Anyway to view a purchased eBook on the Reader?

sthapit · 03-21-2007, 10:25 AM

Hi. I just purchased an eBook (DRM'ed pdf) which I can read on my computer. Any ideas how I can view it on my Reader?

Dave Berk · 03-21-2007, 11:00 AM

I don't think so. More experienced member of the forum might be able to offer workarounds, but the reader only support its own brand of DRM using the lrf file format.

edit: welcome to the forum. Browse around and I'm sure that in no time you will become a sony reader expert. (which I'm not)

NatCh · 03-21-2007, 11:41 AM

Welcome to MobileRead, sthapit!

Unfortunately, simple dave is quite right (I mean that it's unfortunate that it's the way it is, not that he's right about it

), PDF files are kind of a dead end when it comes to extracting the content. There are a number of utilities around that approach it from various directions, with varying results.

However, a DRMed PDF isn't just a dead end, it's like a blind alley with a padlocked iron gate at the entrance and an underfed 110 pound rottweiler inside: you ain't gettin' nuthin' out of there, except by their sufferance.

sthapit · 03-21-2007, 01:56 PM

Just seems strange that I can view, and print the pdf, but can't put it on the reader. I'm thinking of installing a [virtual] postscript printer, print it as a ps, then convert the postscript back to a pdf. I'll let you know how that goes.

NatCh · 03-21-2007, 02:35 PM

Hey, if that actually works, let us know! There are a lot of folks who would be very interested. You can find the recommendations on page size for PDFs here.

Dave Berk · 03-21-2007, 02:38 PM

Interesting. Can you print DRM Protected books?

bojan · 03-21-2007, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sthapit

I'm thinking of installing a [virtual] postscript printer, print it as a ps, then convert the postscript back to a pdf.

Well, if it is a DRM-ed e-book then you can forget it - it would kind of defeat the purpose of DRM

.

For this kind of "work around", I am currently writing an application called "e-book scanner" for my personal use. It's an application where you define a screen region and a click point for next page, and it automatically scans ("print screens") the whole e-book to jpg files. Then I use the ABBYY FineReader to convert it to pdf format. Depending on the font, you can get a 100% correct recognition, and a very good formatting.

Any other solution will be a hard one, if not impossible (depending on the encoder used for encryption)...

sthapit · 03-21-2007, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bojan

Well, if it is a DRM-ed e-book then you can forget it

Printing has been set to "allowed" in this eBook so I would think this should be possible. Any ideas?

bojan · 03-21-2007, 06:38 PM

Have you tried with the virtual printer, what are the results?

In my experience you are allowed to print to "real" printers, but not virtual ones (mind you, this were the some technical pdfs). I don't really know how the reader detects which are real printers, but perhaps you can use real printer and print to file.

sthapit · 03-21-2007, 06:51 PM

just tried installing a virtual printer, but no dice. it prints to the printer but not the postscript printer. acrobat's smart, but if i can send it to my printer, surely there must be way

any ideas anyone?

bojan · 03-21-2007, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sthapit

just tried installing a virtual printer, but no dice. it prints to the printer but not the postscript printer. acrobat's smart, but if i can send it to my printer, surely there must be way

any ideas anyone?

Not really

, but some lpt/usb capturing utilities come to my mind

...

Pode · 03-22-2007, 09:01 AM

For the utility to print the book, I'll suggest to try PDFCreator, the open source program. If you can't print to postscript/PDF, perhaps you can print to JPEG/BMP.
And for bojan, instead of writing your own tool, I know that HypnerSnapDX and SNagit can do "print screen" on whole books by automatically scrolling down the page.

bojan · 03-22-2007, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pode

instead of writing your own tool, I know that HypnerSnapDX and SNagit can do "print screen" on whole books by automatically scrolling down the page.

SNagit looks nice, thanks, I will look at it.
Anyway, what I really want to do is to include OCR engine (GOCR or Tessarect), to produce a RTF or PDF "on the fly".
Code for capturing screen is trivial (you just BitBlt the Windows Desktop), and clicking next page is just a matter of sending message to the window, my interests are in extracting the content.

dhbailey · 03-22-2007, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bojan

Well, if it is a DRM-ed e-book then you can forget it - it would kind of defeat the purpose of DRM

.

For this kind of "work around", I am currently writing an application called "e-book scanner" for my personal use. It's an application where you define a screen region and a click point for next page, and it automatically scans ("print screens") the whole e-book to jpg files. Then I use the ABBYY FineReader to convert it to pdf format. Depending on the font, you can get a 100% correct recognition, and a very good formatting.

Any other solution will be a hard one, if not impossible (depending on the encoder used for encryption)...

Bojan -- does the FineReader PDF file contain text or just the jpg files? Because I've tried to view the GoogleBooks PDF files which are nothing but jpg files and they don't show up at all.

bojan · 03-22-2007, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhbailey

Bojan -- does the FineReader PDF file contain text or just the jpg files? Because I've tried to view the GoogleBooks PDF files which are nothing but jpg files and they don't show up at all.

FineReader can open a scanned PDF file and run an OCR on it, and convert it back to text-based PDF.

You can download a fully functional trial version at http://www.abbyy.com/finereader_ocr, and try what it can do on your GoogleBooks PDF files. As far as I know, its one of the best OCR programs available.

03-21-2007, 10:25 AM	#1
sthapit Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston Device: Sony Reader	Anyway to view a purchased eBook on the Reader? Hi. I just purchased an eBook (DRM'ed pdf) which I can read on my computer. Any ideas how I can view it on my Reader?

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03-21-2007, 11:00 AM	#2
Dave Berk Fanatic Posts: 574 Karma: 138556 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PRS505	I don't think so. More experienced member of the forum might be able to offer workarounds, but the reader only support its own brand of DRM using the lrf file format. edit: welcome to the forum. Browse around and I'm sure that in no time you will become a sony reader expert. (which I'm not)

03-21-2007, 11:41 AM	#3
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Welcome to MobileRead, sthapit! Unfortunately, simple dave is quite right (I mean that it's unfortunate that it's the way it is, not that he's right about it ), PDF files are kind of a dead end when it comes to extracting the content. There are a number of utilities around that approach it from various directions, with varying results. However, a DRMed PDF isn't just a dead end, it's like a blind alley with a padlocked iron gate at the entrance and an underfed 110 pound rottweiler inside: you ain't gettin' nuthin' out of there, except by their sufferance.

03-21-2007, 01:56 PM	#4
sthapit Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston Device: Sony Reader	Just seems strange that I can view, and print the pdf, but can't put it on the reader. I'm thinking of installing a [virtual] postscript printer, print it as a ps, then convert the postscript back to a pdf. I'll let you know how that goes.

03-21-2007, 02:35 PM	#5
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Hey, if that actually works, let us know! There are a lot of folks who would be very interested. You can find the recommendations on page size for PDFs here.

03-21-2007, 02:38 PM	#6
Dave Berk Fanatic Posts: 574 Karma: 138556 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PRS505	Interesting. Can you print DRM Protected books?

03-21-2007, 06:38 PM	#9
bojan Enthusiast Posts: 48 Karma: 68 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Slovenia Device: iRex iLiad	Have you tried with the virtual printer, what are the results? In my experience you are allowed to print to "real" printers, but not virtual ones (mind you, this were the some technical pdfs). I don't really know how the reader detects which are real printers, but perhaps you can use real printer and print to file.

03-21-2007, 06:51 PM	#10
sthapit Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston Device: Sony Reader	just tried installing a virtual printer, but no dice. it prints to the printer but not the postscript printer. acrobat's smart, but if i can send it to my printer, surely there must be way any ideas anyone?

03-22-2007, 09:01 AM	#12
Pode Member Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: France Device: Sony Reader	For the utility to print the book, I'll suggest to try PDFCreator, the open source program. If you can't print to postscript/PDF, perhaps you can print to JPEG/BMP. And for bojan, instead of writing your own tool, I know that HypnerSnapDX and SNagit can do "print screen" on whole books by automatically scrolling down the page.

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