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

Hi Geoffrey,
 
I would be interested in this and I am familiar with set-top boxes for
personal use. How long do you envisage the work would take?
 
 
Kind regards,
 
Sharon Franolich

________________________________

From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Geoffrey
Marnell
Sent: Monday, 23 April 2007 6:37 PM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: 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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