Exhibit 99.1

Digital Recorders, Inc. Appoints Rob R. Taylor to Lead Video Surveillance
Initiative

     DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 17, 2005--Digital Recorders, Inc. (DRI)
(Nasdaq:TBUS), a market leader in transit, transportation, and law enforcement
digital communications and audio enhancement systems, announced today that Rob
R. Taylor has joined the Company in a key role to develop and market video
surveillance products and services for the transit industry as part of DRI's
long-term business plans.
     "The popularity of our existing security-related products and the current
trends in the industries and markets we serve encourage us to develop and/or
acquire additional products and technologies to further meet our customers'
ongoing safety and risk mitigation needs. Among those needs is the placement of
technologically advanced video surveillance equipment inside transit vehicles,
transit terminals, and bus shelters. Rob's strong video surveillance and
technology background will be essential to our development of new video
surveillance initiatives," David L. Turney, the Company's Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer, and President, said.
     According to Mr. Turney, several DRI products, including those developed
and manufactured by its Digital Audio Corporation and Digital Recorders business
units, have always featured varying degrees of security functionality.

     About Rob R. Taylor

     Rob R. Taylor, age 48, has more than 24 years' experience in the
electronics industry and, most recently, in the digital video industry serving
the broadcast, industrial, and transportation markets.
     Prior to joining DRI, Mr. Taylor served as Executive Vice President for
Fast Forward Video, Inc., a privately held company in Irvine, Calif., where he
was responsible for all sales and marketing activities from 2004 to 2005. Prior
to Fast Forward Video, Inc., Mr. Taylor enjoyed a 14-year career with
Irvine-based Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. While there, he served
in various leadership roles, including: Vice President, Sales; Vice President,
Discrete/Analog Business Unit; Vice President, Sales, Computing, and Digital
Consumer; and others.
     Mr. Taylor attended Lyndon State College in Lyndonville, Vt., and Anne
Arundel Community College in Arnold, Md., where he studied Business
Administration and Computer Programming. He is a member of the American
Association of Senior Executives and the SoCal Executive Network.

     About the Company

     Digital Recorders, Inc. is a market leader in transit, transportation and
law enforcement or security digital communications and audio enhancement systems
using proprietary software applications. Our products improve the flow and
mobility of people through transportation infrastructure, mitigate security
threats, and enhance law enforcement agencies' surveillance capabilities. Our
transit communications products -- TwinVision(R) and Mobitec(R) route
destination signage systems, Talking Bus(R) voice announcement systems,
Internet-based passenger information systems, and computer aided dispatch/
automatic vehicle locating and monitoring systems -- enhance public
transportation and mitigate security threats worldwide. Our electronic
surveillance tools, including microphone amplifiers and processors,
countermeasures devices, speech activity detectors, and radio/television noise
cancellers, help law-enforcement agencies around the globe detect, capture,
arrest and prosecute criminals. For more information about DRI and its
operations worldwide, go to www.digrec.com.

     Forward-Looking Statements

     Statements regarding our future video surveillance product development and
sales, as well as other statements that are not historical facts are
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements rely on a number
of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number or risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in
the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to future
video surveillance product development and sales, customer acceptance of new
products and technologies, risks and uncertainties related to general economic
conditions, and the results of implementing the Company's business plan. Refer
to the Company's various Securities and Exchange Commission filings, such as its
Forms 10-Q and 10-K, for further information about forward-looking statements
and risks associated with the Company's business.


     CONTACT: Digital Recorders, Inc., Dallas
              Veronica B. Marks, 214-378-4776
              Fax: 214-378-8437
              veronicam@digrec.com
              or
              IR Counsel Contact:
              Citigate Sard Verbinnen, New York
              Robin Weinberg, 212-687-8080
              Fax: 212-687-8344
              rweinberg@sardverb.com