Aura HD - DJVU Files

[ccipri]

Does somebody manage to read djvu files without converting them to pdf?
Is djvu-file support planned for kobo aura?
For me it's crucial, since most of my stuff is in djvu format.

[PeterT]

Simply put, no. I'm not sure I've heard of any eBook reader that supports DJVU format.

[slex]

Hanlin (AKA Lbook) has a very good support for DJVU files. Onyx M92 supports it, too. Probably there are other readers (e.g. Pocketbook), but with these I have first-hand experience.

[paola]

Originally Posted by slex

Hanlin (AKA Lbook) has a very good support for DJVU files. Onyx M92 supports it, too. Probably there are other readers (e.g. Pocketbook), but with these I have first-hand experience.

yes, Pocketbook reads almost anything, including djvu files. I thought this was normal, so disappointed when saw I could not read djvu books on my Mini.
Having said that, you can convert djvu to pdf (though you do lose the "layers" part, as far as I can tell).

[ShellShock]

Originally Posted by ccipri

For me it's crucial, since most of my stuff is in djvu format.

In which case, I respectfully suggest that the Aura is a poor choice for you; if you read the technical specifications for the ereaders available in your area, hopefully you will find one that supports djvu format.

[ccipri]

well, i converted now my djvu files to pdf. They are now about 4 or 5 times bigger in size.
It would have been an easy task to support djvu files. I was writing some time ago a pdf reader (based on mupdf), and adding support for djvu using djvulibre was an easy task.
The software is sadly a little too simple. For example I would have expected to be able to put the read in landscape mode reading a pdf file, then choosing the file to be fitted at the width. And then after finishing the first upper part, just make a vertical swipe and jump to the next vertical part of the page.
The situation now where you have to pan around is more time consuming and impractical.
Also when I choose "fit to height", in most cases, the format of the page, would allow it to cut from the top and bottom borders. This works by zooming and placing the frame. But the problem is you can not "lock" these settings of "zoom and offset", so that you can go to the next page with a simple swipe. At the moment you have to drag to margin, then press on the arrow, and the move the offset of the frame so that you the whole page but without the top and bottom margins.
This would be very useful, and implementing it, would not take longer than let's say 1-3 hours.

For me it's a surprize, that a company invests a lot in a great hardware, but doesn't make the software as good as the hardware would deserve it.

In fact, it's somehow visible that kobo is more oriented for people buying epub books, perhaps this is the reason why kobo has not the best pdf capabilities. They want to sell epub books, and not encourage people reading pdf-books downloaded for free.
But so far, I must say, the display is really good, even if I don't crop the borders, I can still read pdf files (but without the borders, the reading would be more comfortable, since it's indeed a little small).

Let's hope for an improved updated :-)

[paola]

Originally Posted by ccipri

well, i converted now my djvu files to pdf. They are now about 4 or 5 times bigger in size.
It would have been an easy task to support djvu files. I was writing some time ago a pdf reader (based on mupdf), and adding support for djvu using djvulibre was an easy task.
doesn't make the software as good as the hardware would deserve it.

if you are technically inclined, perhaps you could contribute to the Koreader port, which if I am not wrong does support djvu files. At present it works in a basic form (though not sure whether it works in the Aura), and we non techies would be most grateful to anyhone who's happy to give a hand. The thread in the developer's forum is this one.

[BobC]

Perhaps worth looking at this thread :

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62273

The libdjvu that tigran built for the Hanlin v3 was a great viewer for djvu files with excellent control over the display (IIRC it allowed different layers to be displayed).

The thread is quite old (2009) and the links to the source are now broken but someone might just have a copy.

BobC

[ccipri]

From what i see so far, I have the impression that the company behind kobo is not that interested in supporting pdf/djvu very well, since pdf/djvu you get for free, and that's why I guess the prefer to concentrated their work/attention to the people who are buying epub books.
There I'm not so sure, if I should start investing time into development for kobo, since the software by sony as superior, and it looks like they could bring a great device on market in the next time,
watch that prototype
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=bvJuLK65dio

[ShellShock]

There are plenty of free epubs too, here at mobileread and elsewhere (gutenburg). The reason Kobo do not support PDFs more is because PDF is a poor format for ebooks on smallish screens, mainly because PDFs do not reflow text very well, or at all.

[MacEachaidh]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Simply put, no. I'm not sure I've heard of any eBook reader that supports DJVU format.

This is a somewhat parenthetical comment, but:
iRiver's ereaders claim(ed) to read the DJVU format, but when I owned one every DJVU I tried to open locked the device completely and required a pin-hole reset. It also claimed to support MS Word documents, but opened them with a viewer, as a static whole-page graphic rather than reflowable or resizable text — so who knows what limited type of djvu it could actually read. And the device doesn't appear to have received any further development since 2011.

Anyway. Two things I did learn from my (inordinately expensive!!) experience with iRiver was that almost no brand will last very long, and that companies have no sense of either loyalty to their customers or obligation to keep their word.

[jiminrussell]

Originally Posted by ccipri

From what i see so far, I have the impression that the company behind kobo is not that interested in supporting pdf/djvu very well, since pdf/djvu you get for free, and that's why I guess the prefer to concentrated their work/attention to the people who are buying epub books.
There I'm not so sure, if I should start investing time into development for kobo, since the software by sony as superior, and it looks like they could bring a great device on market in the next time,
watch that prototype
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=bvJuLK65dio

That is one very cool looking device, I would love to have one for taking notes and would be great for reading pdf files. The questions I have will be the cost and will it be available outside of Japan any time soon.