Introduction
Welcome to another episode of TJ's Technology Tuesday. Today I would like to show you two ways to summarise videos. On one hand you can work with software, and on the other hand with hardware. Software:
If you have Microsoft 365 and have purchased either a Teams Premium licence or Copilot – there is some overlap there – then you have the option of integrating Copilot into your meetings, and you will receive a complete transcript. You get summaries, and you can chat with the content.
Having control over meeting recordings is not a utopia!
Microsoft 365 is very powerful, and I do not know whether you saw my last episode, which was about the new features coming to Microsoft 365 in July. It was announced there that it will also be possible not only to access individual meetings later, but even to review entire meeting series. So it is wonderfully suited for that. Now there are further approaches to consider. If you say: well, I do not have Copilot, I do not have Microsoft 365, I do not have Teams Premium – then there is a great provider from Germany called TLDV. I use it very intensively myself, for example.
TLDV – an AI meeting assistant that automatically records, transcribes and summarises your video conferences
Let me switch to an example. My highly valued colleague and friend Emmanuel Koch and I, for instance, ran a training session for the GSA Academy lasting four and a half hours. And what does this tool do? It automatically creates a video. That means I can watch the video recording right here in a completely normal way. That is my colleague Koch you can see right now. I have a complete transcript here where I can also see "Studio US" – that is Studio Osnabrück, the name that Emmanuel Koch had entered. You can also see when other colleagues asked questions, so a complete transcript. You can see the agreed action steps – for example, item one: share the first implementation step in the chat after the meeting. You can see video and podcast production tools, video recording and lighting, AI and presentation tools, software recommendations, design and documentation off-topic. That means all the key things are included. What you also get here are the Speaker Insights. That means you can see who talked the most. So we can check here: I had a talk time of 54%, Emmanuel Koch had 42%, roughly speaking. That means you can see the differences.
That is quite interesting. If you perhaps have sales calls as well, you might not want to be talking 80% of the time while the customer talks only 20% – quite the opposite. And the great thing is that I can then share this, and I can say: okay, either everyone with the link can access it, or I can make it available to selected people. I think it is a superb tool. I use it very happily for training sessions that you want to make available to participants afterwards. Another idea – a hardware idea, namely Plott AI. That is the name of the whole thing. There is a hardware device here. Let me switch to the other side. The idea is that you can clip it to the back of your smartphone, or you clip it somewhere, or you simply place it on the table, or you clip on a pin like this one. That means the idea is that you have a meeting recorder with it. And how does it all work?
You have two sliding switches. When it is set to red, it is used to record phone calls. That means, if the device is clipped to the back of my iPhone – of course always provided your conversation partner has given their consent – you tap and hold the button and then it records the phone call you are conducting directly on your phone, for both sides. As I said, please do not do this without the consent of all participants, because there is no notification sound or anything saying "I'm recording" that anyone would notice. You need to either put the call on speakerphone so the other person's voice can be picked up, or hold the phone normally to your ear. It does not work with Bluetooth headphones – there are other solutions for that. If you flip the sliding switch the other way, it simply records notes. That means you can use it wonderfully for construction site meetings, for meetings where you place it on the table and press the button. Then in the application you receive a transcript, which you can see on the iPhone, on an Android device, or in the web interface. There is a standard template, and with the standard template you already get a good summary straight away.
How much does a TLDV licence cost?
There is also a catalogue of templates for different types of meetings, and you can build your own templates for them. If you want to use those templates, you need to take out a subscription. The question is always: what does the whole thing cost? This piece of hardware costs around 170 euros, which is relatively affordable. You can also use it without a subscription, and even with a subscription it is not offensively expensive. So this is truly a good solution. I recently had a group in the sanitary, heating and plumbing sector where someone said: I have to get this device, because doing construction site meetings is a real pain. And the great thing is that at the end of a meeting you have it ready and can check it straight away. I think it is a superb tool. Perhaps one more small thought to consider. I am a great fan of the iPad, and with the iPad I do it like this: when I am on a phone call I often lay it flat on the table and type keywords on the on-screen keyboard. I always tell people: if I look down, it is not because I am checking whether my shoes are polished – I am typing on my iPad.
Or I do the same when I am on a phone call. It has the great advantage that nobody can hear it. You can hear keyboard clicking. And the great thing is that it goes straight into my CRM system. Many people say: yes, but you cannot do that during a conversation. It takes a bit of practice. And when I am in a conversation and quickly type things using the ten-finger method – which is also a good idea – quickly typing it in might even look more professional than writing by hand. Of course you can also write by hand, but often it simply comes down to laziness, and I say: people, just finally learn to type properly with ten fingers. And even with six or eight fingers – I am not a perfect ten-finger typist, my wife can do it better, and so can our daughter. I can type quite well with about eight fingers on the on-screen keyboard; it works very well.
Conclusion
So please do not always reach for AI first – update yourself a little too. But with Teams, TLDV and Plott AI you have three options with which you can create transcriptions wonderfully.
Key Takeaways
- AI meeting notes can be created in three ways: via Microsoft 365 with Copilot or Teams Premium, via the software tool TLDV, or via the hardware device Plott AI.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot and Teams Premium enable automatic transcripts, summaries and chat functions for recorded meetings – even across entire meeting series.
- TLDV is a German AI meeting tool that automatically records, transcribes and summarises video conferences and provides Speaker Insights (talk time per person).
- With TLDV, meeting recordings can be shared easily – either via a link for everyone or selectively for specific people – and are also suitable as follow-up training materials.
- Plott AI is a hardware device (approx. 170 €) that you clip to your smartphone or place on the table to record conversations or meetings and then receive a transcript in the app.
- Plott AI offers two modes: phone call recording (red slider) and note recording for in-person meetings (e.g. construction site meetings); an optional subscription is needed for templates.
- When recording conversations, the consent of all participants is mandatory – Plott AI does not automatically notify anyone that recording is in progress.
- A practical alternative for taking notes during calls is the iPad: place it flat on the table and quietly type keywords on the on-screen keyboard – it looks professional and notes go straight into the CRM system.
- Speaker Insights in TLDV show who had how much talk time – especially useful for analysing sales calls to optimise the ratio between your own speaking time and the customer's.
- Conclusion: do not always reach for AI first – also develop your own skills (e.g. fast typing) – AI tools like Teams Copilot, TLDV and Plott AI complement this approach perfectly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three ways to create AI meeting notes?
There are three ways to create AI meeting notes: first, Microsoft 365 with Copilot or a Teams Premium licence; second, the software tool TLDV; and third, the hardware device Plott AI. Each option has different requirements and use cases.
What can Microsoft 365 Copilot do in meetings?
Microsoft 365 Copilot produces a complete transcript in meetings, automatic summaries and a chat function with the meeting content. Anyone with a Teams Premium licence or Copilot subscription can even retrieve and analyse entire meeting series after the fact.
What is TLDV and how does it work?
TLDV is a German AI meeting tool that automatically records, transcribes and summarises video conferences. It shows agreed action steps, the thematic highlights of the meeting and Speaker Insights – i.e. the talk-time share of each participant.
What are Speaker Insights in TLDV?
Speaker Insights in TLDV show how much talk time each participant had in a meeting. This is particularly useful for sales calls to check whether the customer gets enough of a say and the salesperson is not speaking 80% of the time.
How can TLDV recordings be shared?
TLDV recordings can be shared either via a link accessible to everyone or selectively with specific individuals. This also makes the tool suitable for training sessions that participants should be able to access at a later stage.
What is Plott AI and what does the device cost?
Plott AI is a hardware device for recording meetings and phone calls that you can clip to your smartphone, place on a table, or wear as a pin. The device costs around 170 euros and can be used without a subscription; an optional, affordable subscription is available for extended templates.
What two modes does Plott AI offer?
Plott AI has two modes selected via a sliding switch: in the red mode, the direct phone call on the smartphone is recorded for both sides of the conversation. In the other mode, the device records ambient sound, making it ideal for construction site meetings or other in-person meetings.
Do I need to obtain consent from participants when recording with Plott AI?
Yes, the consent of all conversation participants is mandatory when recording with Plott AI. The device does not automatically notify anyone that recording is in progress, so you must obtain permission in advance.
How can the iPad be used as an alternative for meeting notes?
The iPad can be laid flat on the table so that you can quietly type keywords on the on-screen keyboard during a phone call. The advantage is that no keyboard noise is audible and notes can be transferred directly into the CRM system.
Do I absolutely need an AI licence for all three tools?
No, not necessarily. Plott AI works without a subscription for basic transcription, and TLDV also offers basic functions without a paid subscription. Microsoft 365 Copilot and Teams Premium, however, do require the corresponding paid licence.
Tools & Resources Mentioned
- Microsoft 365 with Copilot or Teams Premium – AI-powered meeting transcription and summarisation directly in Microsoft Teams
- TLDV – German AI tool for automatic recording, transcription and summarisation of video conferences including Speaker Insights
- iPad – as a silent note-taking solution during phone calls via the on-screen keyboard
- Plott AI – hardware device (approx. 170 €) for recording phone calls and in-person meetings with AI transcription via app
