atw: Digital set-top box user manuals: help needed

Dear austechies,

 

A client has a need for a number of user manuals to accompany digital
set-top boxes destined for the Australian retail market. The content for the
manuals has already been written, but it is in Chinglish and it pays scant
regard to principles of good technical communication. The required MS Word
template exists (though not all styles used are catalogued) and I've got
previous manuals that you can follow (style-wise, content-order etc). It is
important to the client that all their user manuals look the same and have
the same internal structure.

 

The work is essentially pouring the current Chinglish content into the
template, rewriting what needs to be rewritten (most of it, it seems) and
preparing each manual for printing. I would lend you the appropriate set-top
box and you would rewrite the connection instructions (or copy them from
previous manuals if appropriate) and then work through the unit's menu
options making sure that all options were documented (and documented well).
You would also transcribe the feature list and technical specifications
(from material I would provide). You will need some screen-capture software
to capture the set-top box menus. (I use MGI VideoWave 4, which gives both
composite and S-video connections between the set-top box and a USB port on
your PC.) If you haven't got such software, I'm happy to reimburse you for
the cost of buying it. It would probably make the job easier if you have a
TV-analog or digital-but you could get away with just the screen-capture
software if you ain't got a TV. 

 

Some of the units are just regular digital receivers, but one is a
more-complex PVR (with hard disk).

 

The work can be done at home.

 

If you are familiar with set-top boxes (aka digital television receivers)
and could make a start on a manual in the very near future, please contact
me ASAP.

 

Cheers

 

Geoffrey Marnell

Principal Consultant

Abelard Consulting Pty Ltd

T: (+61 3) 9596 3456

F: (+61 3) 9596 3625

W: http://www.abelard.com.au <http://www.abelard.com.au/> 

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