built-in microphone delivers increased recording sensitivity and enhanced sound quality. This topic has been the cause of many debates as the DPM offers a 16 kHz sampling rate, while the Philips Dictation Recorder App offers a 22 kHz sampling rate option. Technically speaking, the App offers better recording quality than the DPM, however; what most people fail to realize is that the App transfers the audio file in .DSS mode, which delivers at 11 kHz. So, just because it records at a higher quality, doesn’t mean the delivered format and quality is as good.
3. Voice Commands is one of several unique features found in the Philips LFH-9600 Digital Pocket Memo and offers superior efficiency by allowing users to assign job data such as keywords simply by saying them. This increases efficiency and minimizes the probability of errors.
4. Noise Reduction – Philips Digital Pocket Memos are equipped with Noise Reduction Technology which eliminates ambient noise to produce crystal clear playback of recordings.
5. Removable Media – Philips DPMs accept up to a 32GB SD or SDHC cards. This insures you won’t ever run out of space. The App limits you to the available memory of your Smartphone, which for many of us is filled with our favorite jams and pictures.
6. Slide Switch Operation – The Philips LFH-9500 & LFH-9600 Digital Pocket Memos have an ergonomic slide switch for efficient one-thumb operation. With the professional slide switch, you don’t have to change your working habits and can enhance your dictation workflow. It offers a fast response and is designed for single-handed operation and makes the transition from Analog to Digital that much easier.
7. USB Docking Station – Docking stations are used for fast battery charging and easy file transfer. DPMs can be fast charged through the USB connection to your PC. This gives you the assurance that your recorder will always be ready to work when you are. Furthermore, your files will be transferred to your PC automatically when placed in the cradle.
8. SEP Software – The Philips SpeechExec Professional Dictate software is included for efficient data management. The SEP software organizes the workflow of dictation files and resulting documents between author and transcriptionist, and allows you to monitor the status of your work.
9. Battery Life time – Record up to 21 hours with the included rechargeable batteries and in the event you do run out of juice, you can use any AA batteries. I think we’ve all had our phones turn off due to battery. Using your Smartphone as a Recorder in addition to your calendar, email, alarm, calls, internet, Facebook and Twitter all affect the battery life, whereas, the Philips Digital Pocket Memo was made for one purpose only, Professional Dictation.
10. Increased ROI – The Philips Dictation Recorder App may seem like the more cost effective option, however; with a $99 dollar yearly subscription fee to the Dictation Hub, that can add up for long time users. As opposed to the LFH-9600 DPM, introduced in 2007 is still the top selling Philips DPM on the market and doesn’t require any recurring fees.
11. Smart Buttons – Two “smart buttons” let you scroll through the menu options and quickly make selections. Navigating through the menu to assign work types and other commands is fast and intuitive.
12. Eco-Friendly – Go Green as The DPM is compliant to 2002/95/EC (RoHS) as well as a lead-free soldered product.
13. Durable – The ergonomically shaped light-weight full metal body and large shock-resistant LCD displays are ideal for working over longer periods of time. Although built like a tank, If the device does take a turn for the worst, its 2 year warranty will get you back up & running with no additional costs. Although great devices, our Smartphones can only dream of having a warranty.
14. Status LED – Multicolor LED’s show the recorders status without having to go into the menu or refreshing your screen. LEDs eliminate the worry of whether you’re still recording which is especially useful during longer recordings. As the Philips Dictation Recorder App is being operated on a Smartphone, users constantly have to manually open the app to display the recording settings. This is by design as all Smartphones have a default sleep mode to preserve battery life.
15. Barcode Scanner compatible – The optional Barcode Scanner is just one of several accessories available for the Digital Pocket Memo’s. Authors can scan several types of barcodes, which will automatically be attached to the audio recording. This is especially useful in the Medical and Legal verticals.
16. 100% Bug-Proof – In today’s connected world almost all electronic devices can be attacked from outside, be it from mobile networks or Wi-Fi. With the a Philips Digital Pocket Memo, you can be sure that your data is encrypted and safely stored on a memory card for maximum security as it doesn’t communicate with the world wide web, it’s virtually impossible to catch a virus.
Like I said before, both options are great and allow total mobility. Both are fairly easy to use and have a lot of features. Like all devices with an impressive list of features; configuration and customization is needed to make the device work the way YOU work. Contact us for a FREE Consultation to see what can be done to customize these devices to fit your specific needs.