Text To Speech

Marcels · 10-18-2010, 03:38 AM

I've owned a Kobo for about 6 months now but I just purchased a Kindle 3 (I'm waiting for it to arrive).

One of the main selling points for me to get a Kindle is the text to speech feature, I've a family friend with dyslexia and they are very interest to see this in action, the hope is that it will help them read their first book and if all goes well, many more.

My question is does this feature work with any MOBI format eBook? I've got a lot of EPUB books I'd like to convert to MOBI and I wanted to know if they'd work? Also what about the free MOBI books out there?

To be honest I'm happy to buy one or two of the books again from Amazon if it means that my friend can try this out.

desertblues · 10-18-2010, 04:11 AM

Some editors don't enable the text- to- speech function, but most books I bought have it.
Also on my own epubs, converted to mobi through Calibre it works.
Most free books I got from Mobile Read so far, mostly Jane Austen and Bronté-sisters have it.
Options are female/male, slow/pause/fast. It also reads foreign books, in my case Dutch, but I wouldn't advise it: incomprehensible through the strong English accent.
I wouldn't know where one can see, in the file of a book, if it has the text-to-speech option.
iPad also has text-to-speech.

JeremyR · 10-18-2010, 04:11 AM

Yes.

Doesn't work in PDFs and a lot of books actually from Amazon will turn off the function. But ones you make yourself, be it Mobi or text files will use the TTS feature.

Nexutix · 10-18-2010, 04:30 AM

Quote:

One of the main selling points for me to get a Kindle is the text to speech feature

Infact, You can install Balabolka on PC and some good TTS voices from best TTS engines of world.

My best rated are:
3. VW Paul
2.a. VW Kate (Better Pronunciation, but hurts my ears on long listening)
2.a. Acapela Lucy (UK accent.)
1. Acapela Heather (Best for novels with long soft-feeling reading times.)

I completed 3 novels last month with Acapela Heather. VW Kate is what I mostly use with Free NaturalReader Software to read online articles or short stories and news sometimes.

terencek · 10-18-2010, 05:11 AM

I can confirm TTS works a treat on all the mobi files I have produced (mainly from PDFs but also conversions from epubs etc.).

ProfCrash · 10-18-2010, 09:32 AM

I believe that the FCC ruled that the DRM that blocks TTS can be legally broken for books that have blocked the TTS if you have a real need for the TTS feature. I would say dyslexia qualifies since I know folks with dyslexia that have had to get books read onto tape.

10-18-2010, 03:38 AM	#1
Marcels Member Posts: 16 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: New Plymouth, New Zealand Device: Kobo	Text To Speech I've owned a Kobo for about 6 months now but I just purchased a Kindle 3 (I'm waiting for it to arrive). One of the main selling points for me to get a Kindle is the text to speech feature, I've a family friend with dyslexia and they are very interest to see this in action, the hope is that it will help them read their first book and if all goes well, many more. My question is does this feature work with any MOBI format eBook? I've got a lot of EPUB books I'd like to convert to MOBI and I wanted to know if they'd work? Also what about the free MOBI books out there? To be honest I'm happy to buy one or two of the books again from Amazon if it means that my friend can try this out.

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10-18-2010, 04:11 AM	#2
desertblues Home for the moment Posts: 5,127 Karma: 27718936 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: travelling Device: various	Some editors don't enable the text- to- speech function, but most books I bought have it. Also on my own epubs, converted to mobi through Calibre it works. Most free books I got from Mobile Read so far, mostly Jane Austen and Bronté-sisters have it. Options are female/male, slow/pause/fast. It also reads foreign books, in my case Dutch, but I wouldn't advise it: incomprehensible through the strong English accent. I wouldn't know where one can see, in the file of a book, if it has the text-to-speech option. iPad also has text-to-speech.

10-18-2010, 04:11 AM	#3
JeremyR Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 2458402 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: St. Louis Device: Kindle Keyboard, Nook HD+	Yes. Doesn't work in PDFs and a lot of books actually from Amazon will turn off the function. But ones you make yourself, be it Mobi or text files will use the TTS feature.

10-18-2010, 05:11 AM	#5
terencek Groupie Posts: 170 Karma: 1010944 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: The African bush Device: Kindle 3	I can confirm TTS works a treat on all the mobi files I have produced (mainly from PDFs but also conversions from epubs etc.).

10-18-2010, 09:32 AM	#6
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	I believe that the FCC ruled that the DRM that blocks TTS can be legally broken for books that have blocked the TTS if you have a real need for the TTS feature. I would say dyslexia qualifies since I know folks with dyslexia that have had to get books read onto tape.

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