Baffled AGAIN!

damnyankeeuk · 01-11-2010, 04:59 AM

Still running into problems. I sorted out the earlier ones by using Calibre for my book management, and thought I was now good to go...however, I've run into a new one that I can't seem to get fixed.

I bought some books on CD off of Ebay (I know, not the brightest move, but I want my old books available for my PSR300 and don't want to pay a tenner apiece ofr them).

Anyway, I downloaded them (they are in PDF format) and converted them, and put them on the reader.

Problem arises when I go to read them. Unlike all my other books, they come up in what must be a size 1 font, anf the reader enlargment doesn;t have any affect on it. The screen,also greys out like it does when the reader is doing something...

My other books are all fine, so I am assuming it's not a reader problem, but cannot figure out what is causing this. THe book seller suggested I increase the size in the "look and feel" section of Calibre, which I did, but it had no effect, and the reader still can't enlarge the text.

I'm stumped now. I'm hoping someone else has had this problem and can tell me what's going on, and how to fix it.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

Cheers,

Greg

Bremen Cole · 01-11-2010, 06:54 AM

What did you convert them to? If they came in PDF have you tried putting the PDF files on your 300 and seeing what they look like. Your 300 can read PDF's...... could be an issue with the conversion...

Also when converting, set the base font in Claibre to 14.... makes them a bit bigger....

khalleron · 01-11-2010, 10:10 AM

It could also be that Calibre is uploading the original PDFs instead of your converted files - I've had that problem a lot.

Try going into Calibre and clicking 'edit metadata'. You'll then have an option to delete formats. Delete the PDF (assuming you have a backup), then try sending to device again.

damnyankeeuk · 01-11-2010, 11:35 AM

I converted it to Epub, which works fine on my other books, but not on this one. I went into the settings and deleted out the PDF format, and resent it to the reader, still no joy. I cannot increase the size of the printing, and the screen is faded liek it is when you have the reader doing something, but it's not...It only happens with the books off this one disk, so I'm still baffled. Any other ideas will be gratefully received.

Cheers,

Greg

JSWolf · 01-11-2010, 11:38 AM

Could be a PDF with scabbed pages. And in that case, the only thing that will help is to OCR the pages.

damnyankeeuk · 01-11-2010, 11:45 AM

Okay, now I'm REALLY baffled! I decided to try one more thing, and loaded it through the reader library in PDF format, and that works. So, I have some CD's that will work in Epub but not PDF, and this one that will work in PDF but not Epub!

I really hope that the makers of these readers soon get together and decide once and for all on ONE format to work on ALL readers. Otherwise I see thisdeveloping into another VHS V Beta situation, with us users losing out in the end.

I can mange now, but if anyone has a good answer as to why I have this happening, I'd really like to hear it. I like the readers and having Ebooks, but the fustration of getting them to work is really getting me down. KIf it wasn't for the money I've already invested, and the cuts in airline weight allowances, I'd be thinking of loading my suitcase up with paperbacks again!

Sorry for the rant folks, hope I haven't set anyone nose out of kilter.

Cheers

Greg

Bremen Cole · 01-11-2010, 01:02 PM

As I said in my first post, your Sony reads PDF so no real need to convert unless there is an issue. I really would not blame the reader on this one. Sounds like the problem is with the way the publishers format the books. I have ran into this some myself, but there always seem to be a work around.

elcreative · 01-11-2010, 01:41 PM

Have come across this before... the ones I saw were probably due to a badly screwed up OCR process done on scans of several books in a friends CD collection. Bought on eBay and containing some highly suspect items (sourcewise) ranging from ripped off Project Gutenburg items (even had fragments of their PD notices) to other works still in copyright. Never did finally manage to fix... frankly decided that they weren't important enough to waste a lot of time on and would probably turn up elsewhere.

This wasn't just a problem for a Sony eReader, the files were seriously screwed up and were probably just images as tho' OCR failed... even in various programs on computer, they were still rubbish... Good luck with your problem file...

khalleron · 01-11-2010, 02:27 PM

I don't think you can blame Sony because some bootleg files you bought on eBay don't work properly.

Now, if you're buying legit files from a legit seller and this happens, you could have cause for some complaint.

As they say, caveat emptor.

damnyankeeuk · 01-11-2010, 03:35 PM

The seller said they were legit....but has since been removed from ebay, so I assume they were not...lesson learned, won't do that again. Just a pity that the ereadercompanies don't do a deal to provide ebooks at a reasonable price. If they can sell a paperback for £10 and make a profit, they should be able to sell it as an ebook at less than half that and still make a bigger profit.

Seems to me they're just being greedy, or do you think the cost of paper, printing, storage, handling, shipping, etc, is an incidental cost.

It's going to be like music downloads, they'll keep charging what the traffic will bear, making it very tempting to get "illegal" downloads. I have in excess of 500 of my favorite books, that I'd like to have available on my ereader, but with charges of 5-10 dollars for each one, it's just not an option.

I suppose someday they'll do the maths and realize they're depriving themselves of a huge market.

Rant over...

Thanks for all the help folks, really nice to find it for a newby like me.

Cheers,

Greg

grooks · 01-11-2010, 04:24 PM

What type of books are you specifically looking to collect as your 'favorite books'. If they are out of copyright authors you can probably find them either through Project Gutenberg, Google, Mobile Read, Manybooks or Feedbooks.

01-11-2010, 04:59 AM	#1
damnyankeeuk Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: prs 300	Baffled AGAIN! Still running into problems. I sorted out the earlier ones by using Calibre for my book management, and thought I was now good to go...however, I've run into a new one that I can't seem to get fixed. I bought some books on CD off of Ebay (I know, not the brightest move, but I want my old books available for my PSR300 and don't want to pay a tenner apiece ofr them). Anyway, I downloaded them (they are in PDF format) and converted them, and put them on the reader. Problem arises when I go to read them. Unlike all my other books, they come up in what must be a size 1 font, anf the reader enlargment doesn;t have any affect on it. The screen,also greys out like it does when the reader is doing something... My other books are all fine, so I am assuming it's not a reader problem, but cannot figure out what is causing this. THe book seller suggested I increase the size in the "look and feel" section of Calibre, which I did, but it had no effect, and the reader still can't enlarge the text. I'm stumped now. I'm hoping someone else has had this problem and can tell me what's going on, and how to fix it. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give. Cheers, Greg

01-11-2010, 01:41 PM	#8
elcreative Wizard Posts: 2,888 Karma: 5875940 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: PRS505, 600, 350, 650, Nexus 7, Note III, iPad 4 etc	Have come across this before... the ones I saw were probably due to a badly screwed up OCR process done on scans of several books in a friends CD collection. Bought on eBay and containing some highly suspect items (sourcewise) ranging from ripped off Project Gutenburg items (even had fragments of their PD notices) to other works still in copyright. Never did finally manage to fix... frankly decided that they weren't important enough to waste a lot of time on and would probably turn up elsewhere. This wasn't just a problem for a Sony eReader, the files were seriously screwed up and were probably just images as tho' OCR failed... even in various programs on computer, they were still rubbish... Good luck with your problem file... Last edited by elcreative; 01-11-2010 at 01:45 PM.

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01-11-2010, 06:54 AM	#2
Bremen Cole Wizard Posts: 1,115 Karma: 2718 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Texas Device: iPad	What did you convert them to? If they came in PDF have you tried putting the PDF files on your 300 and seeing what they look like. Your 300 can read PDF's...... could be an issue with the conversion... Also when converting, set the base font in Claibre to 14.... makes them a bit bigger....

01-11-2010, 10:10 AM	#3
khalleron Kate Posts: 1,681 Karma: 3165009 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Oregon, United States Device: Nexus 7 2013, Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Forma	It could also be that Calibre is uploading the original PDFs instead of your converted files - I've had that problem a lot. Try going into Calibre and clicking 'edit metadata'. You'll then have an option to delete formats. Delete the PDF (assuming you have a backup), then try sending to device again.

01-11-2010, 11:35 AM	#4
damnyankeeuk Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: prs 300	I converted it to Epub, which works fine on my other books, but not on this one. I went into the settings and deleted out the PDF format, and resent it to the reader, still no joy. I cannot increase the size of the printing, and the screen is faded liek it is when you have the reader doing something, but it's not...It only happens with the books off this one disk, so I'm still baffled. Any other ideas will be gratefully received. Cheers, Greg

01-11-2010, 11:38 AM	#5
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,897 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Could be a PDF with scabbed pages. And in that case, the only thing that will help is to OCR the pages.

01-11-2010, 11:45 AM	#6
damnyankeeuk Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: prs 300	Okay, now I'm REALLY baffled! I decided to try one more thing, and loaded it through the reader library in PDF format, and that works. So, I have some CD's that will work in Epub but not PDF, and this one that will work in PDF but not Epub! I really hope that the makers of these readers soon get together and decide once and for all on ONE format to work on ALL readers. Otherwise I see thisdeveloping into another VHS V Beta situation, with us users losing out in the end. I can mange now, but if anyone has a good answer as to why I have this happening, I'd really like to hear it. I like the readers and having Ebooks, but the fustration of getting them to work is really getting me down. KIf it wasn't for the money I've already invested, and the cuts in airline weight allowances, I'd be thinking of loading my suitcase up with paperbacks again! Sorry for the rant folks, hope I haven't set anyone nose out of kilter. Cheers Greg

01-11-2010, 01:02 PM	#7
Bremen Cole Wizard Posts: 1,115 Karma: 2718 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Texas Device: iPad	As I said in my first post, your Sony reads PDF so no real need to convert unless there is an issue. I really would not blame the reader on this one. Sounds like the problem is with the way the publishers format the books. I have ran into this some myself, but there always seem to be a work around.

01-11-2010, 02:27 PM	#9
khalleron Kate Posts: 1,681 Karma: 3165009 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Oregon, United States Device: Nexus 7 2013, Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Forma	I don't think you can blame Sony because some bootleg files you bought on eBay don't work properly. Now, if you're buying legit files from a legit seller and this happens, you could have cause for some complaint. As they say, caveat emptor.

01-11-2010, 03:35 PM	#10
damnyankeeuk Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: prs 300	The seller said they were legit....but has since been removed from ebay, so I assume they were not...lesson learned, won't do that again. Just a pity that the ereadercompanies don't do a deal to provide ebooks at a reasonable price. If they can sell a paperback for £10 and make a profit, they should be able to sell it as an ebook at less than half that and still make a bigger profit. Seems to me they're just being greedy, or do you think the cost of paper, printing, storage, handling, shipping, etc, is an incidental cost. It's going to be like music downloads, they'll keep charging what the traffic will bear, making it very tempting to get "illegal" downloads. I have in excess of 500 of my favorite books, that I'd like to have available on my ereader, but with charges of 5-10 dollars for each one, it's just not an option. I suppose someday they'll do the maths and realize they're depriving themselves of a huge market. Rant over... Thanks for all the help folks, really nice to find it for a newby like me. Cheers, Greg

01-11-2010, 04:24 PM	#11
grooks Wizard Posts: 1,326 Karma: 30250 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fort Myers, FL Device: Pocketbook Era, Kobo Forma	What type of books are you specifically looking to collect as your 'favorite books'. If they are out of copyright authors you can probably find them either through Project Gutenberg, Google, Mobile Read, Manybooks or Feedbooks.

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