VICTOR READER STREAM
USER GUIDE
by HumanWare
V1.0.1 – 2023-02-17
User Guide
About VICTOR READER STREAM
HumanWare is proud to introduce the third version of VICTOR READER STREAM, the powerful digital talking book player.
VICTOR READER STREAM is designed as an advanced high-performance DAISY, MP3, and NISO player for students, professionals, or on-the-go people who have extensive reading needs. It allows you to transfer content from your PC to its internal memory or to an external SD card, and to receive content through Wi-Fi. It provides advanced navigation of multiple formats including DAISY, MP3, NISO and electronic text. The VICTOR READER STREAM will be referred to as the Stream throughout this User guide to shorten the text.
Copyright 2023. All rights reserved, Technologies HumanWare.
This User Guide is protected by copyright belonging to HumanWare, with all rights reserved. The User Guide may not be copied in whole or in part, without written consent from HumanWare.
Table of Contents
1 Overview of VICTOR READER STREAM
1.2 Physical Description of VICTOR READER STREAM
1.2.1 Front Face of the Player
1.2.3 Right Side of the Player
1.2.5 Bottom Edge of the Player
1.3.1 Turning the Player On and Off
1.3.2 Player Reset Using Power Button
1.4 Inserting or Removing an SD Card
1.8 Transferring Files Between Your Computer and Stream
2.1 Changing Volume, Speed, Tone/Pitch
2.1.1 Different Speed settings for TTS and Audio playback
2.2 Changing Bass and Treble (Music bookshelf)
2.5 Sleep Mode and Time announcement
3.4 Text-to-Speech Navigation Elements
3.5 Spell Mode for Text Content
3.6 Bookshelf Navigation — Key 1
3.6.1 Online Bookshelf Navigation
3.6.2 Multi-Level Bookshelf Navigation
3.7 User Guide — Key 1 (Press and hold)
3.9.1 Where am I tag information
3.9.2 Where am I for online books
3.10 Multi-Voice Text to Speech (TTS)
3.11 Random Music Playback Modes — Key 9
3.12 Confirm, Lock and Cancel — Pound and Star keys
3.13.1 Available Information Items
4 Direct Navigation (Go To Key)
4.5 Go to Beginning and End of Book
4.7 Functions for Online Services
5.1.2 Other types of text search
6.2.3 Save Last Used Navigation Level for Each Book
6.4.1 Recording volume adjustment
6.4.2 Preferred recording source
6.4.3 Built-in Microphone File Type
6.4.4 Headset Recording File Type
6.4.5 External Recording Source
6.4.7 External Recording File Type
7 Bookshelf Structure and Characteristics
7.1.2 Other Books Characteristics
7.2.6 Folder and File Name Announcement
7.3.2 Saved Podcasts Characteristics
7.4.2 Text File Characteristics
7.4.3 Navigating HTML/XML/DOCX Headings
7.5.2 Note File Characteristics
8 Other Stream Wireless Features
8.2.1 NFB Newsline (Eligible United States citizens and residents only)
8.2.2 NLS BARD (Eligible United States citizens and residents only)
8.2.3 Bookshare (eligible users only)
8.2.5 References (Wikipedia and Wiktionary)
11.1 Battery Safety Precautions
12 Technologies HumanWare Contact Information
14 Appendix 1 - Manufacturer Warranty
1 Overview of VICTOR READER STREAM
1.1 Unpacking the Player
The package contains the following items:
- VICTOR READER STREAM
- Power supply with four international adapters.
- USB-C to USB cable to connect to the PC or power adapter
- Printed getting started guide
1.2 Physical Description of VICTOR READER STREAM
1.2.1 Front Face of the Player
The face of the player can be divided into upper and lower sections:
- In the upper section are 5 rows of 3 keys each. The top left, square-shaped key is the Go To Page key to allow you to go directly to a desired page or heading number. Above the Go To Page key is a very small hole. This is the built-in mono microphone. To the right of the Go To Page key is the circular shaped Online button for turning on and off the Airplane Mode (Wi-Fi) and switching between the player’s offline and online bookcases. To the right of the Online button is the diamond-shaped Bookmark key for setting and returning to marked passages. The Bookmark key also allows you to toggle text input mode when typing. Rows 2 through 5 comprise a 12 key telephone-style numeric keypad with two raised dots on the number 5 key. There is a raised edge on the 2, 4, 6 and 8 keys. This numeric keypad is used to move through the structure of a book as well as enter bookmark, page, or heading numbers. It is also used to enter text in text entry fields.
· Below the number pad are 4 keys. The Play/Stop key is located at the bottom of the player between the Rewind and Fast Forward keys. Both the Rewind and Fast-Forward keys can be identified with their raised edge. Above the Play/Stop key is the Sleep key. Press this Sleep key multiple times to activate different Sleep timers after which the player will automatically shut off. Press & hold the Sleep key to announce the time and date.
1.2.2 Left Side of the Player
On the left side of the player, near the top corner, is the Power/Toggle button. Press and hold this button to power on and off the player. Below the Power button is a LED indicator. This LED glows steady when the Stream is powered on and blinks while the Stream is off and recharging the battery. When the player is on, you press this same Power button to toggle the volume, speed and tone/pitch settings. Below the LED is a double button. This is the Up/Down button used to increase or decrease the respective volume, speed or tone/pitch selected with the toggle button. The volume settings are saved between sessions.
At the bottom of the left side of the player is the stereo microphone jack, which can be used to connect an external microphone or line-in.
1.2.3 Right Side of the Player
On the right side of the player, near the top corner, is the Record button which has a raised red circle tactile marker on it.
1.2.4 Top Edge of the Player
The top edge consists of the SD card slot, protected by a small silicone cover.
1.2.5 Bottom Edge of the Player
In the center of the bottom edge is the USB-C port. Use this port to recharge the device, connect to a computer and access the internal memory and/or the SD card using Media Transfer Protocol. While connected to the computer, the battery will also recharge. Charging from the computer USB port may be slower or the player may not charge at all depending on the amount of power supplied by the computer. The most effective way to recharge is to use the USB cable connected to the included power adapter to recharge the player from the power mains. Note: If you wish, you may safely use any other commercial USB charger without damaging your Stream. However, other chargers may take longer to charge the Stream. HumanWare recommends a 1.5-amp USB charger.
To the left of the USB-C port is the headphone jack which can also be used to connect to external speakers.
To the right of the USB-C port is the speaker, formed of four small holes. The speaker will not be active if headphones are plugged in.
1.2.6 Back side of the Player
The player's model and serial number can be found on the back side of the device. This same information can also be obtained by pressing INFO (key 0) or by pressing and holding key 5. Around the label is a rubber outline.
1.2.7 Recharging the Battery
The battery will automatically recharge if needed whenever the player is plugged to AC power or a computer. When the player is powered Off and plugged in, the power LED indicator will blink if the battery is recharging. The player can also be used while recharging but in this case the LED will glow steady instead of blink. To obtain battery and recharge status, press and hold the Confirm key. You can also obtain the battery and recharge status when you press the INFO key (key 0). A full recharge takes up to 3 hours on AC power. Computers supply different levels of power or perhaps no power at all on their USB ports depending on the computer and its configuration. Therefore, when recharging from a computer USB port, the Stream will likely take longer to recharge, or possibly not recharge at all, depending on the USB power supplied by the computer.
You may safely use a USB-C AC adapter other than the supplied power adapter. For optimal recharge, HumanWare recommends a 1.5-amp USB power adapter and a quality USB Cable. Adapters with less power will likely require more than 3 hours to fully recharge the battery.
When the player is operating on battery and left in pause mode for more than 30 minutes, it will shut Off automatically to save the battery.
Important: It is normal for the battery to become warm during recharging. Therefore, it is recommended not to charge the battery with the player near a heat source or within any kind of enclosure.
The fully charged battery will provide up to 15 hours playtime on headphones. However, battery playtime may be reduced in the following cases:
- If the battery is charged for less than 3 hours.
- When the player is used in online mode.
- Extensive use of book navigation commands.
- High volume level or High-Speed playback.
- After about 400 recharge cycles the ability for the battery to hold a charge will start to diminish.
1.3 Power Button
1.3.1 Turning the Player On and Off
To turn the player On, press and hold the Power key for a few seconds, which is located on the left side of the player, near the top corner. You will hear a beep and a welcome message.
To turn the player Off, press and hold the Power key again. The device will announce “Shutting down, please wait”, followed by two beeps, indicating the player has completed the powering Off.
1.3.2 Player Reset Using Power Button
If the Stream does not respond to any key presses including power off, hold down the Power button for 7 seconds to force a player reset.
1.4 Inserting or Removing an SD Card
To insert and remove an SD card, follow these steps:
· Hold the player facing you. The SD card slot is on the top edge of the player.
· Pull back the rubber cover that covers the slot.
· One corner of the SD card is cut at a 45-degree angle. This cut corner should be at the bottom left when you insert the card into the player slot. If the card is not oriented properly, it will resist insertion. Some cards have a small write-lock tab on its right edge.
· Gently push the card down into the slot until it clicks into place. Do not use excessive force. Only slight pressure is required to lock the SD card into place.
· Put the rubber cover back in place to cover the slot.
· To remove the card, push down on the top edge to release it. Then pull it out.
1.4.1 SD Card Voice Label
Attaching print or Braille labels to SD cards is not possible as it can damage the Stream. To help you identify SD cards, the Stream supports an optional voice label. The label is stored in a reserved text file named $VRLabel.txt saved on the root of an SD card. In the Tools menu of the free HumanWare Companion software, you can create this label file for your SD card. You may also use Windows Notepad to create the file. Whenever you insert the card or turn on the Stream, it will look for this label file. If found, Stream will announce its contents. The label cannot exceed 50 characters. Stream will ignore any characters after the first 50 in the label file. This label file is optional. If you do not require an auto-announcing label for your SD card there is no need to set it up. This label has nothing to do with the label that you see when viewing the SD card Properties in Windows.
1.5 SD Card Detection
When playing the contents of an SD card and when it is removed from the player, the player will switch to internal memory if there are files present. If no files are present in the internal memory, the player will enter the key describer mode.
If the player is powered on with both an SD card and/or files in its internal memory present, the system will scan the SD card first and will select the last book played. If the last book read is not present, it will select the first available book present on the SD card. If no books are found on the SD card, then the system will scan for books on the internal memory.
1.6 Bookshelf Structure
The Stream recognizes various book types which are saved in separate folder structures called Bookshelves. To select the Bookshelf you want to read, press multiple times the Bookshelf (1) key. To move backward and forward along each Bookshelf, use the 4 and 6 keys. The Bookshelf list is circular. Except for the Notes bookshelf and bookshelves for online services, only the non-empty bookshelves will be announced. On the SD or internal memory, each Bookshelf is stored within a reserved folder name beginning with “$VR”. Within each of these reserved folders (Bookshelves) there may be user defined subfolders containing separate books or categories of files. You may put other folders and files on the SD card but it is only the contents of the $VR reserved folders that define the Stream bookshelves. When you insert a card that is not write-protected, Stream will automatically create the $VR reserved folders.
The Bookshelf structure and usage are defined as follows:
Bookshelf: DAISY
Talking Books ($VRDTB folder).
Book types: DAISY, NISO and unprotected EPUB books (see Technical specifications sections for more details)
Usage: To navigate easily in this bookshelf, it is recommended that the files comprising each of your DTB books should be saved in separate subfolders under this folder. Single book files such as EPUB files may be saved in the root of this folder. Use the 2 or 8 keys to select folder or book navigation level and keys 4 or 6 to navigate at the chosen level. Press PLAY to select the book. In this bookshelf, the current reading position and bookmarks are saved separately for each book.
Bookshelf: Other Books ($VROtherBooks folder).
Book types: Non-DAISY, non-NISO recorded books composed of any of the Stream's supported audio file types (see section Technical specifications for more details).
Usage: To make your navigation in this bookshelf easier, it is recommended that the files comprising each book should be saved in separate subfolders under this folder. Folders may be nested. Optionally, single-file books may be directly placed in the root of this folder. Use the 2 or 8 keys to select folder or book navigation level and keys 4 or 6 to navigate at the chosen level. Press PLAY to select the book. In this bookshelf, the current reading position and bookmarks are saved separately for each book. Playback stops at the end of the last file of each book.
Bookshelf: Music ($VRMusic folder).
Book types: Playlists and recorded files composed of any of the Stream's supported audio file types (see Technical specifications section for more details).
Usage: A music book is either a playlist or the entire music structure (referred to as All Music book). The current reading position and bookmarks are saved separately for each book. Navigate between music books (playlists) using the 4 and 6 keys on the bookshelf. The All Music book consists of nested folders containing audio files. For example, the structure could be genre, artist, album, and tracks. Navigate the All Music book using 2 or 8 keys to choose folder or file navigation level and then move within that level using 4 or 6 keys. Playback continues from the last file of one folder to the first file of the next folder. Random options apply only to the Music books.
Bookshelf: Saved Podcasts ($VRPodcasts)
Book types: Any of the Stream's supported audio file types (see Technical specifications section for more details).
Usage: Each saved podcast file is defined as a separate book meaning you must move from file to file using the 4 or 6 keys while in the Bookshelf. Files may be in subfolders in which case you use keys 2 and 8 to select folder or book navigation level. Reading position and bookmarks are saved separately for each book (file). Playback stops at the end of each book (file). In addition to podcast, it can be used to place the audio track of a movie, a concert or any lengthy recording that the user wants to consider as one item for current position and bookmarks purpose.
Bookshelf: Text ($VRText folder).
Book types: all types of text files supported by the Stream (see Technical specifications section for more details).
Usage: Each text file is defined as a separate book meaning you must move from file to file using the 4 and 6 keys while in the Bookshelf. Files may be in subfolders in which case you use keys 2 and 8 to select folder or book navigation level. Reading position and bookmarks are saved separately for each book (file). Playback stops at the end of each book (file). Note: If your braille file is not playing correctly, check that you have selected the correct braille translation table in the configuration menu (Key 7). Some textfiles might have a different encoding. If the file doesn’t play well, you can change the default text encoding in the configuration menu.
Bookshelf: Notes ($VRNotes folder)
Book types: Recorded audio notes
Usage: This is a single list of files recorded by the Stream where each file is given an incremental number for each separate recording. Each note is defined as a single book, meaning there is one current reading position and set of bookmarks for each note.
Bookshelf: Radio Recordings ($VRInternetRadio)
Book types: Recorded Internet radio tracks
Usage: Each saved radio recording is defined as a separate book, meaning you must move from file to file using the 4 and 6 keys while in the bookshelf. Press Play/Stop to play the selected recording.
Note: Folder names are shown in mixed case for readability, but Stream does not require mixed case.
1.7 Other Reserved File Names
The Stream may create other file names or folders beginning with “$VR” on an SD card. Removing or altering these files could result in unpredictable behavior.
1.8 Transferring Files Between Your Computer and Stream
To connect Stream to your computer for transferring files, connect the small end of the USB cable to the USB-C port on the bottom edge of the Stream and the other end to your computer's USB port. Windows will recognize the Stream and you can then use Windows Explorer to transfer files back and forth. Stream will also recharge while connected although the recharge time could be longer than recharging from AC power because the power supplied by the computer USB port may be less than from AC power. If you have an SD card inserted into your Stream, both the Stream’s internal memory and the SD card memory will be available on your PC, under separate folders. Inserting or removing the SD will have that SD card folder added or removed. If you have an SD card reader on your computer, you may find it easier to transfer files using the computer's SD card reader than using the USB cable with the Stream.
If you are not familiar with file transfers using Windows Explorer, you may want to install the optional HumanWare Companion software that may be downloaded for free from the HumanWare.com web site.
1.9 HumanWare Companion
The HumanWare Companion is a Windows program used in conjunction with the Victor Reader Stream, Stratus or Trek to manage your books, music, saved podcasts, voice notes, text notes, and text files. You can use the HumanWare Companion to copy your books, music, saved podcasts and text files to your player’s storage card, or remove these files from the storage card. You can also use the HumanWare Companion to update your Stream’s software. In order to do so, connect your Stream to the computer with the USB cable, or load an SD card into a computer card reader. To download and install the HumanWare Companion software, please visit: www.humanware.com/companion.
2.1 Changing Volume, Speed, Tone/Pitch
When the Stream is on, press the Power button on the top left side multiple times to toggle volume, speed, or tone/pitch. Depending of the bookshelf, Tone/Pitch can be replaced by bass/treble settings. After 10 seconds of non-use, the toggle control will return to Volume. Use the Up / Down arrows on the left side just below the Power button to raise or lower the selected setting. There is a beep to mark the upper and lower range of each control. If the book is not playing, STREAM will announce the setting position. For tone/pitch, bass/treble and speed, there is also a beep to mark the normal or 0 position. This indicates a flat tone setting, a normal pitch or normal speed setting.
If preferred, you can configure the Tone control so that it varies the audio pitch instead for playing audio that is not on the music bookshelf. Some people benefit more from a change in the pitch of recorded audio than a change in the tone. To vary the pitch instead of the tone, press key 7 to open the Playback and Navigation Menu. Then use the right arrow to find Audio Adjustment mode and use the pound key to select Pitch.
To comply with governmental regulations from multiple countries, the Stream must enforce a high volume warning notification system. When using a wired headset or headphones, you will receive a warning when you try to increase the volume over the level of 9 out of 20. The warning message is mandatory and must be listened to in its entirety before confirming the volume increase using the pound key. The high volume confirmation will last until the player is shutdown, or until 20 hours have passed, whichever comes first. On shutdown, if the headphone volume was above 9, it will be reset to volume 9. If your Stream is still powered on after 20 hours and the current headphone volume is above 9, the volume will automatically reset to volume 9, and you will have to listen to the volume warning message again if you want to increase the volume over 9.
2.1.1 Different Speed settings for TTS and Audio playback
The Stream will remember separate Speed settings for each of text-to-speech and audio playback. You can change the speed of one without affecting the other. The same will apply to all books using Text-to-Speech. Music files are not affected by your speed setting because their speed is always set to normal by default. The TTS speed applies also to messages and menus spoken in TTS.
2.2 Changing Bass and Treble (Music bookshelf)
For the Music bookshelf, the Tone/Pitch setting is replaced with Bass and Treble controls. Press the Power button multiple times to toggle between Volume, Speed, Bass and Treble. To alter the lower frequencies, select the Bass control and either add bass by setting the control to a positive value or remove bass by selecting a setting below zero. Similarly, you can add or remove treble. Adding or removing bass will not alter the treble and vice versa. To hear the music unaltered, set the bass and treble controls to their 0 setting.
2.3 Play/Stop
To start playing a book, press the Play/Stop key.
To stop playing a book, press the Play/Stop key again.
NOTE: Instead of the Confirm key, you can also press Play/Stop to jump to an entered page, heading or bookmark number. If you end your numeric entry with Play/Stop then playback will start at the specified page, heading or bookmark number.
2.4 Rewind and Fast Forward
These keys allow you to go backward or forward quickly.
Press and hold the Rewind or Fast Forward key until you reach the desired position, the movement of the Rewind or Fast Forward keys will accelerate the longer you hold the key down. For each three seconds you hold the keys, you will move forward or backward 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes and so on. The largest jump is 5 minutes. Between each three second jump, Stream will announce the time jump and play a clip at normal speed.
If you simply press and release Fast Forward or Rewind instead of holding it down, playback will jump forward or backward by 5 seconds.
If you are reading a text file, pressing and holding the Rewind and Forward key permit to jump from percentages instead of time: 1%, 2%, 5% and so on. The largest jump is 5%. If you do a short press on the Rewind or Forward key, your text will jump from a line.
2.5 Sleep Mode and Time announcement
The Sleep button allows you to obtain time announcements and set the Sleep Timer.
Press multiple times to set a Sleep timer of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes and 60 minutes, after which the Stream will automatically shut off. You may configure which Sleep timer values appear using the settings menu.
To deactivate the Sleep function, press Sleep repeatedly until you reach the OFF option.
One minute before the timer powers off the player, you will hear a message informing you that 1 minute of Sleep remains. When the timer expires, the player announces that it is powering off. If desired, you may turn off these warning messages in the Navigation and Playback section of the configuration Menu (key 7).
Press & hold the sleep key to hear the time and date. You can configure the way the time and date are announced in the settings menu.
2.6 Setting the Date and Time
To set the date and time, press key 7 to open the Configuration menu. Use keys 4 and 6 to access the item General Settings. Use keys 4 and 6 to access the item System and press Confirm. In the System menu, use keys 4 and 6 to access the item Date and Time and press Confirm. Use the 4 and 6 keys to navigate the menu. Date and time menu items are as follows: Change Time, Change Date and Advanced Time Settings. When on the menu item of your choice, press Confirm to enter that given menu. This menu will have various submenu items. Enter the correct value for each submenu using the numeric keys. Press Confirm to move to the next submenu item or press Star to return to the menu. If an invalid entry is made, the operation will fail. When you reach the last submenu, press Confirm to confirm your settings and return to the date and time configuration menu.
The daylight saving time setting is a quick way to manually adjust your clock forward or back one hour. You can manually activate Daylight Saving Time in the Advanced Time Setting submenu.
Note: This setting does not make the player automatically change the time at the predetermined date twice a year.
Example:
If you wish to modify the current month:
Access the Date and Time menu.
Press 6 once to reach the Change Date menu and press Confirm.
Press Confirm once to reach the Year submenu.
Enter the year (i.e. 2023) using numeric keys or simply press the Confirm key.
Press Confirm to move to the next submenu (Enter month).
Enter the month (i.e. 1 to 12) using numeric keys.
Press Confirm to move to the next submenu (enter day).
If you do not wish to modify the day, press Confirm again to reach the end of the Change Date menu, at which point any settings entered in the Change Date menu will be saved.
Press the Star key to exit the Time and Date settings menu.
2.7 Key Describer Mode
Press and hold the Info (0) key to access the Key Describer Mode. Press and hold the Info key again to exit the Key Describer Mode.
If there is no content available, the key describer mode will be activated automatically.
While in Key Describer mode, you may press any key to hear its functions.
3.1 Numeric Keypad List
- 1: if pressed, Bookshelf; if pressed and hold, entering in the user guide
- 2: Navigation element
- 3: Delete / Copy / Move
- 4: Back
- 5: if pressed, Where am I; if pressed and hold, Short info (user keys, serial and version number)
- 6: Forward
- 7: if pressed, Menu; if pressed and hold, Text-to-Speech voice toggle
- 8: Navigation Element
- 9: Text-to-Speech / Recorded audio modes toggle / Random and Loop modes toggle (Music)
- Star: if pressed, Cancel; if pressed and hold, keypad lock
- 0: if pressed, Info; if pressed and hold, Key Describer mode
- Pound: if pressed, Confirm; if pressed and hold, battery level and download information
3.2 Navigation Keys
Stream allows you to navigate by chapter, section, page, time jump, paragraph, or any other existing indexed element defined by the producer of the book.
Use the 2 and 8 keys to choose a navigation level. These differ from book to book but typically level 1 means chapter, level 2 means section, and level 3 means sub-section and so on. For some books the actual name of the level will be said (Chapter, section, etc..) The page element may not be present on all books. The phrase level is usually the smallest navigation element but this is defined by the book producer. Stream limits phrase jumps to a maximum length of 1 minute. First, choose a navigation level (chapter, page, etc.), using the 2 and 8 keys. Then use the 4 and 6 keys to move backward and forward between elements at the selected level. The 2 and 8 keys will announce only the levels available for the book. The phrase level is always provided for DAISY books but its extent depends on the book producer. If bookmarks are present in the book, you can choose to navigate by bookmarks. You can choose to save the last used navigation level for each book from the Navigation and Playback configuration menu.
3.2.1 Undo navigation
Pressing the Star key within 10 seconds of any single move backwards or forwards using keys 4 or 6 or single go to page move will undo the operation and return you to your previous position. The Undo function does not apply to the Rewind or Fast Forward buttons.
3.3 Time Jump Navigation Mode
Time Jump navigation can be selected using the 2 and 8 keys.
Press the key 4 to move backward or the key 6 to move forward by the jump interval.
You can choose to turn on or off any or all of the time intervals (30 seconds, 1, 5, 10 or 30 minutes) in the Navigation and Playback section of the configuration Menu (key 7). Only the time jump intervals you turned on will appear in the up and down navigation menu.
3.4 Text-to-Speech Navigation Elements
When Stream is in Text-to-speech mode, there will be additional text navigation levels added to the 2 and 8 (up and down) key rotation. These include the text elements: screen, paragraph, line, sentence, word, spell and character. If you do a search in a text, then a Search level is added to allow search of the next or previous search term. Screen and line elements are defined arbitrarily as 25 lines per screen and a maximum of 80 characters per line. As with other navigation levels, you can move between elements of the selected level using the 4 and 6 (left and right) keys. The Screen element will only be available when no pages are defined in the book.
3.5 Spell Mode for Text Content
Spell mode can be selected using the 2 and 8 keys. The Spell mode can be found between the Word and character navigation levels. Use keys 4 and 6 to move word by word. Stream will announce the word and spell it. Capital letters are indicated and that word will be spelled.
3.6 Bookshelf Navigation — Key 1
Press the Bookshelf (1) key multiple times to rotate through the circular list of Bookshelves. With the exception of Notes and configured online services bookshelves, empty bookshelves will not be announced. Bookshelves contain different types of books and files as defined in the section Bookshelf Structure. Move backward and forward along a Bookshelf using the 4 and 6 keys. Press the Go To key (above key 1) to enter a relative book number. End the book number entry with the Confirm key to move to the entered book number and remain on the bookshelf. When you reach the desired book, press Play to have the Stream start to play from where you left off in the selected book.
3.6.1 Online Bookshelf Navigation
The Stream contains two bookcases, offline and online, each containing multiple bookshelves. Toggle between the offline and online bookcases using the Online button above key 2. The online bookshelves have the same structure as the offline bookshelves; use the Bookshelf (1) key multiple times to rotate through them, and the 4 and 6 keys to move backward and forward along them.
3.6.2 Multi-Level Bookshelf Navigation
Optionally, you can create a multi-level folder structure for the Talking books, Other Books, Saved Podcasts and Text File bookshelves. Instead of only cycling through books one at a time with keys 4 and 6, you can choose the level of navigation with the UP and DOWN keys 2 and 8. Then, when pressing keys 4 or 6, you will move from folder to folder at the chosen level in a circular fashion. When you arrive at the folder of interest, press keys 2 or 8 again to select the book level within that folder and proceed to select the desired book. Navigating at the book level will also move from folder to folder. The Stream will navigate up to 8 levels of folders under the $VR folder. If you have more than 8 levels, the additional levels will be recognized by the Stream as level 8. If you also put files in the root of the $VR folder, those files will only be listed at the Book level of the 2 and 8 rotation.
Note: Multi-level bookshelves are not mandatory. If you choose not to organize books at multiple subfolder levels, you can just browse the bookshelf with keys 4 and 6 to navigate at the Book level.
3.7 User Guide — Key 1 (Press and hold)
You can access the built-in user guide at any time by pressing and holding key 1. Press and hold key 1 again to exit. The built-in user guide is in DAISY format, so it can easily be navigated by heading and section levels.
3.8 Manage Books — Key 3
When browsing bookshelves or from a book, you can manage your books by rotating between the following actions with key 3: Delete, Copy, Copy All, or Move. Additionally, other operations are available when pressing the key 3, depending of each bookshelf. To know more about the options available with the key 3 in a specific bookshelf, press multiple times the key 3 to rotate between options. When you heard the desired option, press the Confirm key to select it. You can press the Star key at any time to cancel and return to your book. The actions that are available for each book depend on the type and location of the book. There are exceptions, but the basic rules are:
· Books located on an SD card or the internal memory can be deleted.
· Books located in the internal memory can be moved.
· Books located on the Online Bookshelf can be moved or deleted.
While browsing or playing the files in the All Music book, you can press key 3 to delete a single file. Press the Confirm key to confirm deletion or any other key to cancel. To delete a folder, navigate back to the folder’s level. Press key 3 to delete the folder and the Confirm key to confirm deletion or any other key to cancel. You may not however delete a file from a playlist.
While browsing the Notes book, you can press key 3 to delete a single Note file. Press the Confirm key to delete the selected item and the Stream will ask you to confirm. Press Confirm again to delete or any other key to cancel deletion. You can consolidate your notes by pressing key 3 twice. Consolidating your notes will number them from 1 to the number of notes you have. Press the Confirm key to consolidate your notes and press the Confirm key again to confirm or any other key to cancel.
Note that books can be stored on both the SD card and the internal memory of the player. For book management, the behavior for SD cards and internal memory is the same.
3.9 Where am I? — Key 5
The Where am I key will announce your reading position without interrupting the reading process. Depending on the book type, Stream will announce one or more of the page and heading numbers, section title, or file name. For Music, it will announce current folder and file names and the file times. For Talking books, Other Books, Saved Podcasts and Notes, it will announce the percentage of the book or note played as well as individual file times. For text files, it will announce the percentage of the file played. Reading will resume once this information has been announced. For talking books, the time remaining in the section will also be announced. For most books, this translates as the time remaining in the current chapter. Note that time information is not always available.
If you press and hold the key 5, it will give you a shortened version of the Info menu containing the version number, number of user keys installed and serial number.
3.9.1 Where am I tag information
For mp3 and mp4 files, if you press Where am I (key 5) twice, the Stream will announce ID3 tags data. While listening to an Internet Radio station, pressing Where am I (key 5) once will announce the name of the radio station that is streaming. Pressing Where am I (key 5) twice will announce additional information about the station if available. If you don't want to hear all the tags, press Play to interrupt the tag information and resume playback.
3.9.2 Where am I for online books
While reviewing the list of results after doing an online book search, press Where am I (key 5) to hear additional information about the book such as the book synopsis.
3.10 Multi-Voice Text to Speech (TTS)
The Stream allows the usage of two voices of your choice: one menu voice and one additional voice.
You can toggle which voice is used to read the content by pressing and holding key 7. The menu is always read with the menu voice as the name implies.
3.11 Random Music Playback Modes — Key 9
When playing Music, you can press key 9 to toggle between the following playback modes: Random Off, Random On, Loop Folder, and Loop Single. Random On will randomize your playlist elements, while Loop folder will automatically start playback from the beginning of the current folder when the end of the folder is reached. Loop Single will automatically start playback from the beginning of the current file when the end of the file is reached. Note that the Loop Folder and Loop Single modes have priority over the Loop settings in the configuration menu.
3.12 Confirm, Lock and Cancel — Pound and Star keys
The Pound (Confirm) key allows you to confirm an operation or end a numeric entry such as a page number or a text entry such as a text search item. Press and hold Confirm to announce battery and recharge status as well as download information.
The Star key allows you to cancel an operation. If you press and hold the Star key, it will also lock the keypad. To unlock, press keys 1, 2, and 3 in sequence. There is one exception to the keyboard locking and it is the power off. So, a short press on the Power key will not shutdown the device and a message “Keyboard lock” will be heard, but holding down the Power key for 2 seconds will power down the player.
3.13 Info — Key 0
The Info (0) key announces book, player, and battery information. There are two ways to access the information.
Press the Info (0) key. All information items will be announced. You can also press the Info (0) key and press key 4 or 6 to move backward or forward through the items. Pressing the Info (0) key repeatedly will also permit to move through each item.
To cancel the Info messages, press the Star or Play keys.
You may also press and hold the Info key to enter and exit Key Describer Mode.
While the information items are announced, the Key Describer Mode cannot be activated.
3.13.1 Available Information Items
Book title
Number of Notes (Notes bookshelf only)
Number of files and folders (Music Bookshelf only)
Number of pages where available and number of headings
Recording time remaining (Notes bookshelf only)
Total time in the book
Playtime elapsed and playtime remaining
Number of Bookmarks set in the book
Number of Books
Note: the information about the internal space is announced at first, then the information about the sd card.
Internal memory space remaining
SD space remaining
Battery status or, if the player is operating on AC power, the status of the battery recharge
Download Info
Wireless status
VICTOR READER Stream model number, software version number, number of user authorization keys (if any), and player serial number.
4.1 Go to Page
The Go to Page function allows you to go directly to a desired page.
Press the Go to key, above key 1. If you press this key once, you will hear “Go to page”. Enter a page number. Press Confirm to go to the selected Page. Stream will confirm the entered Page number. You can also press the Play/Stop key to have Stream start playback from the chosen page.
4.2 Go to Heading
If you press the Go to key twice, you will hear “Go to heading”. It allows you to enter a heading number relative to the start of a DAISY or NISO book. This is useful for books that do not have page markers. For example, you could jump directly to a chapter by going to its heading number rather than advancing chapter by chapter.
End your heading number entry with Confirm to move to that heading or end with Play to move and start playback.
4.3 Go to Time
The Stream has a Go To Time feature for DAISY or NISO recorded books, Other Books, Saved Podcasts, and Audio Notes bookshelves. While in these bookshelves, press the Go To key until you hear, “Go To Time”. Then, enter a time in hours and minutes relative to the start of the book or audio note. The last 2 digits of the entry represent minutes and the other digits represent hours. The minutes can range from 00 to 99. For example:
- Enter 1 to position 1 minute from the start of the book or note
- Enter 12 to position 12 minutes from the start
- Enter 123 or 83 for 1 hour 23 minutes
- Enter 1200 for 12 hours and 0 minutes
4.4 Go To Percent
When reading files in the Text Bookshelf or audio files in the Other Books or Saved Podcast bookshelves, the Go to Page key will become a Go To Percent key for navigating to relative positions x% from the start of the file. Press Go To Percent and then enter a percentage from 0 to 100. Press Confirm to position to that relative position in the file or press Play to position and start playback at that relative position. For example, entering 0 will position to the start of the file, entering 50 will position to the middle of the file, and entering any number greater than 99 will position to the end of the file. For text files, Stream moves to the beginning of the paragraph that contains the position of the specified percentage.
4.5 Go to Beginning and End of Book
To quickly reach the beginning or end of a book, you can press the Go to key followed by Rewind or Play to go to the Beginning of the book or press the Go To key followed by Fast Forward to jump to the end of the book.
4.6 Go to Book
If you are browsing the Bookshelf, the Go to Page key becomes a Go to Book key allowing you to enter a relative book number on a given Bookshelf which is useful for Bookshelves that contain many books. Press Go To key and enter a number for the book you want to go to. You can then press Confirm to navigate to the book or Play to start playing the book.
4.7 Functions for Online Services
Special functions are available on the Go To key when browsing the online bookshelves while connected to a wireless network. If the Go To key is pressed twice when browsing the NFB Newsline bookshelf, it allows you to manually synchronize downloaded content with the NFB Newsline online service. When browsing the Bookshare or NLS BARD bookshelf, pressing the Go To key twice will allow you to search for books using the online services. When browsing the Internet Radio bookshelf, pressing the Go To key will allow you to navigate to a specific radio station or a specific playlist containing radio stations. Then, press the Play key to start listening the radio station selected. From the References bookshelf, the Go To key also allows you to search for Wikipedia and Wiktionary references from a book or go directly to a specific file. From the Podcasts bookshelf, you can use the Go To key to add podcast feeds, go to a specific podcast feed or check for new episodes. For all online searches, the Go To key can be used to go directly to a specific search result by entering the search result number followed by Confirm.
5.1 Text Search
The Stream has a text search function for text books. Using the multi-tap text entry method on the number keys as you would to enter text on a telephone, you can type in your search item. If you use the Stream with a different text-to-speech language, the typing keypad will offer the characters of the currently selected language. Press and hold key 7 to switch from one text-to-speech language to the other.
The following describes how to perform a text search from a book in the Text Files bookshelf. This method can also be used to search DAISY or NISO books (e.g. Bookshare) found in the Talking Books or online bookshelves providing the book has text and the player is in text-to-speech mode (key 9). DAISY or NISO books that are recorded only cannot be searched as they have no text.
Prior to searching in text for the first time, you should select your preferred method of typing on the Stream. There are two Multi-tap text entry methods: “Announce final character only” and “Announce character on each key press, then enter character after pause”. Select your desired method from the Multi-tap text entry method section of the configuration menu (key 7).
This can also be toggled by holding the Bookmark key for a few seconds when in a text entry field.
Each button is listed with its letter or symbols in order of their appearance.
When entering your password, you may toggle between lowercase, uppercase, and numeric only with the Bookmark key. Please note that the possibility to switch from lowercase to uppercase is only present in text fields that are case-sensitives, for example when you enter your password. In other text fields, you only have the choice to switch between text and numeric. When using a non-English voice, the list will vary based on the language.
1 Key: 1, period, comma, question mark, dash, forward slash, colon, semi colon, single quote, quotes, back slash, less than sign, greater than sign, opening bracket, closing bracket
2 Key: a, b, c, 2
3 Key: d, e, f, 3
4 Key: g, h, i, 4
5 Key: j, k, l, 5
6 Key: m, n, o, 6
7 Key: p, q, r, s, 7
8 Key: t, u, v, 8
9 Key: w, x, y, z, 9
0 Key: space, 0, exclamation mark, at sign, pound sign, dollar sign, percent sign, caret, ampersand, asterisk, opening parenthesis, closing parenthesis, underscore, plus sign, equal sign, UK Pound sign, euro, Yen sign
Follow these steps to use the search function:
- Open a text file from the Text Files bookshelf.
- Press the Go To key multiple times until you hear, “Search in text”.
- The Stream will announce the current word in the text. Press Confirm or Play to search for other occurrences of this word in the text.
- You can also delete single characters starting from the end of the word, or delete the whole word in one key press, then enter another word to search. Here’s how:
- To enter your text with the “Announce final character only” method, press the number keys 0 to 9 to type the text. For example, key 2 is used for letters a, b, c, and 2. Key 3 has d, e, f, and 3. Key 6 has m, n, o, 6 and so on. The space character is on key 0. Punctuation and special characters are on keys 0 and 1. To enter a letter, press the number key associated to that letter the appropriate number of times. When entering successive letters on the same key you need to pause until Stream announces the letter. For example, to type the word, “cab”, you press key 2 three times, then pause until you hear, “c”, then press it once, pause until you hear, “a”, then press it twice to type the last letter, “b”. You do not need to pause to type successive letters that are on different keys. For example, to enter the word, “mama”, you can press 6 2 6 2 as quickly as you like.
- In the “Announce character on each key press, then enter character after pause” method, the Stream will announce the character as soon as the key is pressed, leaving enough time to press again and select another character on the same key. After a short time, if no other key is pressed, the Stream will make a clicking noise, indicating that the character has been entered. Like in the previous method, you do not need to pause to type successive letters that are on different keys. Pressing another key enters the previous character automatically, and no clicking noise is made. This method allows you to find the letters on the numeric keypad more easily.
- Both text entry methods allow you to use the Bookmark key to toggle between lower case, upper case when applicable, and Numeric input types while entering your text to search.
- You may press and hold the Info key to enter the Key Describer mode. After that, press other keys to announce their function including announcing the characters for each number key. Press and hold the Info key again to exit the Key Describer and return to Text Entry mode.
- To announce what you have typed, press the Fast Forward key.
- To erase the last character typed, press the Rewind key.
- To erase all the characters at once, press and hold the Rewind key until you hear a beep.
- When you finish typing, you can exit the text entry mode in 3 ways: Press Cancel to exit without searching, or press Confirm or Play to start the search. Cancel will not affect any previous search information.
- If you pressed the Confirm key, the Stream will position itself at the location of the found search item and announce the found search item with few words before and after, for the contextualization. If you pressed the Play key, it will move to the found search item and start playing. The search is case insensitive. The search will find partial words in which case it will position at the start of the word containing the search text. Accented characters are not matched to non-accented characters or vice versa. A search always starts from the current position in a book.
If searching a large file, you may hear “Please Wait” while the search is in progress. If you press the Cancel key while searching, the search function is stopped, the current position remains at the original starting position.
5.1.1 Search Next or Previous
- Upon finding the search item, Stream will add a Search item to the navigation levels of keys 2 and 8 and select that level automatically. So, upon finding the first occurrence of your text, you can simply press keys 4 or 6 to find the previous or next occurrence. The previous or next Search function will remain on the 2 and 8 key rotation until the book is closed. You can press key 4 or 6 to search for the previous or next item while in play or stop mode.
- If a search forward is performed and the end of the book is reached, the message "End of book" will be announced, and the search then continues from the beginning of the book down to the original starting position of the search.
- If a search backward is performed and the beginning of the book is reached, the message "Beginning of book" will be announced and the search then continues from the end of the book up to the original starting position of the search.
- If no match is found, Stream will announce the search item was not found and return you to the original starting position.
- When you open a new book, the previous search item is cleared.
5.1.2 Other types of text search
Here’s a list of all search functions that use the multi-tap text entry method as described above.
- Text search in a text book.
- Search on Wikipedia and Wiktionary from either a text book or directly from the References bookshelf.
- Search for music files in the All Music and Music Playlists books.
- Search online services such as Internet Radio, Podcasts, NLS BARD and Bookshare.
5.2 Recording Audio Notes
You can use Stream for voice recordings which are called audio notes. These notes will be saved on the SD card in the $VRNotes folder. Each recording is assigned an incremental numeric filename. You can record using either the built-in microphone, the microphone of a headset connected in the audio jack or an external microphone plugged into the microphone jack located just above the record button. The built-in microphone is omni directional which is useful for recording meetings or lectures while an external directional microphone may be better for recording interviews. The maximum length of a single Audio note is 8 hours or a file size of 2 GB. The number of Audio notes you can record is only limited by the space left on your SD card.
There are two ways of recording notes. You can either use the quick-record feature or use the standard procedure.
To quick-record a note at any point, press and hold the Record button located on the right side of the player. A message and beep will be heard. Talk into the player's integrated microphone (located just above the Go To key) or into an external microphone. To end quick recording, release the Record button.
To record a long message, press the Record button located on the right side of the player to start the recording. To pause and resume recording, press the Play/Stop button. Press the Bookmark key during the recording to insert a bookmark. To end the recording, press the Record button again. While in recording mode, you may press the Star key to cancel the recording, and then press the Star key again to confirm that you really want to cancel the recording.
Please note that while recording with a plugged-in microphone, no system message will be heard, including if the battery level gets low, so make sure you have plenty of power or are plugged in to a power source.
To listen to your audio notes, use the Bookshelf (key 1) to find the Notes bookshelf. Press Confirm to enter the Notes bookshelf. Then, use the 4 and 6 keys to move from note to note. There is only one level of notes so nested folder navigation is not possible. You may choose to record in MP3, WAV or FLAC file types. Press menu key 7 to access the Configuration menu. Use the 4 and 6 keys to access the item Recording and press Confirm. Use the 4 and 6 keys to find the recording file type. Then use keys 4 and 6 to choose your desired file type.
Choosing the right recording file type, external source, and recording mode depends on the type of recording you want to do. For example, MP3 files allow you to record more audio than WAV files because of their smaller size, but WAV files offer a higher recording quality. The FLAC format is also available with the same quality of WAV, but smaller in file size. For MP3 files, selecting a smaller bitrate will result in smaller but lower quality files.
You can adjust the recording volume by navigating to the submenu “Recording volume adjustment”. You have the choice between “Fixed” and “Manual”. The fixed adjustment is the option by default, that permit to record with a normal volume value determined by the player. If you want to fine-tune the volume of your recordings, the Manual option will be better to suit all your needs. After selecting this option, you will be able to change the recording volume using the key 2 to lower the recording volume and the key 8 to raise it.
Microphone recording is generally used for voice notes and memos, while line-in recording is best if you want to record music or the radio from external sources. If you can barely hear your recording when using an external microphone, make sure the recording file type is not set to line-in. Stereo recording has a better audio quality and takes twice as much space as mono recording, so use the mono recording mode to reduce the file size or when recording from a mono source, which is the case for headsets and external microphones that are not specifically sold as being stereo.
5.3 Bookmarks
Bookmarks allow you to return to a place quickly and easily. You can place a virtually unlimited number of bookmarks in the same book. The Bookmark key lets you insert and return to bookmarks, hear them listed or remove them.
5.3.1 Go to Bookmark
Press the Bookmark key (above key 3) until you hear ‘go to bookmark’. Enter the number of the bookmark you wish to go to. Press Confirm. Stream will go to the bookmark and announce its number. Alternatively, press the Play/Stop key. Stream will go to the requested bookmark and begin playback.
5.3.2 Insert Bookmark
Press the Bookmark key twice or until you hear ‘insert bookmark’. You can also access this function by holding the Bookmark key down instead of pressing it twice. Enter the number from 1 to 99998 that you wish to assign to the Bookmark. Press Confirm to confirm, or the Play/Stop key to confirm and start playback. The bookmark will be stored in memory.
NOTE: If you confirm without entering a number, Stream will assign the first available bookmark number.
NOTE: If you enter 99999 as the bookmark number, an invalid entry message will be announced and the action will be cancelled, since this number is reserved to remove all bookmarks. See Remove Bookmark.
You may even insert a simple bookmark while recording a long audio note. This would be useful to mark an important comment made during a lecture or meeting that you are recording. To set a bookmark while recording, simply press the Bookmark key once. You cannot insert a bookmark during a quick recording (while holding down the Record key).
5.3.3 Remove Bookmark
Press the Bookmark key three times, or until you hear ‘remove bookmark’. Enter the number of the Bookmark you wish to remove. Press Confirm.
To remove all the Bookmarks in a book, first press the Bookmark key three times or until you hear ‘remove bookmark’, then press the key 9 five times (enter number 99999). Then press Confirm.
The Stream can be customized using the Configuration menu. When using an application, press the key 7 to open the local menu. Press key 7 again to access the global menu. Please note that if there is no local settings in an application, the message “No local settings” will be heard when pressing the first time the Key 7 and you will be directed automatically to the global menu. When in a menu, use the 4 and 6 keys to navigate through the list or items and the Pound (#) key to access an item. Press the Star (*) key to go back a level. In the next sections, we will go through all the device’s menus. You will learn how to interact with the functions of your device.
6.1 General Settings
6.1.1 Language
6.1.1.1 Select Content Voice
Use this item to select the text-to-speech voice with which the content of the books will be read. Press the Pound key to toggle between one voice and another.
Note that you can also toggle from one voice to another by pressing and holding key 7.
6.1.1.2 Braille translation tables
Different braille translation tables are made available to you depending on the Text-to-Speech language selected. In the Language Menu, use keys 4 or 6 to access the braille translation table item, then the Confirm key to enter in this submenu. Use the keys 4 or 6 to select the braille translation table value of your choice. Press Confirm to accept choice. The first table in the list is the current default. Whichever table you select will become the new default table for the corresponding text-to-speech voice.
6.1.1.3 Select encoding
When a text or braille file is opened, the device will try to use the appropriate encoding associated with the content. Unfortunately, it happens that the document cannot be read properly and in these circumstances, you would have to use the option “Select encoding” to force the device to read your document in another encoding and so, to be able to read your document properly. To change the encoding, go to the item “Select encoding”, then press the Confirm key. You will have access to the list. Select your preferred option, then press the Confirm key to validate. The selected option will become the option by default and will be the first on this list the next time you will return in this submenu.
6.1.2 System
6.1.2.1 Keyboard
6.1.2.1.1 Key Beeps
You can turn on or off the beeps heard when pressing keys. Turning off this option will also suppress the second beep heard when starting playback as well as the "locked" message indicating that the keypad has been locked. The Locked message cannot be turned off for the Power key. The up / down keys on the left side of the player will beep at their minimum, normal, and maximum positions regardless of this menu setting.
6.1.2.1.2 Multi-Tap Text Entry Method
There are two multi-tap text entry methods: “Announce character on each key press, then enter character after pause” and “Announce final character only” (default method). You can toggle between methods using Confirm. See section 5.1 (Text Search) to learn how to use each method.
This can also be toggled by pressing and holding the Bookmark key when in a text entry field.
6.1.2.2 Date and Time
6.1.2.2.1 Change Time
Select this item to change the time on the device. You can set the hours, minutes, and switch from AM to PM (if in 12h hour format).
6.1.2.2.2 Change Date
Select this item to change the date on the device. You can set the year, month, and day.
6.1.2.2.3 Advanced Time Settings
Select this item to change the format of the time and date.
You can change the Time Format: (12h/24h); the Date Format (Month/Day/Year, Year/Month/Day, Day/Month/Year); the Daylight-Saving Time/Standard Time; the Time and date announcements (Announce Time Only, Announce Both Time and Date).
6.1.2.3 Sleep
6.1.2.3.1 Sleep Messages
The Sleep timer's 1 minute warning and Sleep off messages can be turned on or off.
6.1.2.3.2 Sleep Time Configuration
Select this item if you wish to change the Sleep timer values that are available on the Sleep key: 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes and 60 minutes timer values can be individually activated and deactivated.
6.2 Navigation and Playback
6.2.1 Time Jump
You can choose to turn on or off any or all of the following time intervals: 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 30 minutes. Only the time jump intervals you turn on will appear in the up and down (keys 2 or 8) navigation menu when playing books.
6.2.2 Save Last Used Navigation Level for Each Book
Select this item if you wish to save your navigation level for a book you are reading. With this feature, when reopening the book, the current navigation level remains the same as the one configured before closing it.
6.2.3 Audio adjustment mode
When you listen to audio content except music, this option permit to toggle between Tone and Pitch. By default, the option “Tone” is selected, indicating that if you do short press few times on the power button, you will be able to adjust the tone, along with the speed and volume. If you toggle the “Audio adjustment” to Pitch and then do some short press on the Power button, you will be able to adjust the pitch along with the speed and volume control.
6.2.4 Loop
If you select the Loop mode, Playback will play repeatedly. It will automatically restart again at the beginning when reaching the end of a book.
6.2.5 Music
6.2.5.1 Random and Loop
Select this menu to configure your music on the device. You have the choice to play music randomly or not, to loop a folder, or to loop a single file.
6.3 Wireless
Here are a few points to note before describing the wireless configuration menu:
· The Airplane Mode is used to turn off all wireless communication for situations where you are not allowed to use a wireless device. If the Airplane Mode is turned on, then the wireless communication is turned Off. You can also turn on the Airplane Mode in situations where you know you don’t need wireless communication to save battery power. To quickly turn on the Airplane mode, press and hold the Online bookshelf key and the system will announce “Airplane Mode: On”. To turn it Off, simply press and hold the Online bookshelf key again and you will hear “Airplane mode Off”. Finally, if the Airplane Mode is turned on, pressing the Online button will remind you by announcing the message “Airplane Mode: On”.
· The SSID is the name of a network router. It is announced when you perform a Scan for Available Connections. It is possible that a router has been configured to hide its SSID. In that case, it will not appear in the list of connections when performing a scan. To connect to such a network, you need to use the Create a New Connection option and manually enter the SSID.
· The Password is the authentication key used with your network router. It is case sensitive so when entered with the Stream’s multi-tap feature, you may toggle between lowercase, uppercase, and numeric only with the Bookmark key.
· The Nickname is a friendly name to be used by the Stream to identify a network. This optional name will not be spelled as is the case with the SSID so you should enter an easily pronounceable name for the built-in text-to-speech. The maximum length of the nickname is 50 characters long.
6.3.1 Airplane Mode
The first item of the Wireless menu is “Airplane mode”. Use this item to turn on or off the airplane mode. By default, the airplane mode is off, so Wi-Fi is on when booting the device for the first time. When the airplane mode is on, the wireless and Bluetooth features are turned off. When airplane mode is turned off, the wireless features are turned on automatically.
6.3.2 Wi-Fi
6.3.2.1 Wi-Fi
The first item of the Wi-Fi submenu permit to toggle Wi-Fi on or off.
6.3.2.2 Status
Use this item to hear information on the network status. You can use 4 and 6 to navigate between the various available network information like the SSID, the signal strength and more.
6.3.2.3 New Connection
Use this menu if you wish to establish a new Wi-Fi connection. You will be given the choice to scan for a connection, to establish a WPS connection, or to manually create a connection.
6.3.2.3.1 Scan for SSID
Use this item to scan for Wi-Fi routers within range of your Stream. After a few seconds, a list of available routers should be displayed. Use keys 4 and 6 to browse the available router SSIDs that were found. Press Confirm to select the router you wish to access. You will then be prompted to enter the password for the chosen router. Enter the password using the multi-tap text entry on the numeric keypad. Press and hold the Info key to access the key describer mode and have each letter and symbol announced when the key is pressed on the text entry keypad. End your entry with the Confirm key. If successful, the router SSID and password will be added to your list of configured connections (routers) and the new connection will be launched as your active router. You will then be asked to enter an optional nickname for the new connection.
6.3.2.3.2 WPS Connection
Select this item to connect to a protected Wi-Fi network. If a WPS network is detected by the Stream, press on the WPS button on your router to establish the connection.
6.3.2.3.3 Manually Connect
Use this menu item instead of scanning if you know the specific router SSID you wish to configure or if your router does not broadcast its SSID. You will be prompted to enter the SSID. Use the multi-tap text entry on the keypad to enter the SSID and press Confirm. You will then be asked to enter the router password. Enter it and end with the Confirm key. Use the Bookmark key to toggle between uppercase, lowercase, and numeric only. Press and hold the Info key to access the key describer mode and have each letter and symbol announced when the key is pressed on the text entry keypad. If successful, the router SSID and password will be added to your list of configured connections (routers) and the new connection will be launched as your active router. You will then be asked to enter an optional nickname for the new connection. Please note that both SSID and password are case sensitive.
6.3.2.4 Launch a Connection
By default, the Stream will automatically connect to the best available Wi-Fi router in range. Optionally, you may use the left and right arrows to select from a list of Wi-Fi routers that you have previously configured. Press Confirm to validate your selection. The selected router will then be used for subsequent wireless data transfer. You only need to use this item when you have configured multiple routers and want to launch an alternate router as your active connection for data transfer.
6.3.2.5 Delete a Connection
Use keys 4 and 6 to select from a list of Wi-Fi routers that you have previously configured. Press Confirm to confirm your selection. The selected router will then be deleted from your list of configured Wi-Fi routers.
6.3.2.6 Import Wi-Fi Configuration
Use this item to process a network configuration file generated with the HumanWare Companion software. Press Confirm to process a network configuration from a file on the SD card. To generate a network configuration file, select the Wi-Fi Configuration item in the Tools menu of the HumanWare Companion. Enter your SSID and password. Optionally, you can enter a nickname for the network. The configuration file will be saved on the Stream’s SD card.
6.3.2.7 Validate Connection
Use this item to validate your current connection to the Internet. The Stream will connect to a webpage and if successful, the Stream will prompt a short message that informs you of a successful connection. You can replay the message by pressing the Play key.
Note: If you require the MAC address of your Stream in order to configure the MAC filtering of your router, you can find it by pressing the Info (key 0) on your Stream. The Stream will announce it in the Wireless section of the Info.
6.3.3 Bluetooth
Use this menu to configure your Bluetooth settings. You have the option to connect to, disconnect from or forget Bluetooth devices.
6.3.3.1 Bluetooth
Use this item to toggle Bluetooth on or off. Turn it off to preserve your battery if you don’t intend to use Bluetooth.
6.3.3.2 Pair a new device
First, make sure the Bluetooth device you want to pair with is turned on. Upon selecting this sub-menu, the Stream will start scanning for available Bluetooth devices nearby. Scroll to the list of available devices using the 4 and 6 keys then press Confirm to pair with it. You will receive confirmation once you are connected.
Once you are paired, your Stream will remember your Bluetooth device and pair with it whenever the device is activated and in close proximity.
6.3.3.3 Connect device
Upon selecting this sub-menu, the Stream will display a list of the Bluetooth devices you are paired with, if they are activated and located nearby. Scroll through your devices using the 4 and 6 keys then press Confirm to connect to it. You will receive confirmation once you are connected.
Once you connect to a device, Bluetooth will automatically connect to it each time you turn on the device.
6.3.3.4 Disconnect device
In this sub-menu, the Stream will list the name of the devices you are currently connected to. Scroll to the name of the device you wish to disconnect from using the 4 and 6 keys then press Confirm to disconnect from it. You will receive confirmation once you are disconnected.
6.3.3.5 Delete paired Device
In this sub-menu, the Stream will list the name of the devices your player has detected. Scroll to the name of the device you wish to forget using the 4 and 6 keys, then press Confirm. You will receive confirmation once the device is forgotten.
6.4 Recording
When considering your recording configurations, note that the built-in and headset microphones operate only in mono mode. Stereo recording is only possible with the external microphone or line-in. The choice of recording file type will affect both the quality of the recording and the size of the recorded file. If you increase the quality of the recording, it will produce a larger recorded file and stereo recorded files are bigger than mono recordings.
6.4.1 Recording volume adjustment
This option can be used to adjust the volume of your recordings. You can toggle between “Fixed” and “Manual”. Read section 5.2 “Recording Audio Notes” to know more.
6.4.2 Preferred recording source
In this sub-menu, you can choose your preferred recording source. You can choose between the currently active, the external microphone, headset and internal microphone. Please note that prior selecting the option “Currently active”, it is necessary to select one of the other options of this sub-menu.
6.4.3 Built-in Microphone File Type
For the built-in microphone (which records only in mono mode), use keys 4 or 6 to choose to record in one of these formats:
- FLAC
- MP3
- Wav
6.4.4 Headset Recording File Type
For a headset plugged into the device, use keys 4 or 6 to choose to record in one of these formats:
- FLAC
- MP3
- Wav
6.4.5 External Recording Source
Use keys 4 and 6 to choose whether you want to plug a microphone or a line-in source to the external jack on the right side of the player. Use line-in when you want to record from an external device such as a CD or cassette player. When you plug an external device, you may monitor the recording by listening with headphones. Note that when using line-in to record from a device, you can adjust the volume of the recording by raising or lowering the volume on the device you are recording from and not on the Stream. Adjusting the recording volume is not possible directly on the Stream.
6.4.6 External Recording Mode
Use keys 4 or 6 to choose whether you wish to record in stereo or mono. Most microphones, even mono microphones, will work properly with the Stream set to stereo mode. But if your external microphone or line-in recordings can only be heard on the left channel, it is recommended to set the recording mode to mono.
6.4.7 External Recording File Type
For the external microphone or line-in source, use keys 4 or 6 to choose your recording file type. If your recording mode is stereo, then choose one of these formats:
- FLAC
- MP3
- 128kilobits per second (kbps) medium quality
- 192kbps good quality
- 320kbps high quality
- Wav
If your recording mode is set to mono, then choose one of these formats:
- FLAC
- MP3
- 32kbps medium quality
- 64kbps good quality
- 96kbps high quality
- Wav
6.5 Online settings
6.5.1 Software Update
The Software Update menu contains two items: “Automatic check” and “Check for update”. By default, the Stream will automatically check for any available update if connected to a Wi-Fi network. If you select the item “Check for update”, the Stream will immediately check for any available updates. This item can be used multiple times even if the “Automatic check” item has already been used once. If the “Automatic check” is set to Off, it is necessary to use the “Check for update” item to check for updates as the Stream will not do so automatically.
6.5.1.1 Automatic check
When opening the Software Update menu, this item will be the first. It’s a toggle, that is put at on by default, meaning that the device will check for updates automatically after you boot your device and connect or reconnect your device to a Wi-Fi network.
6.5.1.2 Check for update
When navigating in the Software Update menu with the 6 key, the second item will be “Check for update”. Press the Pound key to check if an update is available. Note that if the option “Automatic check” is put at off, it will be necessary to check for available updates using the “Check for update” function. You can perform a check for update at anytime when you are connected to a Wi-Fi network.
6.5.1.3 Download and install a software update
If an update is available, a prompt will be said indicating that an update is available, the build version and will invite you to press the Pound key to download the update, or any other key to download the update later. Please note that you can use the device while downloading the update.
When the download will be completed, a prompt will be said inviting you to press the Pound key to install the update. Press the Pound key and the device will restart automatically to install the update. Percentages of progression will be announced during the installation process. When the installation will be completed, the device will shut down and you will have to reboot it to use it again. Please note that if your device is on battery, after the prompt inviting you to press the Pound key to install the update, the device will shut down and you will have to reboot it manually to perform the update installation.
You can also download software updates from the Humanware website and copy the file directly to the root of your SD card. After that, insert this SD card to the device and a prompt asking if you want to install the update will be said. Press the Confirm key to install the update or any other key to install the update later. Please note that after the installation process, the file will remain on your SD card until you reboot your device for the first time after the update process. If you want to update more than one device using this method, simply eject the SD card from the device after the shutdown of the device and before rebooting it.
NOTE: It is highly recommended to plug your device during a software update, to be sure to perform it properly. You can also perform a software update on battery, but battery must be at least 50% of charge when beginning the software update installation process. If the battery is too low to update, a message will be said indicating this and you will have to plug the device to perform the software update installation.
6.5.2 Notification mode
In this submenu, you can select the notification mode used to transmit information about the online services. By default, the option “Beep, message and title” is selected, meaning that if a notification about an online service appears, for example the completion of a book downloading from an online service, a beep will be heard, a message and the book title will be said. You can change this setting to “Beep and message”, “Beep only” or “No notifications”.
6.5.3 Book Services
Use this menu to access all the book services available on the device.
6.5.3.1 NFB Newsline (United States citizens or residents)
Use the NFB Newsline menu to manage the online service. To add a NFB Newsline account, go to the Online services, Book services and then select the NFB Newsline submenu. The first item is “Add account”. Press the Confirm key to activate this option. You will then be prompted to enter your NFB Newsline member ID and PIN, each followed by the Confirm key. After you have successfully entered your account information, an NFB Newsline online bookshelf will be added to the online bookcase. If you already had configured a NFB Newsline service account, the option “Add account” is replaced by “Remove account”. If you select this item, the service and all the associated books are removed, and you will be prompted to confirm your choice. All synchronized content will be deleted and the NFB Newsline bookshelf will be removed from the online bookcase. Use the item “Update frequency” to configure how often the Stream will download new content by choosing between “Daily”, “Always” or “Manually”. Use the item “Modify login information” to modify your account information. Finally, the option “Keep update editions” ensure you to have the latest editions of your newspapers and magazines. If you put this option at “On”, most oldest editions will be deleted when necessary. If it is put at “Off” all editions, even the oldest one downloaded, will be stored.
6.5.3.2 NLS BARD (United States citizens or residents)
Use this menu to manage the NLS BARD online service. To turn on this service, go to the Online services menu, Book services and then select the NLS BARD submenu. Select the option “Add account” and press the Confirm key. You will be prompted to enter your registered username and password using the multi-tap text entry method. Passwords are usually case sensitive. End your entry with the Confirm key. You can also use the item “Import configuration” to import your account information with a file created using the HumanWare Companion software. Once you have successfully entered your account information, a NLS BARD bookshelf will be added to the online bookcase. To remove this service, select the option “Remove service and all associated books”. Use the option “Book types to search” to search for Audio books only (default), Audio and Braille, or Braille books only. Use the item “Modify login information” to modify your account information.
6.5.3.3 Bookshare (applicable to some countries)
Use the Bookshare menu to manage the online service. The service can be turned on by going to the Online services menu, Book services, then selecting the Bookshare submenu and selecting the option “Add account”. Press the Confirm key to validate this option. You will be prompted to enter your registered email address and password using the multi-tap text entry method. Passwords are usually case sensitive. End your entry with the Confirm key. It is also possible to use the “Import configuration” item to import your Bookshare account information with a file created using the HumanWare Companion software. Once you have successfully entered your account information, a Bookshare bookshelf will be added to the online bookcase. To remove the Bookshare online service, select the option “Remove account”. Use the item “Modify login information” to modify your account information. Finally, it is possible to select the book format by toggling between DAISY and BRF.
6.5.4 Other Services
Use this menu to access all of the other services available on the device.
6.5.4.1 Internet Radio
Use this menu to manage the Internet Radio online service. To turn on this service, simply connect your Stream to a wireless network. An Internet Radio bookshelf will be added to the online bookcase. Use the “HumanWare playlist” item to change the region of the playlist that will be offered to you. The default playlist depends on your country or region of purchase (ex: North America). First, enter in the list of playlists and then select a playlist with key 4 or 6, and press Confirm. You can also use the “Import playlist from SD” function to add your own playlists. With the item “Export playlists to SD”, you can export all Internet Radio playlists to your SD card.
6.5.4.2 Podcasts
Use this menu to manage the Podcasts online service. To turn on this service, simply connect your Stream to a wireless network. Use the “Downloaded podcast episodes to keep” item to choose how many podcast episodes should be kept on your Stream (between 1 and 10, default value 3) or whether you want to keep the episodes manually only. Automatically downloaded episodes will be deleted automatically from internal memory, whereas manually downloaded episodes will have to be deleted manually with key 3. Use the “Import podcast feeds from file” option to import a podcast feed to your Stream with a file created using the HumanWare Companion software. You can use the item “Export all podcast feeds to SD card” to export your subscribed podcast feeds to your SD card. Use the “HumanWare podcasts suggestions” item to change the region of the podcasts that will be offered to you. The default podcasts depend on your country or region of purchase (ex: North America).
For files on all bookshelves, the maximum file name length, including the file path, is 512 characters (includes media/book path). When scanning an SD card at insertion, any folder or file with a full path name greater than 512 will be ignored.
The following sections provide general rules and information for listening to the non-Talking Books bookshelves.
7.1 Other Books
7.1.1 Other Books Structure
The following list provides an example of how book files may be grouped in folders. Folders are numbered in the order in which they are found starting with the root, assuming it contains files. There can be up to 8 levels of folders.
Folder: \$VROtherBooks.
Rules: Each file in the root is defined as a book with its own reading position and bookmarks. The single book files in the root can be deleted using key 3 while browsing the bookshelf.
Folder: \$VROtherBooks\Drama.
Rules: This is an optional folder to categorize the type of book.
Folder: \$VROtherBooks\Drama\BookA.
Rules: This is the folder containing the book files. The entire folder is defined as the book with one reading position and bookmark set. While browsing the bookshelf, you may use key 3 to delete the book which means the entire book folder will be deleted.
Folder: \$VROtherBooks\Drama\BookB.
Rules: Same as Book A.
Folder: \$VROtherBooks\Mystery.
Rules: This is an optional folder for categorizing type of book.
Folder: \$VROtherBooks\Mystery\BookC.
Rules: Same as Book A.
7.1.2 Other Books Characteristics
Bookshelf Browse: Move between folder levels with keys 2 and 8. The lowest folder level is also the book level since a book is defined as a collection of files in the lowest level folder. Higher level folders are optional for categorizing types of books as in Drama folder above. There can be up to 8 levels of folders. Use Go To Book to jump to a specific book number. Use key 3 to delete a book. Press key 3 twice to delete a folder. To confirm deletion, press the Confirm key or any other key to cancel.
Reading: Playback loops between the files within a folder (book). Navigate between files in a folder using keys 4 or 6. File and Time Jump navigation levels are available. Go To File and Go To Time are available.
Info (key 0): Reports information for the current book (folder).
Where Am I (key 5): Reports the percentage within the entire book, the current file number, and name as well as the time (total, elapsed and remaining) for the current file.
7.2 Music Bookshelf
The music bookshelf is in the reserved folder $VRMusic. It contains a folder structure of audio files and this entire structure is defined as the All Music book. Unless you create playlists, this will be the only Music book. If you add playlist files to the root of $VRMusic then each playlist will be an additional music book. In the Music bookshelf, the Delete Book key 3 is not functional. However, you can delete individual files or entire folders from the All Music book once it has been opened.
7.2.1 Music Structure
You can navigate up to 8 levels of folders in music. Use the 2 and 8 keys to select the folder or file navigation level. Then, you can move backward or forward at the chosen level with the 4 and 6 keys. If you have more than 8 folder levels, those additional levels will be added to the level 8 list of folders.
If you select the ‘File’ navigation level, you will hear the name of the current file. If you select any folder Level navigation, you will hear the name of the current folder at that level. At any point in your structure, you can always select the deepest navigation level. If the current folder is at a higher level than your deepest level, then the folder name is not announced. For example, let’s say you have a music structure that contains $VRMusic\Classic\Mozart and $VRMusic\Classic\Beethoven\Ninth_symphony. If you are currently located in Classic\Mozart while playback is inactive, changing the navigation from File to Level 1 will announce ‘Classic’. Changing from Level 1 to Level 2 will announce ‘Mozart’. Changing from Level 2 to Level 3 will announce nothing since there is no folder name for a level 3 folder in Classic\Mozart. If located in Classic\Beethoven while playback is inactive, changing from Level 2 to Level 3 will announce ‘Ninth_symphony’.
If you place any files in the root of $VRMusic then they will be listed only at the file navigation level.
7.2.2 Music Characteristics
Bookshelf Browse: Use keys 4 and 6 to move between each Music book or Go To Book to jump to a specified book number. Only 1 music book (All Music) will be on the music bookshelf unless you create additional playlist books. You cannot use key 3 to Delete a Book.
Reading: If the player is set to Loop Folder, playback loops within the files of a music folder. Playback will automatically start from the beginning of the current folder when the end of the folder is reached. If the player is set to Loop Single, playback will automatically start from the beginning of the current file when the end of the file is reached. You can use keys 2 or 8 to select folder or file navigation. Go To Folder and Go To File functions are also available. If the player is set to Random On, then the files in the current music book will be shuffled. For example, if the All Music book is being played, all of your music files will be shuffled. If a Playlist book is being played, then only the files in that playlist will be shuffled. When the end of a shuffled music book is reached, playback will start at the beginning of the shuffled music book.
Deleting music files: Use key 3 to delete music files when navigating at the file level. You will be asked to confirm file deletion. To delete a folder, navigate back to the folder’s level. Press key 3 to delete the folder and the Confirm key to confirm deletion or any other key to cancel.
INFO (key 0): Reports information for the current music book such as total folders and files and total times for the book.
Where Am I (key 5): Reports current position and information for the current file. Pressing Key 5 twice within 10 seconds will announce tag information data. If you don't want to hear all the tags, press Play to interrupt and resume playback.
Speed: Stream will reset the variable speed control to normal speed and return to the previous speed setting when you exit the Music Bookshelf. Note: It is only possible to listen to stereo music at normal speed. If you speed up or slow down the music, it will play in mono.
Bass and Treble: The Tone control is replaced with separate bass and treble controls.
7.2.3 Music Search
When on a playlist, you can search your music by pressing the Go To key until you hear “Search”. Then, using the multi-tap keypad as described in the Text Search section, enter the word or words to search for and press the Confirm key. Use the Bookmark key to toggle between Text and Numeric input types while entering your text to search. Stream will find a folder name or file name containing the search term. Playback will start from the beginning of the file or the first file in the folder. Then, you can press key 4 and 6 to find the previous or next occurrence of the search term.
7.2.4 Playlists
The Music Bookshelf may contain playlists. A playlist is a text file containing a list of supported audio files to play. You can use the Music dialog of the free HumanWare Companion software to help you make playlists. A playlist cannot link to other playlists. Although, you may delete files in the temporary playlists, you cannot use key 3 to delete files in a permanent playlist.
7.2.5 Custom folder Playlist
You can create a custom folder playlist for a subset of folders found in the $VRMusic folder. Custom folder playlists behave the same way as the All Music book, but only includes files located under the folder that was selected instead of including all files in $VRMusic. You cannot create a custom folder playlist from the files found at the root level of the $VRMusic folder.
- Press key 1 multiple times until you reach the Music bookshelf.
- Use keys 4 or 6 to navigate to the “custom folder playlist” item of the Music bookshelf, then press the Confirm key. Now, use keys 4 or 6 to select either ‘sd’ or ‘internal memory’, then use Confirm key to select the media you want.
- Use keys 4 or 6 to navigate to the folder you want in your playlist. If a folder contains other folders, you can enter that folder using the Confirm key, or you can return to the previous folder by pressing the Cancel key. If a folder does not contain other folders, you will not be able to enter it.
- Once you hear the folder name you want for your custom folder playlist, press the Play key to create the playlist.
The folder you selected and all the subfolders below it will now form your custom folder playlist.
Once a custom folder playlist has been created, it will automatically be added to the Music bookshelf, so you will be able to quickly select it again from the bookshelf without having to navigate the folder structure.
When created, a custom folder playlist is named using the complete path for that folder name. You can rename or delete an existing custom folder playlist from the Music bookshelf by moving to the custom folder playlist with 4 or 6 keys, then pressing key 3 until you hear ‘rename’ or ‘delete’, then press Confirm key.
For example, let’s say you have organized your $VRMusic files into 3 levels of folders. You could have the music genre at level 1, artists at level 2 and albums at level 3. You can now easily play only music of a particular genre, or all the albums of a particular artist, or listen to a single album. Suppose your level 1 genre folders included Classical, Country, Folk, and Rock. Now, suppose, within Classical, you have level 2 folders for the artists, Beethoven, Mozart, and Strauss. You decide you want to play all your Mozart music. Go to the Music bookshelf. Press the 4 or 6 keys until you hear, “Custom folder playlist”. Press key 6 until you hear, “Classical”. Now, press Confirm key to move down to your level 2 folders and press key 6 to reach the Mozart folder. Press the Play key. All your Mozart albums will now be used to create your custom folder playlist and it will begin playing.
7.2.6 Folder and File Name Announcement
When browsing the Music bookshelf, you may or may not want to hear file and folder name announcements. The Stream will provide this information if the player is in Stop mode but will omit the announcements if the player is in Play mode. In either case, it will repeat the announcements if you press the key 5 (Where Am I). Thus, if you wish to use key 4 or 6 to navigate back and forth between music files and do not want to hear the folder/file announcements, simply press the Play key first to put the player in play mode.
7.3 Saved Podcasts
The Saved Podcasts bookshelf contains a folder structure of audio files where each folder represents a podcast feed and each file an episode of that feed. Each file (episode) is defined as a separate podcast book with its current position and set of bookmarks. This is where you will find the podcasts you have saved on an SD card from the Podcasts bookshelf in your online bookcase. It can also be used for lengthy recordings like concert or audio description of a movie.
7.3.1 Saved Podcast Structure
The following list provides an example of how podcast files may be grouped in folders. There can be up to 8 levels of folders.
Folder: $VRPodcasts
May contain files: Yes
Rules: Any files found in the $VRPodcasts root will be announced as individual books.
Folder: \$VRPodcasts\podcasts\Feedname.
May contain audio files: Yes.
Rules: This is the folder for grouping the podcast episode files under their feed name.
7.3.2 Saved Podcasts Characteristics
Bookshelf Browse: Move between folder levels of the Podcast structure using keys 2 and 8. The lowest level is the book (file) level. Files in the root of $VRPodcasts will only be announced at the book level. Use keys 4 and 6 to move between each Podcast book file (episode) or Go To Book to jump to a specified book number. When at the File level, use key 3 to Delete a Book file (episode). When at Folder level, press key 3 to delete a folder. To confirm deletion, press the Confirm key or any other key to cancel.
Reading: Playback stops at the end of each file. Only Time Jump navigation level is available on keys 2 or 8. Go To Time is also available.
INFO (key 0): Reports information for the current Podcast book (file).
Where Am I (key 5): also Reports current position and information for the current file but adds the percentage of your position in the file and don’t recap the folder information. Pressing Key 5 twice will announce tag information data. If you don't want to hear all the tags, press Play to interrupt and resume playback.
7.4 Text Bookshelf
The Stream can also store text files grouped in folders under the $VRText reserved folder. They are played with the Stream text-to-speech. Each text file within the $VRText folder is considered a book. When present, image description tags will be announced in html and xml documents.
7.4.1 Text File Structure
The text files can be either in the root of $VRText or organized into sub-folder categories. There can be up to 8 levels of folders.
7.4.2 Text File Characteristics
Bookshelf Browse: Move between folder levels of the Text Files structure using keys 2 and 8. The lowest level is the book (file) level. Files in the root of $VRText will only be announced at the book level. Use keys 4 and 6 to move between each text file or Go To Book to jump to a specified file number. When at File level, use key 3 to Delete a text file. When at Folder level, press key 3 to delete a folder. To confirm deletion, press the Confirm key or any other key to cancel.
Reading: Playback stops at the end of each file. The navigation levels on keys 2 or 8 include: page (if page markers are in the file), screen (if no page markers), paragraph, line, sentence, word, spell, and character. If you do a search in text, then a Search level is added as the last navigation level to allow you to find the next or previous search item. Go To Page is available if the file has page markers. Go To Percent (see above) is also available.
INFO (key 0): Reports information for the current text file such as its size.
Where Am I (key 5): Reports current position as a percentage from the start of the file.
7.4.3 Navigating HTML/XML/DOCX Headings
For html/xml files that have heading tags (<H1> to <H6>), or DOCX files with stylized headings, these will correspond to equivalent navigation levels when navigating with 2 or 8. Be aware that some html/xml files do not use these heading tags consistently. For example, the file may have an H1 and H3 heading with no H2 heading. In this case, the Stream will present only level 1 and level 3 when navigating with 2 or 8. Also, an html/xml file could have a single H1 heading for a title with no other H1 tags in the file. In this case, Stream would jump to the end of the file if you pressed right arrow (key 6) after choosing level 1 navigation.
7.5 Notes
The audio notes are in the reserved folder $VRNotes. It contains audio files, and this entire structure is defined as the All Notes book. In the Notes bookshelf, the Delete Book key 3 is not functional. However, you can delete individual notes.
7.5.1 Note File Structure
The note files are organized in numerical order in the root of $VRNotes.
7.5.2 Note File Characteristics
Bookshelf Browse: Move between note files using keys 4 and 6. Press key 3 once to Delete a file and twice to consolidate the notes folder. Consolidating means we rename in an incremental order the files from 1 to the total number of notes. To confirm deletion, press the Confirm key or any other key to cancel.
Reading: Playback stops at the end of each file. Only Time Jump navigation level is available on keys 2 or 8. Go To Time is also available.
INFO (key 0): Reports information for the entire folder (number of files, time elapsed, time remaining, etc.).
Where Am I (key 5): Reports current position and information for the current file. Pressing Key 5 twice will announce tag information data. If you don't want to hear all the tags, press Play to interrupt and resume playback.
When you press the Online button located in the center of the top key row, the Stream will switch between the offline and online bookcases. The airplane mode turns off all wireless communication from the Stream and should be activated when you travel by airplane. Turning off the airplane mode will therefore allow wireless communication. Press and hold the Online button to turn the airplane mode on or off. If you are not using the online bookcase, it is best to leave the airplane mode turned on as it will reduce battery consumption. Press the Online button to toggle from the online bookcase to the offline bookcase.
8.1 Online Check for Updates
When the Stream is connected to a wireless network and has Internet access, it will access the HumanWare website. The Stream will check for any available software updates and will prompt you to download and install them automatically. This automatic check for updates can be disabled from the Software Updates configuration menu, that you can find in the Online settings. You can also choose to check for updates manually from the same menu, and the Stream will immediately check for any available updates. See chapter 9 (Updating Stream Software) to learn how to update your Stream wirelessly.
8.2 Online Services
8.2.1 NFB Newsline (Eligible United States citizens and residents only)
In the United States, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) provides a service that allows you to receive accessible newspapers and magazines in DAISY format that is called NFB Newsline. For more information, visit:
http://www.nfbnewslineonline.org
To begin receiving NFB Newsline publications on your Stream, you will need to set up your Favorites list for the content that you want to have delivered to your device. If you have not yet set up a Favorites list, you will need to login to NFB NEWSLINE ONLINE at
http://www.nfbnewslineonline.org
and select the link to MANAGE ALL YOUR FAVORITES. Select MANAGE YOUR FAVORITE IN YOUR POCKET PUBLICATIONS and add your desired newspapers and magazines. There is no limit as to the number of IN YOUR POCKET publications you may have.
To activate the NFB Newsline service:
· Make sure your Stream is connected to a known wireless network.
· Press menu key 7 to access the Configuration menu.
· Use the 4 and 6 keys to access the item Online Services and press Confirm.
· Use the 4 and 6 keys to access the item Book Services and press Confirm.
· Use the 4 and 6 keys to access the NFB Newsline menu and press Confirm.
· To add the NFB Newsline service, select the item “Add account” and press Confirm.
· You will then be prompted to enter your NFB Newsline member ID and PIN each followed by the Confirm key.
· After you have successfully entered your account information, an NFB Newsline online bookshelf will be added to the online bookcase.
Whenever an active Wi-Fi connection is available, the Stream will now automatically synchronize the latest editions of your selected favorite publications and will automatically remove older editions. The NFB Newsline service determines which editions of each publication are available for synchronization. It is possible to check for any updated content on demand at any time by selecting the “Synchronize NFB Newsline Content” item which can be found after the last publication on the NFB Newsline bookshelf when navigating with keys 4 and 6, or by pressing the Go To key twice. From your NFB Newsline bookshelf, you can add a new NFB Newsline publication by pressing the Go To key and selecting the item “Add Publications”. Navigate through the list of publications with keys 4 and 6, and press the Confirm key to subscribe to the new publication.
If you wish to save a copy of a publication, it is possible to use the copy function of key 3 when reading the publication to copy it to the Talking Books bookshelf of the SD card. It is not possible to delete publications from the NFB Newsline online bookshelf as the automatic synchronization will remove old editions and add new ones as they become available. You can choose to make a NFB book persistent by using the “Prevent auto-deletion of an NFB Newsline issue” option on key 3. To unsubscribe from a publication, use the “Unsubscribe from an NFB publication” option on key 3. A confirmation prompt will ask you to confirm before unsubscribing from your publication, press the Confirm key to confirm or any other key to cancel. Note that if you want to delete all associated books related to an unsubscribed publication, use the option “Sync content now”. To delete persistent books, it will be necessary to delete them individually with the key 3.
From the NFB Newsline configuration menu, you have the option of choosing how often the Stream downloads new content with the item “Keep update editions”. You can choose to have new content downloaded “Always” (default), which can be up to several times a day, or “daily”.
8.2.2 NLS BARD (Eligible United States citizens and residents only)
The National Library Service Braille and Audio Reading Download (NLS BARD) is a free library program of audio materials (for eligible United States citizens only). More information about NLS BARD can be found on http://www.loc.gov/nls/ .
You are able to wirelessly search for books and download them to the Stream. They will appear on the NLS BARD online bookshelf.
To activate the NLS BARD online service:
· Press menu key 7 to access the Configuration menu.
· Use the 4 and 6 keys to access the item Online Services and press Confirm.
· Use the 4 and 6 keys to access the item Book Services and press Confirm.
· Use the 4 and 6 keys to access the NLS BARD menu and press Confirm.
· Select the item “Enter credentials” using keys 4 and 6 followed by the Confirm key.
· Enter your NLS BARD account email address and password. Passwords are usually case sensitive. End your entry with the Confirm key.
Alternatively, the HumanWare Companion software can be used to create a file containing your NLS BARD account details that can be imported from the “Import configuration” option on the NLS BARD menu on the Stream. Details can be found in the HumanWare Companion User Guide.
After you have successfully entered your account information, an NLS BARD bookshelf will be added to the online bookshelves.
To search for and download books:
· When on the NLS BARD online bookshelf, the search can be done either by pressing the Go To key multiple times or by using the option that is found after the last book on the NLS BARD bookshelf when navigating with keys 4 and 6. You can search books as on the NLS BARD website using the “Search collection” function, which allows you to enter the author’s name, book title, key words, etc. You can also browse by category and search for the most recent or popular books, as well as the most recent magazines. You can also use the option “Wish list”, a preselected list of books and magazines that you can manage from the NLS BARD website and from your Stream. To add an item to the wish list, press the Bookmark key on any NLS BARD search result. To delete an item, use key 3 (Delete option) followed by Confirm.
· Use keys 4 and 6 to choose the search criteria followed by the Confirm key. The search text can then be entered using the multi-tap text entry method. After entering the search text, press the Confirm key to begin the online search. If you have done a previous search, then your search text will be retained for convenience in case you wish to refine your search.
· Use keys 4 and 6 to review the search results. Only the books available to your account will show up in the search results.
· Use key 5 to read the book synopsis if available.
· To download a book, select it from the list of search results and press the Confirm key. The book will be downloaded and added to the NLS BARD online bookshelf and you will be returned to the list of search results making it easy to download additional books.
· The Go To key can be used to go directly to a specific result. Press Go To, enter the desired search result number, followed by Confirm.
· To exit the search, press the Cancel key to go back one step or key 1 to return to the NLS BARD online bookshelf.
Downloaded books can be deleted by pressing key 3 while browsing the NLS BARD online bookshelf or while reading a book. While reading a book, key 3 can also be used to move a book from the NLS BARD online bookshelf to the talking books bookshelf on the SD card. This will add the book to your SD card and remove it from internal memory, freeing up some space for future book downloads.
When multiple items are selected for download, they will be placed in a download queue, allowing you to continue using your Stream. A notification will be sounded when a download is completed.
8.2.3 Bookshare (eligible users only)
Bookshare is an online library of copyrighted content for people with qualifying print disabilities. More information about Bookshare is available from http://www.bookshare.org
You can wirelessly search for books and download them to the Stream. Books are downloaded in DAISY text format and appear on the Bookshare online bookshelf. Newspapers and magazines are currently not available in the online search.
To activate the Bookshare online service:
· Press menu key 7 to access the Configuration menu.
· Use the 4 and 6 keys to access the item Online Services and press Confirm.
· Use the 4 and 6 keys to access the item Book Services and press Confirm.
· Use the 4 and 6 keys to access the Bookshare configuration menu and press Confirm.
· Select the item “Add account” using keys 4 and 6 followed by the Confirm key.
· Enter your Bookshare account email address and password. Passwords are usually case sensitive. You may toggle between uppercase, lowercase, numeric only by pressing the Bookmark key. End your entry with the Confirm key.
Alternatively, the HumanWare Companion software can be used to create a file containing your Bookshare account details that can be imported from the online configuration menu on the Stream. Details can be found in the HumanWare Companion User Guide.
After you have successfully entered your account information, a Bookshare bookshelf will be added to the online bookcase.
To search for and download books:
· When on the Bookshare online bookshelf, the search can be done either by pressing the Go To key twice located above bookshelf key 1 or by using the option called “Search for books” that is found after the last book on the Bookshare bookshelf when navigating with keys 4 and 6. You can search books by most popular, most recent, browse categories, previous downloads, title, author and full text search.
· The Go To key can also be used to go directly to a specific result. Press Go To, enter the desired search result number, followed by Confirm.
· Use keys 4 and 6 to choose the search criteria followed by the Confirm key. The search text can then be entered using the multi-tap text entry method. Use the Bookmark key to toggle between Text and Numeric input types while entering your text to search. After entering the search text, press the Confirm key to begin the online search. If you have done a previous search, then your search text will be retained for convenience in case you wish to refine your search.
· Use keys 4 and 6 to review the search results. The book synopsis is available when reviewing the list of search results by pressing the “Where am I” key 5. Only the books available to your account will show up in the search results.
· To download a book, select it from the list of search results and press the Confirm key. The book will be downloaded and added to the Bookshare online bookshelf and you will be returned to the list of search results making it easy to download additional books.
· To exit the search, press the Cancel key to go back one step or key 1 to return to the Bookshare online bookshelf.
Downloaded books can be deleted by pressing key 3 while browsing the Bookshare online bookshelf with keys 4 and 6 or while reading a book.
While reading a downloaded Bookshare book, key 3 can also be used to move a book from the Bookshare online bookshelf to the talking books bookshelf on the SD card. This will add the book to your SD card and remove it from internal memory, freeing up some space for future book downloads.
8.2.4 Internet Radio
When the Stream is connected to a wireless network, you will be able to access a collection of playlists containing Internet Radio stations. The Favorites playlist, where all your bookmarked stations are saved, appears on the Internet Radio bookshelf once you save a station. The HumanWare playlist always appears on the Internet Radio bookshelf and offers a sample list of stations. The selected HumanWare playlist is based on your country or region of purchase and can be changed in the online configuration menu.
The Internet Radio bookshelf also allows you to import new or custom playlists created with the HumanWare Companion software from the online configuration menu. You can later delete these playlists with key 3, followed by Confirm.
Note: Make sure to import playlists named differently from one another to avoid overwriting an existing playlist on your Stream.
The Internet Radio bookshelf also allows you to search for radio stations by name or genre. The Stream supports ooTunes, an Internet Radio service on which you can search for radio stations and add them to your Favorites playlist.
To search for Internet Radio stations:
· From the Internet Radio online bookshelf, select the option “Search on Ootunes”, then press the Confirm key.
· Two options are available: “Search”, that will permit to enter keywords, and “Browse”.
· You can browse by categories: adult contemporary, alternative, blue grass, blues, classic rock, classical, country, easy listening, electronica, folk, gospel, hip-hop, jazz, latin, metal, new age, news, oldies, pop, reggae, r&b, rock, soft rock, soul, sports, talk, techno, top 40 and world. Press the Confirm key to select one of those categories, then use the 4 and 6 keys to navigate in the results list.
To listen to Internet Radio stations:
· From the Internet Radio bookshelf, use the keys 4 and 6 to navigate between playlists or select the option “Search on Ootunes”, then press the Confirm key to select a playlist or the search option. If you have selected the “Search on Ootunes” option, press the 4 and 6 keys to search by categories or press the “Search” item to enter search keywords, then press the Confirm key to be directed to the results list. If you have selected the Humanware playlist or any other playlist, you are headed directly to the results list. Navigate through the radio stations using keys 4 and 6. The number of the current station will be announced, followed by its name.
· The Go To key can be used to go directly to a specific station. Press Go To, enter the desired station number, followed by Confirm.
· Press Play/Stop to start listening to the station.
· Press Play/Stop again to stop listening to the station.
· If you use the 4 or 6 keys while playing a radio station, the next or previous station will start playing immediately.
· You may press the Where Am I key 5 to announce additional information about the station.
· The Bookmark key will allow you to save the current station to your Favorites after pressing Confirm.
· When on a playlist, except the Humanware playlist, you can remove the current station from the playlist by pressing key 3. Press Confirm to remove it or press the Star key to cancel deletion.
· To export a playlist to your SD card, when in Internet radio bookshelf, press the 7 key to go to the Configuration menu. By navigating with 4 and 6 on this menu, you will hear “Export playlist to SD”. Press Confirm to perform this operation.
· You can also import a playlist from SD or choose to export all your playlists to your SD card from the Internet Radio configuration menu using the item “Export all playlists to SD card”.
Notes: Because the Stream supports specific formats, the ooTunes search results may be different than with other devices (ex: iPhone). In addition, certain radio stations may not be accessible while travelling in a region that does not support them, although they are displayed in the search results. Note that you will be able to access these radio stations once you return to the region that supports them.
8.2.5 References (Wikipedia and Wiktionary)
When the Stream is connected to a wireless network, you will be able to search for references on Wikipedia and Wiktionary. A References bookshelf will automatically be added to your online bookcase.
To search for and add references:
· From the References bookshelf, the search can be done either by pressing the Go To key multiple times or by using the option that is found after the last book on the References bookshelf when navigating with keys 4 and 6. There are two options: “Search on Wikipedia” and “Search on Wiktionary”.
· From a book, you can also search for references on Wikipedia or Wiktionary by pressing the Go To key multiple times on a selected word until you hear “Search on Wikipedia” or “Search on Wiktionary”. For text books, the last word that was read will be entered in the search. You can also enter a word to search using the Multi-tap text entry method.
· If Wikipedia or Wiktionary articles contain the word you searched for, you will hear the number of definitions that were found as well as a short synopsis of the first definition found. You can scroll through the different definitions by pressing the 4 and 6 keys. You will then be asked if you want to read the complete article. Press Play/Stop to access the complete article or Cancel to return to your book.
· While reading Wikipedia or Wiktionary articles, press Cancel to return to your book.
· While reading a complete article, you can save it by pressing the Manage Books key (key 3), followed by Confirm.
· Saved articles will be prefixed by “wikipedia” and Wiktionary articles by “wiktionary”, and grouped together by service (Wikipedia or Wiktionary) then by language (EN for English, FR for French, and so on). Use the 4 and 6 keys to navigate in your saved articles. You can also use keys 2 and 8 to navigate by level (service at level 1 and language at level 2).
· To go directly to a specific file, use the “Go to File” option on the Go To key.
· To delete an article from the References bookshelf, use the Delete function of the Manage Books key (key 3), followed by Confirm.
· From the References bookshelf, you can also move a Wikipedia or Wiktionary article on your SD card with the Move function of the Manage Books key (key 3), followed by Confirm.
Note: The TTS language will determine the language of the Wikipedia database that will be used for the search (ex: en.wikipedia.com, fr.wikipedia.com, etc.).
8.2.6 Podcasts
When the Stream is connected to a wireless network, you will be able to download new podcast feeds. Please note that you can access the Podcasts service if you are connected or not to a wireless network. If connected to a wireless network, the Stream will automatically download the most recent episodes from every subscribed podcast feed. The podcast episodes that have been downloaded will be available even when the Stream is not connected to a wireless network.
To search for, download and listen to online podcasts:
· A Podcasts bookshelf will automatically be added to your online bookcase.
· From your Podcasts bookshelf, you can add podcast feeds either by pressing the Go To key multiple times or by using the option called “Add podcast feed” that is found after the last podcast feed when navigating with keys 4 and 6. Press the Confirm key. You can now perform a title search, search by category or browse the Humanware podcast suggestions based on your region and country. If you perform a search by title, you will be prompted to the multi-tap entry keyboard. Use the Bookmark key to toggle between Text and Numeric input types while entering your text to search. Use keys 4 and 6 to browse the search results, followed by Confirm to add a feed to your Podcasts bookshelf.
· Use key 5 to read the feed descriptions and the individual episode descriptions if available.
· You can also browse the HumanWare suggested podcasts to search for podcasts.
· In addition, you can use the “Get more episodes” option at the end of the list of downloaded episodes or on the Go To key rotation to download older episodes on demand.
· The Go To key can also be used to go directly to a specific result. Press Go To, enter the desired search result number, followed by Confirm.
· To listen to a podcast, open a feed and select an episode you want to listen to with keys 4 or 6, followed by Confirm. The Stream will inform you if a podcast feed contains any new episodes.
· To copy an episode to your Saved Podcasts folder on the SD card, press key 3 three times from your list of episodes or when playing an episode.
· To export your subscribed podcast feeds to the SD card, use the item “Export all podcast feeds to SD card” from the Podcasts configuration menu. A file ending with .OPML will be created on your SD card containing all of your subscribed podcast feeds. This file can be used as a backup or for importing the list of podcast feeds in another podcast client.
Once subscribed to a feed, the Stream will automatically start downloading the most recent episodes in the background. The Stream will tag these episodes as “new” as they have never been played before. From the configuration menu, you can use the “Downloaded podcast episodes to keep” item to choose how many podcast episodes should be kept on your Stream (between 1 and 10, the default value being 3 episodes) or whether you want to keep the episodes manually only.
Note: Please note that if you have some new episodes and if you set your downloaded podcast episodes to manual only, they will be deleted from your Stream as they have not yet been saved, and no new episodes will be automatically downloaded.
When a podcast episode is downloaded, it is saved in the Stream’s internal memory. If the episode was downloaded automatically, it will also be erased automatically when enough new episodes become available, depending on the number of downloaded podcast episodes to keep you have set in the configuration menu. You can choose to make an automatically downloaded episode persistent using the “Prevent auto-delete of episode” option on key 3. If an episode was downloaded manually, it will have to be erased manually using the key 3 “Delete” function.
When multiple podcasts are selected for download, they will be placed in a download queue in the background, allowing you to continue using your Stream. A notification will be played when a podcast download is completed. To unsubscribe from a podcast feed, use the option “Unsubscribe from podcast feed” on key 3.
To delete all episodes from a podcast feed:
· From the podcast bookshelf, press on the 4 and 6 keys to select the feed whose episodes you wish to delete.
· Press key 3 until you reach the option to delete all podcasts from the podcast feed.
· Press the Confirm key to select the option.
· Press the Confirm key again to delete all episodes.
To move all episodes of a podcast feed to an SD card:
· From the podcast bookshelf, press on the 4 and 6 keys to select the feed whose episodes you wish to move to an SD card.
· Once the podcast feed is selected, press on the key 3 until you receive the option to move all podcasts from the podcast feed to the SD card.
· Press the Confirm key to select the option.
· Press the Confirm key again to move all podcasts feeds.
Note: You can only delete or move all episodes of a podcast feed when you have podcast episodes on your device.
8.3 NLS Online Authorization
To use an NLS Bard account on your Victor Reader Stream, you first need to register your player on the NLS website:
1. Access the NLS website: https://nlsbard.loc.gov/nlsbardprod/login/NLS
2. On the website, enter your email address and password to log into your NLS account.
3. Once connected, go to the section Account Settings, and access the item Add Purchased Player.
4. Select HumanWare Victor Reader Stream from the list.
5. Enter your player’s serial number and select the item Submit Player Request. Note that you can find the serial number of your Stream device by pressing and holding key 5.
6. NLS will process your request. Note that this step could take up to 48 hours.
7. You will receive an email with a .kxo file to be transferred on your device. Follow the instructions in the email on how to transfer the file, either via an SD card or directly in the internal memory of the device.
Note that after you submitted your player on the NLS website, if your player is connected to the Wi-Fi, the authorisation should process automatically when the Stream will detect a new update.
HumanWare may from time to time offer new versions of the Stream software. There are several ways to update your Stream’s software; wirelessly, by downloading an update file on your SD card and with the help of the HumanWare Companion software (see section 1.9 for more information on the HumanWare Companion software).
To update your Stream wirelessly, you must first have an active connection to the Internet using the built-in Wi-Fi (see section 6.3 for more information on the wireless configuration menu). Connect the Stream to a power outlet with the AC power adapter. If the Stream announces that it is in airplane mode, activate the Wi-Fi by pressing and holding the Online button to turn off the airplane mode. The Stream will automatically check for any available update. If an update is available, press Confirm to start the download or cancel with any other key. The download time may vary depending on the speed of your Internet connection. Once the download is completed, the Stream will ask your confirmation to proceed with the update. Press Confirm to start the update or cancel with any other key. Once the update is completed, the Stream will announce the new version number and power off. You may disconnect the Stream from the power outlet only after it has powered off.
You can also update your Stream by downloading a SWU software update file from the HumanWare website. Copy the SWU file to the root of an SD card. Connect the Stream to a power outlet with the AC power adapter. Power on the player and insert the card.
The update will start and report the new version number that is being installed. The installation may take up to 5 minutes during which the Stream will periodically announce the update status in percentage. Once the update is completed, the player will power off. You may disconnect the Stream from the power outlet only after it has powered off. The SWU file will be automatically deleted from the SD card when you power on the Stream after performing an upgrade. To upgrade multiple Streams using the same SD card, be sure to remove the card from the upgraded Stream before turning the Stream back on.
It is not possible to update from a USB flash drive since the USB-C port must be connected to AC power to perform the update.
Note that a software update will also update NLS keys and the different HumanWare list for podcasts and internet radio stations.
Victor Reader Stream Specifications:
- Size: 114 x 62 x 18mm (4.5 x 2.4 x 0.7 inches)
- Weight: 110g (3.9 ounces)
- 3.5mm stereo Headphone/headset jack. Headset could include a mono microphone.
· 3.5mm stereo external microphone/line-in jack. Input Impedance: 2.5K
- Built-in mono omni-directional microphone
- Built-in 700 mW speaker
- Battery: Lithium-Ion, 3.7V nominal, 2500 mAh
- Battery recharge time: Up to 3 hours with the included AC adapter/cable. May be longer with other chargers, cables, or PC recharge.
- Battery Playtime: Up to 15 hours continuous play of DAISY or NISO book using headphones without Wi-Fi (may vary depending on content and player settings)
- Power Supply: Switching type AC/DC. Input 100V – 240V, 50Hz – 60Hz. Output: Type A USB socket, 5VDC, 1.5A
- Operating temperature range: +5 to + 45 degrees Celsius
- Battery charging temperature range: +10 to + 45 degrees Celsius
- Storage and transportation temperature: -20 to + 45 degrees Celsius
- Operating humidity: 5% to 95% (non-condensing)
- Storage and transportation humidity: 5% to 95% (non-condensing)
- USB-C OTG compliant interface
- SD (Secure Digital) card slot supports SD, SDHC and SDXC cards.
- Book formats supported: DAISY 2 / 2.02, NISO Z39.86 2002/2005, unprotected EPUB 2, LGK
- DRM: 2002 PDTB1 (so-called I.P.P.) and 2006 PDTB2
- Audio formats supported: AAC (.mp4, .m4a, .m4v), AMR-WB+ (.3gp), Flac, MPEG2, MP3, OGG Vorbis (.ogg), Opus , Speex (.spx), Wav P.C.M.
- Text files supported: bra, brf (including bopf), docx, fb2, html, lkf, pdf, rtf, txt, xml.
- Text-to-Speech: Acapela
- Recording: Mono: MP3 16-bit at a sampling rate of 44,100Hz with a bit rate of 32, 64 or 96 kbps, PCM 16-bit at a sampling rate of 44.100Hz and FLAC. Stereo: MP3 16-bit at a sampling rate of 44,100Hz with a bit rate of 128, 192 or 320 kbps, PCM 16-bit at a sampling rate of 44.100Hz and FLAC.
- Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac operating in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands
Contraindications:
There is no special contraindication for the use of the device.
Warnings:
· Never use household cleaners to clean the Victor Reader Stream.
· Never use cleaning products that contain Ethyl Alcohol, Ethyl Acid, Ammonia, Acetone, or Methyl Chloride.
· Any serious incident that has occurred in relation to the device should be reported to the manufacturer and the competent authority of the Member State in which the user and/or patient is established.
· The Victor Reader Stream system is designed as an orientation aid only and must not, at any time, be used as the only aid while traveling. When using the Victor Reader Stream, users should always be vigilant, stay alert and pay attention to the immediate surrounding area. A conventional mobility aid like a white cane or a guide dog should also be used. The Victor Reader Stream is not meant to be used as a solo mobility device, but along other forms of mobility tools as mentioned previously. It is the user’s responsibility to use this device with caution.
· Do not use headphones while walking on the street.
Care and maintenance
To keep your Stream clean, we recommend that you wipe the surface of the unit periodically using a soft damp cloth. Squeeze cloth to remove excess moisture. Only use warm water. Do not use any cleaning agents. The product is not intended to be disinfected.
Storage and transportation
The product should not be folded or dismantled in storage or transportation.
The product can be carried as any electronic device in a car or plane. It does not have any specific restrictions.
Additional information
After long exposition to the sun, the surface temperature might increase.
The product has performed immersion and electromagnetic immunity tests and should not cause any interference, or be influenced by any other product.
The product material has a V-0 level rating to ignition.
The product is designed to have a lifetime exceeding 5 years. The Battery is designed to have a lifetime of 3 years.
Measured sound Power Level
Headphone sound power output is limited to levels of EN50332.
The speaker maximum power level is 92 dBA at 1 meter.
Service Information
No maintenance, calibration or preventive inspection is needed on the player.
If the user finds the battery autonomy has decreased, a replacement battery may be purchased and replaced by the user.
Contact HumanWare or your distributor for any repair or malfunction questions.
Service shall only be done by HumanWare or its authorized distributor.
Susceptibility to Interference
There may be temporary degradation of the sound when the Stream is subjected to a strong radio-frequency field, electro-static discharge or transient electrical noise.
FCC Warning
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
—Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
—Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
—Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
—Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Industry Canada statements
This device complies with Industry Canada licence-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.
Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR d'Industrie Canada applicables aux appareils radio exempts de licence. L'exploitation est autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes : (1) l'appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage, et (2) l'utilisateur de l'appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage est susceptible d'en compromettre le fonctionnement.
CAN ICES-3 (B)/NMB-3(B)
Audio Warning
To prevent possible hearing damage, do not listen at high volume levels for long periods. Exercise caution when holding your device near your ear while the loudspeaker is in use.
11.1 Battery Safety Precautions
Battery becomes warm during recharging. Do not recharge battery near a heat source. Battery will not recharge if internal temperature is too high. Only use supplied adapter and cable to charge the Victor Reader Stream. If the battery is discharged for a long period of time, there will be a delay of up to a few minutes before the device shows any activity, including charging. Do not submerge the product – there is a risk of overheating, fire or even explosion if the battery is put in a fire, heated, subjected to impact, fully submerge for a long period of time or if the battery terminals are shorted. Do not disassemble or modify the unit. Do not strike, throw or voluntary hit the device. Do not strike the unit with sharp objects or blunt object.
In the event that the battery leaks from the device and gets on your skin, wash with fresh clean and seek medical attention to prevent injuries. If battery leaks and liquids gets in contact with eyes, DO NOT RUB, rinse with clean running water and seek immediate medical attention.
11.2 Disposal Instructions
At the end of this device operational lifetime, its internal components must be disposed in compliance with local authorities.
This device contains no hazardous materials. For disposal, return to HumanWare or follow local governing ordinances or hospital procedure.
1800, Jean-Berchmans-Michaud street
Drummondville, Quebec
Canada J2C 7G7
Telephone: 1 (819) 471-4818
Toll-free: 1 (888) 723-7273 (Canada) ; 1 (800) 722-3393 (USA)
Fax: 1 (819) 471-4828
E-mail: support@humanware.com
Website: www.humanware.com
By using this product (Victor Reader Stream) you agree to the following minimum terms.
1. License Grant. HumanWare grants to End User a non-exclusive, non-transferable right and license to use the Software on this product.
2. Ownership of Software. End User acknowledges that HumanWare retain all right, title and interest in and to the original, and any copies, of software which is incorporated into this product. End User agrees not to: modify, port, translate, decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, or make public in any way the software of this Product.
This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit (http://www.openssl.org/).
This product uses libraries from the ffmpeg project under the lgplv2.1.
This device is a high-quality product, built and packaged with care. All units and components are guaranteed against any operational defects as follows:
US and Canada: One (1) year
Continental Europe and UK: Two (2) years
Australia and New Zealand: One (1) year
Other countries: One (1) year
Warranty covers all parts (except battery) and labor. If any defect should occur, please contact your local distributor or the manufacturer technical assistance line.
Note: Warranty terms may periodically change, please consult our website for the latest information.
Conditions and Limitations:
No replacement or repair covered by the warranty will be carried out unless the unit is accompanied by a copy of the original bill of purchase. Please retain your original. If the unit has to be returned, please use the original packaging. This warranty applies to all cases where the damage is not a result of improper use, mistreatment, negligence or acts of God.