Media players & Playback Instructions

Victor Players

Please schedule an appointment to receive alt-formats. Media arrive in various formats and it may be necessary to utilize several tools to access the information. Instruction and training is provided upon request.

We provide several types of compact digital book players from Humanware, namely the Vibe and Wave CD players and the Stream digital media player

• Victor Vibe and Wave User Guides
• Victor Wave User Guide (PDF)
• Victor ReaderSoft User Guide
• VR Stream audio clips

Please be prepared to provide textbook receipts as proof-of-purchase if your media was obtained directly from a publisher--required to comply with a standing loan agreement.

Robobraille

Robobraille is a free online transcription service that translates a print document into speech or braille. Upload a file in nearly any format to the Robobraille Web Interface and follow the four steps indicated.

Natural Reader

NaturalReader is a free text-to-speech program that can be used to read ASCII text files (filename extension .txt) and Rich Text Format (.rtf) files, ONLY. This is its chief disadvantage. The main advantage is quality integrated speech which avoids the robotic speech often encountered. A Word file (.doc) must be saved in Rich Text Format or Text format before being imported into Natural Reader:

1. Open the Word document
2. Choose File > Save as ...
3. Select Rich Text Format (RTF) from the dropdown list of option.
4. Click Save. It is best practice to save all versions of the same file to the same location.

To read a document in Natural Reader:

1. Save your Word document with filename extension .doc or .docx as a Rich Text Document with a .rtf extension or a plain text file (.txt).
2. In Natural Reader, select the "New" menu item on the toolbar to clear the interface.
3. Choose "Open" toolbar menu to open the selected file in the Reader interface. You may also cut-paste text from any source document into the interface.
4. Place the selection cursor where you want to begin reading and select "Read" on the toolbar.

Balabolka

Balabolka (Russian for chatting) is a freeware Text-To-Speech (TTS) program that can be used convert a PDF or Word file into readable on-screen text and/or to an MP3 or Windows Media file. You may use the menu bar or convenient toolbar to interact with the document.

DSpeech

DSpeech is a Text-To-Speech (TTS) program that reads aloud written/electronic text and provides speech recognition functionality. Download DSpeech from (scroll down the page to see description and download links.) Program features:

• DSpeech reads many file types, e.g. Word, RTF, HTML, PDF. You may also export the text in mp3 or wav audio
• To highlight words as they are spoken, choose the Show tracking checkbox under Options in the left hand of the application interface.
• To view all the text in the viewport, select Word wrap under the Edit menu. Otherwise text may extend beyond the border and require horizontal scrolling.

Adobe PDF

Adobe Reader

To listen to a PDF file using the built-in Adobe synthesizer:

1. Install the latest version of Adobe Reader.
2. Open the PDF file in Adobe Reader
3. On the Reader menu, choose View > Zoom > Read Out loud to activate the TTS feature
4. Repeat the previous step to open a reading menu.
5. Choose an option from menu,e.g. page only, to end of doc, ...(note shortcut keys, i.e. ctrl+shift+letter). tip: press Ctrl+H to view reading mode

Other Software

• Amis (Adaptive Multimedia Information System) is a free, open source software program that allows you to read electronic books in DAISY format (not RFB&D DAISY, AudioPlus). It is a self-voicing program, meaning no speech synthesizer needs to be installed.
• SpokenText
• Speakonia is a Text-To-Speech Program which is controlled through a graphical user interface (Similar to Notepad). Speakonia reads aloud any given text. The reading can be paused, resumed and can be exported to a wave file. Speakonia is able to fetch webpages through an internal http interface and read them aloud for you. You can have your mails read to you using the 'Clipboard Reading' feature.
• Panopreter can read out Text, RTF, HTML and MS Word documents. You may input characters, words, phrases or longer text into the interface window to be read aloud. Create audio files in wave(.wav) and mp3 format, batch file conversion supported. Download free Panopreter Basic.
• E Text Reader IGT is a stable but large (25MB) TTS.
• WordTalk is a free text-to-speech plugin for Microsoft Word.
• Kindle Reading Apps - Free Kindle reader for PC, Mac and free book collections for Kindle.
• Blio eReader

E-Text Readers under $100

Program	Highlights	Study Skills	Price	Website
Source: Disability Compliance for Higher Education. Vol. 16, Issue 1, August 2010. Gaeir Dietrich
Adobe Reader	No	No	Free	www.adobe.com
Natural Reader	Yes	No	Free	www.naturalreaders.com
TextAloud	Yes	No	$29.95	www.nextup.com
Speaking Notepad	Yes	No	$29.95	www.quertystudios.com
ReadPlease Plus	Yes	No	$49.95	www.readplease.com
1st Read It Aloud	Yes	No	$19.95	www.quertystudios.com
The E-Text Reader	Yes	Yes	$79.95	www.readingmadeez.com
Text-to-Audio	No	No	$69.95	www.readingmadeez.com
Universal Reader Plus	No	Yes	$79.95	www.readingmadeez.com
WordRead	Unknown	Unknown	$95.00	www.enablemart.com

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