topic Re: Spoken broadcast message changed to spoken message?? in Speakers and Displays

Spoken broadcast message changed to spoken message??

realjax — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 18:45:46 GMT

So when I broadcast a spoken message to other devices in the house, the nest devices start to analyse the message and then change it to a spoken message using the google voice. I know this sounds absurd and that is exactly what it is. Why on earth would you want to change a spoken message into a.... spoken message??? Which 9 out of 10 times is wrong as well!! How do I turn this 'feature' off and prevent the home devices from trying to analyse spoken broadcast messages??

Broadcast messages are no longer longer voice messages

hvanmegen — Sat, 07 Oct 2023 19:56:39 GMT

(this is not Android specific, but I had to select something thanks to the "great" user interface of this "forum")

Something's seriously wrong with Google Nest speakers. They used to send our voice messages around the house - simple, personal, and effective.. and it constitutes approximately 80% of our use for the things (19% being setting cooking timers), but lately, this functionality has been falling apart, and it's really starting become a problem.

They've started using Google's default text-to-speech voice to relay our words, stripping away the personal touch. It's hard to tell who's saying what when it's all the same voice. Worse still, Google's speech-to-text isn't always on point. Sometimes, it's a real puzzle figuring out what the message was supposed to be. The inconsistency is driving me up the wall.

I'm genuinely baffled as to why Google would implement this change. Voice-to-text-to-speech processing is a CPU-intensive task, making this decision economically and logically perplexing. We bought these speakers for their original functionality, which was simple, personal, and effective.

What is more maddening is the lack of an option to disable this feature. We're forced into a game of broken telephone, where messages are often lost in translation. This is not the user-friendly experience we signed up for, nor is it the one we deserve.

The absence of a clear rationale, coupled with the lack of a workaround, has left me frustrated. This downgrade is not just a step back, it's a leap in the wrong direction. I'm searching for a way to switch off this impersonal translation mode and return to the straightforward voice messages.

If you've found such a solution, do share. Because, in all honesty, I can't stress enough how this new setup is a horrible HORRIBLE downgrade...

Re: Broadcast messages are no longer longer voice messages

MplsCustomer — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 18:49:09 GMT

@hvanmegen

Curious. Ours broadcasts our own voice messages.

However, if I try to broadcast any of the messages listed under "Broadcast a preset message" in the help topic below, Google Assistant seems to broadcast its own message in its own voice, with music. For example, I tried "Hey Google, broadcast it's time for bed". What Google Assistant did was to broadcast "It's time to get some shuteye" in a Google Assistant voice, along with graphics and a little music on the Nest Hub.

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7531913

Re: Spoken broadcast message changed to spoken message??

MplsCustomer — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 21:24:51 GMT

@realjax

This happens to us only if we try to broadcast any of the messages listed under "Broadcast a preset message" in the help topic below. For these messages, Google Assistant seems to broadcast its own message in its own voice, with music. For example, I tried "Hey Google, broadcast it's time for bed". What Google Assistant did was to broadcast "It's time to get some shuteye" in a Google Assistant voice, along with graphics and a little music on the Nest Hub.

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7531913

Speakers and Displays not using my voice to broadcast messages

Jimmiepens — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 01:18:36 GMT

I have multiple speakers and displays(minis, home, hub, hub max, audio, Lenovo clock and display). We have used the broadcast feature multiple times every day for years. It always uses our own voice, not the assistant's voice. Lately(a month or so), when broadcasting, the message is broadcasted in the assistant voice sometimes. No changes to anything on our end. Any ideas? I have checked all the forum posts and have found nothing that works. All speakers and displays are on the same wifi and are of the latest firmware.

Re: Speakers and Displays not using my voice to broadcast messages

MplsCustomer — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 01:28:44 GMT

@Jimmiepens

There are two other posts like this in the last couple of days:

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/Spoken-broadcast-message-changed-to-spoken-message/m-p/489233

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/Broadcasting-has-changed-not-our-own-voices-anymore/m-p/489458

If I test it, what you're reporting happens to us only if we try to broadcast anything that approximates the messages listed under "Broadcast a preset message" in the help topic below. For these messages, Google Assistant seems to broadcast its own message in its own voice, with music. For example, I tried "Hey Google, broadcast it's time for bed". What Google Assistant did was to broadcast "It's time to get some shuteye" in a Google Assistant voice, along with graphics and a little music on the Nest Hub.

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7531913

I don't know if these preset message are new or not, or whether it might explain what you're encountering.

Re: Speakers and Displays not using my voice to broadcast messages

Jimmiepens — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 01:42:48 GMT

This isnt what is happening to me. Those preset messages have been around from the beginning I think. There is the "time to get up", "time for dinner", and "time for bed" messages that play a little tune, or a rooster, or a dinnerbell. The issue I am having is the assistant voice sometimes is used for broadcasting, sometimes our voice. And it is any and all types of messages.

Re: Speakers and Displays not using my voice to broadcast messages

MplsCustomer — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 01:53:58 GMT

@Jimmiepens

Well, then since yours is the third post on this, maybe Google Nest has changed something without telling anyone.

Re: Broadcast messages are no longer longer voice messages

NotAvailable — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 02:31:21 GMT

We just get the pulsing light / listening issue fixed and now this next bug. 2-3 days ago we also lost the ability to broadcast in ourbown families voice for no apparent reason. Happens on the Google Audios, Google Minis, and old-fashioned Google Home. Voice-to-speech is impersonal and not accurate. Come on Google, do better and return to "family" audio. Cast Firmware 2.57.375114

Re: Broadcast messages are no longer longer voice messages

hvanmegen — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 08:18:47 GMT

Yeah, it's hit or mis over here.. 75% of all messages are translated using speech-to-text and then sent as Google's voice via their text-to-speech solution.. it's annoying as hell, even though it now specifies who said what. I wish they didn't do this. Sometimes I really question why I trust Google to have their things working reliably.. they can't even handle something as simple as this.

And you know what the annoying part is? Sending samples takes less CPU power than their nonsense.. I really don't get why they're interpreting it, apart from the fact that they want to scrape the data and use it somehow.

Re: Broadcast messages are no longer longer voice messages

DillanWeems — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 16:39:34 GMT

I've been having the same issue for the past week or so. If anyone in the house says "hey Google, broadcast..." the device will stop and think for quite awhile, then broadcast the message as text-to-speech. This has always happened here and there, but now it happens for almost every broadcast. The wait between when Google hears the request and actually broadcasts is even more frustrating. This pause has been upwards of 20 seconds a few times.

This happens on multiple devices and doesn't seem to be affected by distance from the device or background noise.

Google Nest Speakers and Display

Byroneas — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 02:45:03 GMT

No matter what Google speaker I use or my Nest hub display, when I broadcast it will use my voice recording but not my wife's.

Broadcast relaying message in google assistant voice

Stenny12 — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 10:31:51 GMT

My Google home and all speakers connected have stopped broadcasting our voices, instead the messages are broadcast in google assistant voice, can someone tell me how to change it?

Re: Speakers and Displays not using my voice to broadcast messages

Kyoung — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 12:39:11 GMT

Mine is doing this too! It happened all is the sudden I’ve the past week. Everything is broadcasting in the Google assistants voice now. It’s driving me crazy because I can’t tell which of my kids is trying to talk to me!! Why is this happening?!

Re: Broadcast relaying message in google assistant voice

bch — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 15:17:14 GMT

Same here!

Re: Spoken broadcast message changed to spoken message??

Juni — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:47:51 GMT

Hi folks,

Thanks for the help here, MplsCustomer.

realjax, thanks for reaching out. I hope you got the answer you were looking for. Currently, we don’t have the option to turn this feature off. I'd suggest you submit feedback about it. See the article below on how to do it.

Share feedback about Google Nest

Regards,

Juni

Re: Spoken broadcast message changed to spoken message??

MplsCustomer — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:55:49 GMT

@Juni

Google Nest's broadcasts are now using Google Assistant's voice for us as well.

This just changed for us as well!

So you are telling us that Google Nest:

1) Decided that it would no longer broadcast the customer's spoken voice,

2) Did NOT tell customers that it was making this change,

3) Decided to call this a "feature" (ha ha), and

4) Decided NOT to provide an option to go back to what we had previously?

Re: Broadcast relaying message in google assistant voice

MplsCustomer — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:58:02 GMT

Google Nest's broadcasts are now using Google Assistant's voice for us as well.

This just changed for us as well!

It seems that Google Nest:

1) Decided that it would no longer broadcast the customer's spoken voice,

2) Did NOT tell customers that it was making this change,

3) Decided to call this a "feature" (ha ha), and

4) Decided NOT to provide an option to go back to what we had previously.

Re: Speakers and Displays not using my voice to broadcast messages

Juni — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 17:00:11 GMT

Hi folks,

Thanks for the help here, MplsCustomer.

Jimmiepens, thanks for reaching out. I know how it feels when something isn’t working as it should. Did you set up a voice match? If you did, try to remove it and do it again, then observe if it makes a difference. Check out the helpful link below to learn more about it.

Voice Match and media on shared Google Nest or Home devices

Regards,

Juni

Re: Speakers and Displays not using my voice to broadcast messages

MplsCustomer — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 17:01:44 GMT

This just started happening to us as well.

On another post (https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Speakers-and-Displays/Spoken-broadcast-message-changed-to-spoken-message/m-p/490948), Google Nest says "Currently, we don’t have the option to turn this feature off."

So it seems us that Google Nest:

1) Decided that it would no longer broadcast the customer's spoken voice,

2) Did NOT tell customers that it was making this change,

3) Decided to call this a "feature" (ha ha), and

4) Decided NOT to provide an option to go back to what we had previously.