> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.decktalk.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # FAQ > Answers about cost, lock-in, the voice, other tools, output files, and the lesson example. This page answers common questions about DeckTalk. For a message that DeckTalk prints, see [Troubleshooting](/help/troubleshooting). ## What does it cost? A build without voice costs nothing. A voiced build spends ElevenLabs credits for each section whose text changed. * Every ElevenLabs plan can call the API, including the free plan. The free plan has limits for a video you publish. * `decktalk soundscape` also spends credits, because it generates music, an ambience bed, and sound effects. * A build without voice stops when the project has voiced takes, because it would empty the narration cache. [Rebuild one section](/guides/rebuild-one-section#a-build-without-voice-and-a-voiced-build) explains the cache. [What spends credits](/requirements#what-spends-credits) lists the plan limits and every command that spends credits. ## Is there lock-in to ElevenLabs? No. ElevenLabs is the built-in speech provider, because it returns word times. * The speech provider is one module behind a two-method protocol. Any service that returns audio and word times can replace it. * A local speech provider with word timings is one such replacement. * A build without voice needs no speech provider, so the project files do not depend on any service. [Python API](/reference/python-api) documents the protocol. ## How does the voice sound? It sounds like the ElevenLabs voice you pick. Any voice id works, including a clone of your own voice. * `[voice]` in `decktalk.toml` sets stability, similarity, style, and speed. * DeckTalk sends the text before and after each section with the request. The rhythm and tone of the voice then stay even across cuts. ## Why not record the screen? A screen recording needs a new take after every edit. You would also time every reveal again by hand. DeckTalk times each reveal from the spoken words, so a reveal moves with its word. [Rebuild one section](/guides/rebuild-one-section) shows what a change runs again. ## How is this different from the other tools? DeckTalk takes its timing from the spoken words, and the slides are your own HTML. | Tool | Timing comes from | Slides are | After you edit one sentence | | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **DeckTalk** | the spoken words, one time per word | your HTML | DeckTalk voices one section again. `build --only N` records only that section. | | Remotion, Motion Canvas | frame numbers or seconds in code, by default | code | You time the change again by hand and render again. | | Manim | seconds in code, or bookmarks in the narration with manim-voiceover | code | With manim-voiceover, bookmarks follow the new text. You still render the scene again in Python. | | reveal.js plus a text-to-speech track | a fixed delay per slide, or a timing track you make by hand | your HTML | You time every slide again after the change. | | Descript | a recording you made | your screen | Overdub voices the new words. The screen recording does not move with them. | | Synthesia, HeyGen | the avatar's speech | their avatar and scenes | You generate the video again. | Choose DeckTalk when the timing must come from the words and the slides are yours. Other tools fit other jobs: * For frame-by-frame animation, use Remotion, Motion Canvas, or Manim. * To edit a recording you already made, use Descript. * For an avatar on screen, use Synthesia or HeyGen. ## Is generated music required? No. Each part of the soundscape is off until `[mix]` in `decktalk.toml` names its file. * You can bring your own audio files. * `decktalk soundscape` generates the parts from a prompt, and it spends credits. * If a named file is missing, the build prints a warning and continues without that part. [Sound](/concepts/sound) explains both ways. ## What comes out besides the video? Every build writes captions and chapters beside the video. * The `.srt` and `.vtt` captions come from the word times, with the script's punctuation. * An ffmetadata chapters file has one chapter per section. Consecutive sections with the same title share one chapter. * The mp4 holds the same chapters, so video players show the section titles. `decktalk status` lists all three files. [Build artifacts](/reference/artifacts) gives their formats. ## Does another HTML framework work? Yes. A page can be any HTML that follows the [page contract](/concepts/page-contract). * [Write a page by hand](/guides/page-by-hand) shows the minimum page. * The runtime is one file with no dependencies. It adds only the stage element to your markup. * KaTeX is optional. `decktalk init` copies the packaged KaTeX into `deck/katex/`, and a page that needs no equations can drop its two tags. ## Does it run on Windows? Yes. DeckTalk runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. * Paths in `decktalk.toml` use forward slashes on every platform. * `decktalk install` puts Chromium in `%LOCALAPPDATA%\ms-playwright`. If a corporate proxy blocks the download, set `PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_HOST` as Playwright documents. * CI runs the full build on Windows for a `v*` tag that a person pushes, and on request. [What CI runs](https://github.com/jacobcbeaudin/decktalk/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#what-ci-runs) lists every platform and trigger. ## What does the lesson example mean by error? The "error" in `decktalk init --example lesson` is what machine learning calls the loss. The lesson uses "error" because the everyday word already says that lower is better. * **One guess.** A loss function scores one guess. For a category guess, such as seal or otter, the usual loss is cross-entropy. It is large when the model gives the right answer a low probability. * **The height of the bowl.** Training lowers the average loss over many examples. Gradient descent moves the knobs down the slope of that average. * **Not the error rate.** The error rate is the share of wrong guesses. It changes in jumps, so it has no useful slope to follow. [The examples](/quickstart#the-examples) says what each packaged project is. ## Where does the name come from? A deck is the slides, and the talk is the narration. DeckTalk times the deck to the talk. ## Related * **Fix a message that DeckTalk prints:** [Troubleshooting](/help/troubleshooting) * **Check what a build needs and costs:** [Requirements and costs](/requirements) * **Look up a term:** [Glossary](/reference/glossary)