Dictation mutes all other system audio

Originator:reedmangino
Number:rdar://14807894 Date Originated:8/22/2013
Status:Open Resolved:
Product:OS X Product Version:10.9
Classification:Usability Reproducible:Always
 
Summary:

Previous versions of OS X allowed the system audio to continue playing during voice recognition (Dictation). OS X 10.9 *always* mutes the system audio during dictation which breaks at least one important use-case.

For example, Dictation is useful to automatically record a textual transcript of a YouTube video as it plays.

In my scenario, I develop my own special type of voice recognition software and *need* to be able to perform Dictation while the system audio remains un-muted.

I understand that, by default, muting the system audio results in much better dictation accuracy but muting should be an option (in System Preferences -> Dictation & Speech, a user defaults database, etc.).

Steps to Reproduce:

1) Start playing a YouTube video in Safari
2) Activate Dictation

Expected Results:

I should have the option to mute or not mute the system audio during Dictation.

Actual Results:

All system audio is muted for the duration of a Dictation session.

Regression:

Notes:

Comments

Added new comments to original radar

I wanted to provide a more concrete reason why this should, at a minimum, be a toggle-able user preference:

My mother has Meniere's disease and thus has periods where she has practically no ability to hear. During these periods she often uses OS X's Dictation feature to generate "automatic captions" while watching videos on the internet.

I agree that system-wide audio muting should be the default but the user must have the option to disable it if/when required.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/menieres-disease/DS00535

By reedmangino at Aug. 25, 2013, 1:17 p.m. (reply...)

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