In assessing technological choices, two parts of the court reporting process (making a record of court proceedings and transcribing the record into a written document) were considered. It was found that most court reporters use a shorthand machine to record phonetic symbols for all statements made. If a transcript is subsequently requested, these symbols are translated into English. On a cost basis, audio recording can be substantially less expensive than a traditional court reporter. A complete audio recording system costs about $3,400 to $6,000, plus about $2,000 yearly for maintenance and audio tapes. In contrast, a court reporter in Wisconsin costs an average of $46,600 per year. Video systems appear to offer no advantage over audio systems, and video systems are far more expensive. Benefits of audio recording and computer-aided transcription are discussed. An appendix contains a response to the evaluation of transcription technology by Wisconsin's Director of State Courts. 1 figure