Roger Ebert gets 'voice' grandkids can recognize

[March 01, 2010]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Film critic Roger Ebert says computer programmers have captured his voice from movie commentary tracks so he can type what he wants to say and listeners hear a voice that sounds like him.

Ebert lost his ability to speak after surgery for cancer. He writes in Sunday's Chicago Sun-Times that a Scottish company has helped him regain a voice his grandchildren can recognize.

Ebert recorded commentaries for DVD movies before he lost his voice. A Scottish company called CereProc (SAYR'-uh-prok) blended digital recordings of Ebert speaking to make his text-to-audio voice.

Ebert writes that the voice will be heard predicting Oscar winners on a segment of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" airing Tuesday.

He says he may be able to use the voice for radio and webcasts.

___

Information from: Chicago Sun-Times, http://www.suntimes.com/index

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.