"Text to Voice" Feature: How useful is it for you?

gfmucci · 04-29-2010, 11:35 AM

How well does the "text to voice" feature work on the K2 or DX? How useful is it for you? I realize it is currently experimental.

jxh11215 · 04-29-2010, 11:45 AM

Some folks don't like the robot voice, but I hardly notice it and have gotten used to some of the mispronunciations. I listen to my books via TTS on my daily commute--and I love it.

TallMomof2 · 04-29-2010, 11:52 AM

I used it on my last long car trip and it was decent.

cheerio6414 · 04-29-2010, 11:53 AM

Its ok

Nehoc · 04-29-2010, 12:45 PM

Sound perfect for newspapers and other "news" content. A little dry for fiction IMO.

AnemicOak · 04-29-2010, 01:01 PM

Doesn't do it for me. I'm a fan of audiobooks, but the robot like voice with no inflection, no feeling, doesn't cut it. I'm sure some day we'll see TTS that's much better than it currently is.

tomsem · 04-29-2010, 01:40 PM

I find it quite useful in terms of continuing a reading project while eating, driving, before falling to sleep (no book light needed), sometimes running on a treadmill. It probably accounts for no more than 5% of the total reading I do but it is nice to have. To the point where I hesitate before purchasing books with TTS disabled and choose a TTS enabled book instead.

I enjoy some audiobooks as well but find I can't work them into my routine as easily as ebooks. Navigation is problematic: the chapter marks are too coarse to use (on order of an hour apart), while the #*$*ˆˆ& thumbwheel on my nano is touchy and requires too much attention to operate accurately. So instead of trying to review something I missed, and losing my place completely, I keep going, and as such it is often hard to maintain the storyline in my head. And often after listening to an audiobook, I wish I had the text to refer to. So it makes me picky about the audiobooks I choose to listen to, to the point where I waste a lot of time unsuccessfully trying to find something on Audible that I want to read, and my credits go unused.

So at least in my case, the publishers who think disabling TTS will buttress audiobook sales are completely mistaken. What I hope becomes available some day is either 1) pay an extra $1 or so for TTS capability on the ebook or 2) bundle the ebook with the audiobook. As it is I'll purchase fewer ebooks and audiobooks from these publishers.

rcuadro · 04-29-2010, 03:24 PM

I tried to use it once to see what it was like and I have never used it again...

aslterp · 04-29-2010, 09:17 PM

I too tried it once and did not like it! UNTIL I was almost done with a good book and was working out of town. Came time to drive home and I wanted to finish the book! I now use it all the time when I drive for work - and some weeks I drive 800+ miles for work!

gfmucci · 04-29-2010, 09:46 PM

On balance, it sounds like it is useful but not perfect. I've heard similar voices. I suspect the Kindle sounds like the NOAA weather radio guy... or a bored Swede.
I think I would get some good use out of it. I agree, it will be much more user friendly than Audible.

Do you know roughly what proportion of books have this feature enabled?

ficbot · 04-29-2010, 09:48 PM

I love it and use it often. I am not a huge music person so I like to have something to listen to on my way to the bus stop or at the gym.

bzImage · 04-30-2010, 12:05 AM

It was strange at first but later you get used to the "voice", i have a 2 hours commute each way every day.. so it's like 4 hours in the car daily.. it's a sanity saver at least hear a book on this damn traffic.

Ervserver · 04-30-2010, 12:19 AM

works great for prank phone calls

catsittingstill · 05-01-2010, 07:03 PM

Regarding what percentage of books have this enabled

I'm not sure about Amazon's books; I haven't tried enough of them. However every single one of the nonDRM books I've tried (manybooks.net, Baen.com, Fictionwise Multiformat) has worked just fine.

I think disabling TTS is tied up in Amazon's DRM.

jxh11215 · 05-02-2010, 12:21 PM

You can turn the TTS back on without breaking the DRM or Whispersync. VERY useful.

04-29-2010, 11:35 AM	#1
gfmucci Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 16 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: dx	"Text to Voice" Feature: How useful is it for you? How well does the "text to voice" feature work on the K2 or DX? How useful is it for you? I realize it is currently experimental.

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04-29-2010, 11:45 AM	#2
jxh11215 Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 142 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: Kindle 1 & Kindle 2	Some folks don't like the robot voice, but I hardly notice it and have gotten used to some of the mispronunciations. I listen to my books via TTS on my daily commute--and I love it.

04-29-2010, 11:52 AM	#3
TallMomof2 Kindlephilia Posts: 2,017 Karma: 1139255 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Snowpacolypse 2010 Device: Too many to count	I used it on my last long car trip and it was decent.

04-29-2010, 11:53 AM	#4
cheerio6414 Addict Posts: 210 Karma: 36 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Kindle 2	Its ok

04-29-2010, 12:45 PM	#5
Nehoc Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Kindle2	Sound perfect for newspapers and other "news" content. A little dry for fiction IMO.

04-29-2010, 01:01 PM	#6
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	Doesn't do it for me. I'm a fan of audiobooks, but the robot like voice with no inflection, no feeling, doesn't cut it. I'm sure some day we'll see TTS that's much better than it currently is.

04-29-2010, 01:40 PM	#7
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,905 Karma: 27013865 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	I find it quite useful in terms of continuing a reading project while eating, driving, before falling to sleep (no book light needed), sometimes running on a treadmill. It probably accounts for no more than 5% of the total reading I do but it is nice to have. To the point where I hesitate before purchasing books with TTS disabled and choose a TTS enabled book instead. I enjoy some audiobooks as well but find I can't work them into my routine as easily as ebooks. Navigation is problematic: the chapter marks are too coarse to use (on order of an hour apart), while the #$ˆˆ& thumbwheel on my nano is touchy and requires too much attention to operate accurately. So instead of trying to review something I missed, and losing my place completely, I keep going, and as such it is often hard to maintain the storyline in my head. And often after listening to an audiobook, I wish I had the text to refer to. So it makes me picky about the audiobooks I choose to listen to, to the point where I waste a lot of time unsuccessfully trying to find something on Audible that I want to read, and my credits go unused. So at least in my case, the publishers who think disabling TTS will buttress audiobook sales are completely mistaken. What I hope becomes available some day is either 1) pay an extra $1 or so for TTS capability on the ebook or 2) bundle the ebook with the audiobook. As it is I'll purchase fewer ebooks and audiobooks from these publishers.

04-29-2010, 03:24 PM	#8
rcuadro Wizard Posts: 1,686 Karma: 874275 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Device: Kindle DX	I tried to use it once to see what it was like and I have never used it again...

04-29-2010, 09:17 PM	#9
aslterp Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle	I too tried it once and did not like it! UNTIL I was almost done with a good book and was working out of town. Came time to drive home and I wanted to finish the book! I now use it all the time when I drive for work - and some weeks I drive 800+ miles for work!

04-29-2010, 09:46 PM	#10
gfmucci Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 16 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: dx	On balance, it sounds like it is useful but not perfect. I've heard similar voices. I suspect the Kindle sounds like the NOAA weather radio guy... or a bored Swede. I think I would get some good use out of it. I agree, it will be much more user friendly than Audible. Do you know roughly what proportion of books have this feature enabled?

04-29-2010, 09:48 PM	#11
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	I love it and use it often. I am not a huge music person so I like to have something to listen to on my way to the bus stop or at the gym.

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04-30-2010, 12:05 AM	#12
bzImage Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 106 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: Kindle 2	It was strange at first but later you get used to the "voice", i have a 2 hours commute each way every day.. so it's like 4 hours in the car daily.. it's a sanity saver at least hear a book on this damn traffic.

04-30-2010, 12:19 AM	#13
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	works great for prank phone calls

05-01-2010, 07:03 PM	#14
catsittingstill Guru Posts: 643 Karma: 551634 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle 1.0.8, iPod Touch, Kindle Keyboard	Regarding what percentage of books have this enabled I'm not sure about Amazon's books; I haven't tried enough of them. However every single one of the nonDRM books I've tried (manybooks.net, Baen.com, Fictionwise Multiformat) has worked just fine. I think disabling TTS is tied up in Amazon's DRM.

05-02-2010, 12:21 PM	#15
jxh11215 Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 142 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: Kindle 1 & Kindle 2	You can turn the TTS back on without breaking the DRM or Whispersync. VERY useful.