Narrative:

The voice synthesized for the digital ATIS is so poor that we must listen to the ATIS several times to get all of the information. Sometimes an item cannot be understood regardless of times listened to. Suggest using a higher quality 'voice' with better diction and elocution. The prolonged diversion of attention from the cockpit duties is unsafe. I have attached a listing of comments from our pilots' forum regarding the digital ATIS. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that some of the pilots with whom she has spoken have used the hot line and made FAA aware of the poor quality of the digitized voice ATIS in that fashion. She herself has followed up through a friend in FSS who checked with washington and learned that 'they' contracted with a japanese person to do the digitized voice. 'It figures' was her comment. The only positive comment reporter has heard is from a former military pilot who really likes the pace of the voice, but still cannot understand the information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG CAPT RPT REGARDING THE EXTREMELY POOR QUALITY OF THE DIGITIZED VOICE ATIS AT PHX AND OTHER ARPTS. ATIS COMPUTER GENERATED VOICE POOR QUALITY.

Narrative: THE VOICE SYNTHESIZED FOR THE DIGITAL ATIS IS SO POOR THAT WE MUST LISTEN TO THE ATIS SEVERAL TIMES TO GET ALL OF THE INFO. SOMETIMES AN ITEM CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD REGARDLESS OF TIMES LISTENED TO. SUGGEST USING A HIGHER QUALITY 'VOICE' WITH BETTER DICTION AND ELOCUTION. THE PROLONGED DIVERSION OF ATTN FROM THE COCKPIT DUTIES IS UNSAFE. I HAVE ATTACHED A LISTING OF COMMENTS FROM OUR PLTS' FORUM REGARDING THE DIGITAL ATIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT SOME OF THE PLTS WITH WHOM SHE HAS SPOKEN HAVE USED THE HOT LINE AND MADE FAA AWARE OF THE POOR QUALITY OF THE DIGITIZED VOICE ATIS IN THAT FASHION. SHE HERSELF HAS FOLLOWED UP THROUGH A FRIEND IN FSS WHO CHKED WITH WASHINGTON AND LEARNED THAT 'THEY' CONTRACTED WITH A JAPANESE PERSON TO DO THE DIGITIZED VOICE. 'IT FIGURES' WAS HER COMMENT. THE ONLY POSITIVE COMMENT RPTR HAS HEARD IS FROM A FORMER MIL PLT WHO REALLY LIKES THE PACE OF THE VOICE, BUT STILL CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE INFO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.