Fictionwise adopts libprs500 for Sony LRF e-book conversion

RWood · 08-22-2007, 04:03 PM

As jasonkchapman has noted in this thread, Fictionwise has started to offer their multiformat ebooks in Sony LRF format (that's the one without DRM). They say that they are about one-half of the way through converting their 16,000 multiformat titles. They still offer many more titles in a variety of secure formats but not for the Sony Reader.

What is most interesting is that they are using kovidgoyal's libprs500 for the conversion. This is the first known commercial application for the libprs500 package.

Fictionwise is the third commercial publisher to offer non-DRM ebooks for the Sony Reader. Steve Jordan Books started offering Sony format several months ago in addition to their other supported formats and Babblebooks has added the Sony Reader format to their extensive audio book offerings. Both of these publishers employed BookDesigner to create their LRF files. The Sony Connect store is still the only known source of DRM protected ebooks for the Sony Reader.

This is a major step forward for both Fictionwise and the Sony Reader community.

Liviu_5 · 08-22-2007, 04:35 PM

Excellent news; now if I buy a multiformat book from then, I will be able to download it in lrf for Sony, prc for 770, imp for Ebk1150 and lit for my tablet/desktop. Still a bit too many formats, but progress nonetheless...

Liviu_5 · 08-22-2007, 04:49 PM

Actually I just checked and out of 37 multiformat ebooks that I bought from Fictionwise, 16 are available in lrf as of now (just downloaded them).

JSWolf · 08-22-2007, 05:19 PM

I knew it was libprs500 that was used. I could tell bu the header. And the fact that the book look good too.

kovidgoyal · 08-22-2007, 05:28 PM

If you do a search on books with format LRF you get about 3000 matches.

tsgreer · 08-22-2007, 05:39 PM

Well, I would hope that they would at least send kovidgoyal a big thank you for writing such a great program what will help them make more money!

paulkbiba · 08-22-2007, 09:37 PM

Because of this I bought a Sony Reader on the way home. It's updating its firmware now and then I'll start downloading from Fictionwise.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 08-22-2007, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I knew it was libprs500 that was used. I could tell bu the header. And the fact that the book look good too.

What... don't BD-formatted LRFs look as good? What's different?

kovidgoyal · 08-22-2007, 09:54 PM

html2lrf is far more powerful. See the demo LRF file in the html2lrf thread or if you want to compare the same source converted using html2lrf and BD see this thread
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13085

Steven Lyle Jordan · 08-22-2007, 11:40 PM

Okay, they're clearly different (since I don't have a copy of the book, I'll have to take your word that the formatting is better/closer to the original printing). I'll have to look at html2lrf, to see if it's better with my e-books.

kovidgoyal · 08-22-2007, 11:49 PM

Here's the original source:
http://www.bartleby.com/201/1.html

And try changing sizes from S->M->L and see what happens.

HarryT · 08-23-2007, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

What... don't BD-formatted LRFs look as good? What's different?

BD can't be used for automatic format conversions, which is what's required here. It's a great tool for manual book creation, but html2lrf is the clear winner when you need to automate the process.

kovidgoyal · 08-23-2007, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

BD can't be used for automatic format conversions, which is what's required here. It's a great tool for manual book creation, but html2lrf is the clear winner when you need to automate the process.

Actually, I'd have to say it's better for manual conversion as well, though you have to be comfortable with editing HTML. But, if you are, the level of control and the feature set it gives you is far superior to that of BD, but that's because it focuses on conversion to only LRF rather than supporting a whole host of target formats like BD does.

HarryT · 08-23-2007, 03:37 AM

These days my main interest lies in the MobiPocket format. Any chance of providing that as an alternate output format? It's going to become really popular in the next few months, with the forthcoming release of the CyBook!

I understand that the "PRC" mobipocket format (as opposed to the DRM format) is just a fairly simple wrapper around HTML.

kovidgoyal · 08-23-2007, 03:50 AM

Not really, I typically work only on tools that I myself use, and the "wrapper around HTML" format that I'm going to go for is epub. So not unless you're willing to buy me a Cybook ;-)

08-22-2007, 04:03 PM	#1
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Fictionwise adopts libprs500 for Sony LRF e-book conversion As jasonkchapman has noted in this thread, Fictionwise has started to offer their multiformat ebooks in Sony LRF format (that's the one without DRM). They say that they are about one-half of the way through converting their 16,000 multiformat titles. They still offer many more titles in a variety of secure formats but not for the Sony Reader. What is most interesting is that they are using kovidgoyal's libprs500 for the conversion. This is the first known commercial application for the libprs500 package. Fictionwise is the third commercial publisher to offer non-DRM ebooks for the Sony Reader. Steve Jordan Books started offering Sony format several months ago in addition to their other supported formats and Babblebooks has added the Sony Reader format to their extensive audio book offerings. Both of these publishers employed BookDesigner to create their LRF files. The Sony Connect store is still the only known source of DRM protected ebooks for the Sony Reader. This is a major step forward for both Fictionwise and the Sony Reader community.

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08-22-2007, 04:35 PM	#2
Liviu_5 Books and more books Posts: 917 Karma: 69499 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: White Plains, NY, USA Device: Nook Color, Itouch, Nokia770, Sony 650, Sony 700(dead), Ebk(given)	Excellent news; now if I buy a multiformat book from then, I will be able to download it in lrf for Sony, prc for 770, imp for Ebk1150 and lit for my tablet/desktop. Still a bit too many formats, but progress nonetheless...

08-22-2007, 04:49 PM	#3
Liviu_5 Books and more books Posts: 917 Karma: 69499 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: White Plains, NY, USA Device: Nook Color, Itouch, Nokia770, Sony 650, Sony 700(dead), Ebk(given)	Actually I just checked and out of 37 multiformat ebooks that I bought from Fictionwise, 16 are available in lrf as of now (just downloaded them).

08-22-2007, 05:19 PM	#4
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,970 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I knew it was libprs500 that was used. I could tell bu the header. And the fact that the book look good too.

08-22-2007, 05:28 PM	#5
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,856 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	If you do a search on books with format LRF you get about 3000 matches.

08-22-2007, 05:39 PM	#6
tsgreer Lovin' the e-book life... Posts: 633 Karma: 2509 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Colorado Device: Ebookwise 1150, Sony PRS-505, Amazon Kindle, BeBook (with OpenInkpot)	Well, I would hope that they would at least send kovidgoyal a big thank you for writing such a great program what will help them make more money!

08-22-2007, 09:37 PM	#7
paulkbiba Connoisseur Posts: 84 Karma: 45 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: United States Device: Nokia e61i, iPhone	Because of this I bought a Sony Reader on the way home. It's updating its firmware now and then I'll start downloading from Fictionwise.

08-22-2007, 09:54 PM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,856 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	html2lrf is far more powerful. See the demo LRF file in the html2lrf thread or if you want to compare the same source converted using html2lrf and BD see this thread https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13085

08-22-2007, 11:40 PM	#10
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Okay, they're clearly different (since I don't have a copy of the book, I'll have to take your word that the formatting is better/closer to the original printing). I'll have to look at html2lrf, to see if it's better with my e-books.

08-22-2007, 11:49 PM	#11
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,856 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Here's the original source: http://www.bartleby.com/201/1.html And try changing sizes from S->M->L and see what happens.

08-23-2007, 03:37 AM	#14
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	These days my main interest lies in the MobiPocket format. Any chance of providing that as an alternate output format? It's going to become really popular in the next few months, with the forthcoming release of the CyBook! I understand that the "PRC" mobipocket format (as opposed to the DRM format) is just a fairly simple wrapper around HTML.

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08-23-2007, 03:50 AM	#15
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,856 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Not really, I typically work only on tools that I myself use, and the "wrapper around HTML" format that I'm going to go for is epub. So not unless you're willing to buy me a Cybook ;-)