VICTOR READER STREAM 1.1
USER GUIDE
by HumanWare
revision 9-20071113
User Guide
About VICTOR READER STREAM
HumanWare is proud to introduce 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 removable flash memory card and provides advanced navigation of multiple formats including DAISY, MP3, NISO and electronic text.
Acknowledgement
HumanWare thanks the CNIB Library for assisting with the production of this User Guide.
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved, HumanWare Canada.
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 Back side of the Player (Battery Compartment)
1.2.6 USB Cartridge Holder (optional)
1.3.1 Turning the Player On and Off
1.3.2 Player Reset Using Power Button
1.4 Inserting or Removing the SD CARD
1.8 Transferring Files Between Your PC and Stream
2.1 Changing Volume, Speed, Tone
3.4 Text-to-Speech Navigation Elements
3.5.1 Recall skippable elements
3.6 Bookshelf Navigation — Key 1
3.7 User Guide — Key 1 (Press and hold)
3.11 Confirm, Lock and Cancel — Pound and Star keys
3.12.1 Available Information Items
6. Listening to Music and other Books
6.3 Using Other Books and Music Bookshelves
6.4 Characteristics that Differ Between Other Books and Music Bookshelves
9. HumanWare Canada Contact Information
10. End User License Agreement
11. Appendix 1 - Stream Error Messages
The package contains the following items:
In some countries the package may also contain a card to fill out to purchase an optional extension to your basic warranty. If you find this card and are interested in the extended warranty please return the card within 30 days. If you have difficulty filling out the card or wish more information please contact HumanWare:
Toll Free: 1 888 723-7273 (Canada & U.S.A.)
Telephone: 1 (819) 471-4818
E-mail: ca.sales@humanware.com
The face of the player can be divided into three sections:
There is a raised line below the numeric key pad and above the Sleep key to separate the middle and bottom sections.
On the left side of the player, near the top corner, is the Power/Toggle button. You press and hold this button to power on and off the player. When the player is on, you press this same Power button to toggle the volume, speed and tone settings. Next to it, are two triangular buttons. These are the Up and Down buttons used to increase or decrease the respective volume, speed or tone selected with the toggle button. These settings are saved between sessions. For your convenience, separate volume settings are saved for each of the built-in speaker and headphones.
On the right side of the player, near the top corner, is the earphones jack which can also be used to connect an external speaker. Next to it is the microphone jack. Halfway down the right side between two rough surfaces is the Record button which is red and has a raised dot in the middle.
Located on the top edge, on the left corner is a mini USB connector. This is used to access books on USB storage devices using the included USB cables. Next to it, in the middle, is the SD memory card slot. On the right is the power input jack. It is used to connect the player to an electrical outlet to recharge the battery.
The battery compartment is located in the back of the player. To remove the battery door, press on the finger pads and slide the door down and off. You may also find it easier to grip the player around the curved bottom end with your fingers on the key pad and the heel of your palm on the battery door. Then squeeze gently against the door and slide it down and off. You will find a semi-circular opening at the top center of the battery compartment.
To remove the battery: place your finger in the semi-circular opening and push and lift the finger tab.
To insert the battery: Find the proper battery orientation. On the bottom edge of the battery is a bump to the left of the center, and two tabs on either side. The top edge of the battery has a finger tab in the middle. The top surface of the battery has a label which covers most of the top face of the battery. This label side must be up when the battery is inserted. Insert the bottom edge first, making certain the bump fits in the appropriate opening on the left, and snap the top edge in place. The top side of the battery with label is facing up.
The battery is designed to fit in only the correct orientation so if you feel any resistance it is likely you have the battery upside down. Secure the battery compartment by sliding the door back on, ensuring it locks in place.
The fully charged battery will provide up to 15 hours playtime. However, battery playtime may be reduced in the following cases :
The battery will automatically recharge if needed whenever the player is plugged to AC power. If 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. A full recharge takes up to 4 hours.
When the player is not connected to a power outlet, and staying in pause mode for more than 30 minutes, it will shut Off automatically to save the battery.
Note: The player's serial number can be found in the top left corner of the battery compartment. The serial number can also be obtained by pressing INFO (key 0).
Your Victor Reader Stream can accommodate an optional USB cartridge holder connected to the back of the player. This optional cartridge holder must be purchased as an accessory. The use of the USB cartridge holder is for those who are eligible to receive books from the NLS (National Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped) library in the United States. The NLS library talking books will be distributed on special book cartridges that can be inserted into this holder so they may be played on the Stream if the Stream is authorized to play the NLS books. Note that NLS book cartridges are currently not available and will not be until 2008. In order for the Stream to be authorized the user must be eligible for NLS service and be registered by their local library. Please contact your local library for more information on NLS service eligibility. The cartridge holder includes an integral USB connector to allow the player to access the data on the book cartridge.
If you have not purchased the USB cartridge holder you may still play books on an NLS cartridge or books on a USB memory stick by connecting either to the USB connector on the top left corner of the Stream using the short USB cable provided. The USB cartridge holder is only needed if you wish to have the NLS book cartridge connected to the player without using the cable.
To attach the NLS cartridge holder:
To remove the cartridge holder, simultaneously press the two buttons on the sides of the holder. This will release the fastening clasps and allow you to remove the cartridge holder.
To turn the player On, press and hold the Power key, 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. You will hear two beeps indicating the player is powering Off.
Devices with multiple layers of complex software such as the Stream may become unresponsive if a software lock occurs. 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 hard reset.
To insert and remove the SD card follow these steps:
- Hold the player facing you. The SD card slot is on the top edge of the player in the centre.
- 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. The card has a small write-lock tab on its right edge. This tab should be in the down position if you plan to write information on the card such as recording or deleting voice notes. If you only listen to books, the tab can be put in the up position to write protect the SD card.
- Push the card down into the slot until it clicks into place.
- To remove the card push down on the top edge to release it. Then pull it out.
When playing the contents of an SD card and it is removed from the player, the player will switch to the first book on the USB source (if any) or enter the key describer mode.
If the player is powered on with both an SD card and USB source 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 a USB source.
The Stream recognizes various book types which are saved in separate folder structures called Bookshelves. You select the Bookshelf you want to read with multiple presses of the Bookshelf (1) key. You move backward and forward along each Bookshelf using the 4 and 6 keys. The Bookshelf list is circular. On the SD or USB source 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. Note that when you insert a card that is not write-protected, Stream will automatically create the $VR reserved folders.
The Bookshelf structure and usage are defined as follows:
Bookshelf: Talking Books ($VRDTB folder).
Book types: DAISY 2.x, NISO Z39.86.
Usage: The files comprising each of your DAISY or NISO books should be saved in separate subfolders under this folder. Use the 4/6 keys to move backward and forward between books. Press PLAY to select the book. In this bookshelf the current reading position and bookmarks are saved separately for each book.
Bookshelf: Other Books ($VROtherBooks folder).
Book types: Non-DAISY or non-NISO recorded books (MP3,Wav).
Usage: The files comprising each book should be saved in separate subfolders under this folder. Folders may be nested. Use the 4/6 keys to move between books. Press PLAY to select the book. In this bookshelf the current reading position and bookmarks are saved separately for each book (folder). Playback stops at the end of the last file of each book.
Bookshelf: Text ($VRText folder).
Book types: Text files (txt,html, XML).
Usage: Each text 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. Reading position and bookmarks are saved separately for each book (file). Playback stops at the end of each book (file).
Bookshelf: Music ($VRMusic folder).
Book types: Recorded music (MP3,Wav, OGG).
Usage: The entire music structure is defined as a single book meaning there is only one current reading position and set of bookmarks for the entire music structure. Set up nested folders containing music files. For example, the structure could be genre, artist, album, and tracks. Navigate using 2/8 keys to choose folder or file navigation level and then move within that level using 4/6 keys. Playback continues from the last file of one folder to the first file of the next folder. Random play mode (set with Menu 7) applies only to the Music bookshelf.
Bookshelf: Notes ($VRNotes folder).
Book types: AMR-WB+ audio files recorded by the Stream.
Usage: This is a single list of files recorded by the Stream where each file is given an incremental number for each separate recording. The list of notes is defined as a single book meaning there is only one current reading position and set of bookmarks for all the notes.
Note: Folder names are shown in mixed case for readability but Stream does not require mixed case.
The Stream may create other file names beginning with “$VR” on the SD. Removing or altering these files could result in unpredictable behavior.
To connect Stream to your PC, turn the power off on the Stream, connect one end of the long USB cable to the mini USB on the top left edge of the Stream and the other end to your PC's USB port. Then turn the Stream back on. Windows will recognize the Stream SD card as a USB drive and you can then use Windows Explorer to transfer files back and forth. If you have an SD card reader on your PC, it will be faster to transfer files using the PC card reader than using the USB cable with Stream. If you are not familiar with file transfers using Windows Explorer you may want to try installing the optional Stream companion software provided on your Stream CD. It has a separate User Guide also found on the CD.
The Stream must remain powered on while connected to the PC. While connected, its controls will not function. When you disconnect from the PC, you will need to power off the Stream.
You can switch SD cards in the Stream while connected but before removing the SD or disconnecting the Stream be sure to use the Safely Remove Hardware function on the Windows System Tray.
When the Stream is on, press the Power button on the top left side to toggle volume, speed, or tone settings. 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 and speed there is also a beep to mark the normal or 0 position. This indicates either a flat tone setting or normal speed setting.
To start playing a book, press the Play/Stop key.
To stop playing a book, press the Play/Stop key again.
NOTE: Like the Pound key, you can also press Play/Stop to confirm an operation or end a numeric entry. If you confirm or end with Play/Stop then playback will start at the same time.
These keys allow you to go backward or forward quickly.
Press and hold the Rewind or Fast Forward key until you reach the desired spot, 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 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 normal speed clip.
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 an SD or USB source is present: 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.
When no SD or USB source is present, the Key Describer mode will be activated automatically.
While in Key Describer mode you may press any key to hear its function.
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. 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. 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 is always provided but its extent depends on the book producer.
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.
The Time Jump interval can be set at 1, 5, 10 minutes using the Menu key (7).
When Stream is in Text-to-speech mode there will be additional text navigation levels added to the up/down (2/8) key rotation. These include the text elements: screen, paragraph, line, sentence, word, and character. Screen and line elements are defined arbitrarily as 25 lines per page and 80 characters per line. As with other navigation levels, you move between elements of the selected level using the 4/6 (left/right) keys. Note that the Screen element will only be available when no pages are defined in the book.
VICTOR READER STREAM supports the following skippable elements: Footnote, Page number, Production note and Sidebar.
Skippable element can be set as Play, Skip or On Demand, see the Configuration Menu for details. When a skippable element is encountered during playback, VICTOR READER STREAM behaves as follows:
Play: The element is always played.
Skip: The element is never played.
On Demand: The element is not played but added to the recall list and the element’s name is announced. Note that On Demand option is not available for page and line number elements.
On Demand skippable elements can be recalled with the Pound key.
STREAM remembers up to 5 skipped On Demand elements. The last added element will be the first to be recalled. Pressing the Pound key multiple times will recall the prior element in the list. When an element is recalled, the name of the element is played and playback starts at the beginning of the element. When the end of the element is reached, the message “Return to text” is played and the book position will return to where it was when the Pound key was pressed.
During the playback of a recalled element, the user may press Cancel (Star key) to quit playing the recalled element and return to the main text of the book.
Press the Bookshelf (1) key multiple times to rotate through the circular list of Bookshelves. Bookshelves contain different types of books and files as defined in the section, Bookshelf Structure. You move backward and forward along a Bookshelf using the 4 and 6 keys. Confirm the choice with the Pound or Play keys. STREAM will start to play from where you left off in the selected book.
You can access the built-in user guide at any time by pressing and holding key 1. Press and hold 1 again to exit.
When browsing Talking Books, Other Books and Text files you can use the 3 key to delete a book or text file or, while browsing the Audio Notes list, you can use the 3 key to delete an Audio Note. Press 3 to delete the selected item and Stream will ask you to confirm. Press the Pound key to delete or any other key to cancel the delete.
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. Reading will resume once this information is given.
There are two types of Playback modes available: Recorded and Text-To-Speech (TTS). For DAISY or NISO books with full text/full audio, use the 9 key to switch back and forth between the recorded audio and the same position in the equivalent electronic text. The synchronization depends on the book producer but typically text and audio are synchronized to the paragraph or sentence element.
The last used playback mode is saved between reading sessions. Only the modes available for the selected book will be available for selection with the 9 key. If the book is only recorded or only text then the appropriate mode is automatically selected and the 9 key has no choices available. If the player has two TTS installed then the 9 rotation is recorded, TTS1, and TTS2.
The Pound key allows you to confirm an operation or end a numeric entry such as a page number.
The Star key allows you to cancel an operation.
If you press and hold the Star key it will also lock the key pad. To unlock, press keys 1, 2, and 3 in sequence. There is one exception to the keyboard locking and it is the hard reset. This will always be available so while holding down the power key for 2 seconds will not power down the player, keeping the key held for the required hard reset time will still perform a hard reset on release.
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. Or press the Info (0) key and press key 4 or 6 to move backward or forward through the items. You can also press the Info (0) key repeatedly to move through each item.
To cancel the Info messages, press the Star or Play keys.
You can also press and hold the Info key to enter and exit Key Describer Mode.
Book title
Number of pages and total time
Playtime elapsed and playtime remaining
Number of Bookmarks set in the book
Total Headings in the book
Whether the player is operating on battery or AC power, if on AC power, whether the battery is charging or if battery charge is complete
Current Battery Level: High, Medium, Low and Very Low
VICTOR READER STREAM model number, software version number, number of user authorization keys (if any), and serial number.
The Go to Page function allows you to go directly to a desired page.
Press the Go to Page key, the upper one in the left column. Enter a page number. Press the Pound key to go to the selected Page, VICTOR READER STREAM will confirm the entered Page number. Or press the Play/Stop key to have VICTOR READER STREAM start playback from the chosen page.
To cancel, press the Cancel (Star) key.
If you press the Go to Page key twice 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 the Pound key to move to that heading or end with Play to move and start playback.
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.
You can use Stream for voice recordings which are called audio notes. These notes will be saved on the SD memory card in the $VRNotes folder. Each recording is assigned an incremental numeric filename. You can record using either the built-in microphone or an external microphone plugged into the microphone jack just below the headphone jack. The built-in microphone is omnidirectional which is useful for recording meetings or lectures while an external directional microphone may be better for recording interviews.
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 on the upper right corner) 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 restart 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. Press the Star key to cancel the recording.
To listen to your audio notes use the Bookshelf (key 1) to find 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. Voice memos are encoded using the AMR-WideBand+ (AMR-WB+) audio codec. If you wish to access these files using your computer, you will need to download a AMR-WB+ decoder or convert the audio notes to wav files using the Stream Companion software. Note that one hour of recording requires approximately 9.1 megabytes of storage space.
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.
Press the Bookmark key, once or until you hear ‘go to bookmark’. Enter the number of the bookmark you wish to go to. Press the Pound key. VICTOR READER STREAM will go to the bookmark and announce its number. Or, press the Play/Stop key. STREAM will go to the requested bookmark and begin playback.
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 the Pound key 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, VICTOR READER 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 will hear a beep indicating the bookmark was set. Note that you cannot insert a bookmark during a quick recording (while holding down the Record key).
To record an audio bookmark, do the following:
a) Press the Bookmark key twice or until you hear ‘insert bookmark’.
b) Enter the number you wish to assign to the Bookmark. You may skip this step and a number will be assigned automatically.
c) Press and hold the Record key and recite a short message. Then release the Record key. Or press the Record key once, recite your message, and then press Record again to end the recording. In this case, the Play key can be used to pause and resume recording. Note that audio bookmark recordings are limited to 1 minute in length. Also, to playback your audio bookmark simply go to or browse to that bookmark. You will hear your recording and then playback will continue at the bookmarked position. Unlike audio notes, you cannot fast forward or rewind within your audio bookmark recording.
d) To cancel, press the Star key.
Audio bookmarks are limited to a maximum of one minute. If the one-minute limit is reached the recording is stopped and the bookmark is saved. Audio bookmarks may be recorded during the playback of books or audio notes. The bookmark will be stored in memory and the associated recording will be stored on the SD card in a reserved folder named $VRAudioBkm. You should not modify any files within this folder. The recorded files are linked to the simple bookmarks in internal memory. The recorded file name format is x_y_z.3GP where x is the first 13 characters of the book title text, y is an 8-character computer generated unique book i.d, and z is a 6 digit bookmark number. For bookmarks placed in MP3 files or audio notes there is no book title. In these cases, x will be “Other______”, “music___”, or “AudioNote____”, respectively. While playing an audio bookmark you can press the Rewind key once to replay the recorded voice note or press Fast Forward to skip it and start playing the book at the bookmarked position. You cannot Fast Forward or Rewind within the audio bookmark.
Highlight Bookmarks are used to define the Start and the End positions of a passage for later playback. Setting highlight bookmarks is a great way to study important passages in text books.
Press the Bookmark key, 3 times or until you hear “Start highlight bookmark”.
Enter a bookmark number followed by the Pound or Play/Stop key.
NOTE: You can omit entering the bookmark number in which case STREAM will assign the first available bookmark number.
Press the Bookmark key until you hear “End highlight bookmark”. Press the Pound key or Play/Stop key to confirm. The current position is set as the ending position. If the end position is placed before the start position, they will be switched. The message "Highlight bookmark "X" inserted" is then played. The user can also cancel the highlight bookmark by pressing the Cancel key. In both cases, the state reverts to Start.
NOTE: When a highlight bookmark starting position is set but not the ending position, its highlight bookmark number becomes unavailable. STREAM will announce “Bookmark"X" already exists” if the user enters a regular bookmark with this number.
NOTE: If you remove the book or power off the STREAM before closing the highlight, highlight will be auto-completed.
When going to a highlight bookmark, If you end the bookmark number entry with the Play/Stop key, playback will start from this current position and stop at the highlight bookmark ending position. If the Confirm key was used, Stream will position at the bookmark but not play. While playing the highlighted passage you can jump to the beginning by tapping the Rewind key and jump to the end by tapping Fast Forward. At the end of the highlight you can play it again by tapping Rewind.
When a highlight bookmark is reached with the bookmark list, playback will stop at the highlight bookmark ending position. A highlight that was started but hasn’t been closed yet will not be listed.
When deleting a highlight bookmark, the "Highlight bookmark "X" removed" message will be announced. It is possible to delete a highlight bookmark that was started but not closed. This action reverts the highlight bookmark state to Start.
Press the Bookmark key, four times or until you hear ‘bookmark list’.
Press the key 4 or key 6 to go from one bookmark to the next. Each time you press the key, you will hear the number of the next bookmark and playback will begin. Press the Pound key to confirm the current position and continue play.
Press the Star key to exit the Bookmark list.
NOTE: The bookmark list always contains one bookmark for the beginning and end of book. Bookmarks are sorted by their position in the book not by the bookmark number.
Press the Bookmark key, five times or until you hear ‘remove bookmark’. Enter the number of the Bookmark you wish to remove. Press the Pound key to confirm.
To remove all the Bookmarks in a book, first press the Bookmark key five times or until you hear ‘remove bookmark’, then press the key 9 five times (enter number 99999). Then press the Pound key to confirm.
The Sleep Mode key lets you program a delay period, after which the player will shut down automatically.
Press the Sleep Mode key to program a shutdown delay of 15 minutes. Each additional “Sleep Mode” keystroke will add 15 minutes delay, up to a maximum of 60 minutes. The next key press will disable the Sleep Mode and the cycle starts over. When Sleep mode is activated, the LED will blink during the last minute at which point the player will announce "One minute remaining".
NOTE: Pressing the Sleep key when Sleep is already active will announce the Sleep time remaining.
The VICTOR READER STREAM can be customized using the Configuration menu.
To open the Menu, press the Menu (7) key. Pressing the Menu key again will switch to the next Menu. Browse Menu Items with the Up/Down (2, 8) keys, use the Left/Right (4, 6) keys to select an Item’s value and press Pound key to confirm. Press Cancel (Star key) or any other key to exit the Menu.
The available menus, menu items and values are listed in their respective order below. Note that the first listed values in the list are the factory default settings.
Menu: Navigation & Playback.
Item: Playback.
Values: Loop (disable or enable), Random (music only) (disable or enable).
Item: Time jump.
Values: 1, 5, or 10 minute Time Jump for navigation menu on 2/8 keys.
Menu: Skip.
Item: All.
Values: Play, Skip, On Demand, Custom.
Item: Footnote.
Values: Play, Skip, On Demand.
Item: Page number.
Values: Play, Skip.
Item: Production note.
Values: Play, Skip, On Demand.
Item: Sidebar.
Values: Play, Skip, On Demand.
When selecting the Loop mode, Playback will play repeatedly, it will automatically restart again at the beginning when reaching the end of a book.
When selecting the Random mode, Playback will play randomly all the elements in the Music Bookshelf list. Once the whole list has been played, Playback will start again at the beginning of the list.
The Skip Menu contains the configuration options for the skippable elements. Play is the default value. Here is a list of menu items and their respective values:
All.
Values: Play, Skip, On Demand, Custom.
Note: You cannot select Custom. It is set automatically when you modify any of the skippable elements.
Footnote.
Values: Play, Skip, On Demand.
Page Number.
Values: Play, Skip.
Production Note.
Values: Play, Skip, On Demand.
Sidebar.
Values: Play, Skip, On Demand.
The following section provides general rules and information on listening to music and non-DAISY, non-NISO books (called Other Books). File formats supported include Wav, MP3, AMR-WB+, OGG Vorbis. Book files should be grouped in subfolders of the reserved $VROtherBooks folder on the SD card. Music files should be grouped in subfolders of the reserved $VRMusic folder.
The maximum file name length, including the file path, is 512 characters (includes media/book path). When scanning the memory card at insertion, any folder or file with a full path name greater than 512 will be ignored.
Note that when you enter the Music Bookshelf 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.
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. Books need to be in subfolders of \$VROtherBooks. All books in this folder but not in any subfolder will be ignored.
Folder: \$VROtherBooks.
May contain audio files: Yes.
Book number: n/a.
Folder: \$VROtherBooks\Drama.
May contain audio files: No.
Book number: n/a.
Folder: \$VROtherBooks\Drama\BookA.
May contain audio files: Yes.
Book number: 1.
Folder: \$VROtherBooks\Drama\BookB.
May contain audio files: Yes.
Book number: 2.
Folder: \$VROtherBooks\Mystery.
May contain audio files: Yes.
Book number: 3.
Folder: \$VROtherBooks\Mystery\BookC.
May contain audio files: Yes.
Book number: 4.
Folder: \$VROtherBooks\Mystery\BookD.
May contain audio files: Yes.
Book number: 5.
Stream can play Audible.com format 4 books. You must first activate the Stream SD card for Audible books. To do this, connect Stream to your computer using the long USB cable and then activate the Stream using the Audible Manager software. When Audible Manager activates the Stream it will create a new reserved Stream folder named $VRAudible in the root of the Stream SD card. It will place a hidden system (.SYS) activation file in that $VRAudible folder which you must not delete. If you want to save Audible books on multiple SD cards you will need to activate each SD card separately. All Audible books must also be saved in this $VRAudible folder. Even though the $VRAudible folder is in the root of the SD card, Stream will list the Audible book titles on the Other Books bookshelf. To transfer Audible books you may either use the Audible Manager with the Stream connected or use Windows Explorer to transfer the .aa Audible book file from the Audible downloads folder on your computer directly to the $VRAudible folder on the SD card. If you use Windows Explorer for the file transfer you can take advantage of the faster transfer speed of your computer card reader. If you choose to transfer books with Audible Manager you must always connect the Stream to the computer.
When reading the Audible book, you can use keys 2 and 8 to navigate by either the heading marks provided in the Audible book or by Stream's 1, 5, or 10 minute Time Jumps. You can also use Stream's Go to Heading, accelerated Fast Forward/Rewind and variable speed control. You may place bookmarks. You may use the key 3 Delete Book function.
The following list provides an example of how music 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. If a $VRMusic folder is present, the root is not scanned for audio files. When no $VRMusic folder is present and no DAISY or NISO books were found in the root, the entire card is scanned for music files with the exception of folders starting with $VR.
Note: Whenever you alter the structure of the Music bookshelf by adding or removing files the current play position will always return to the first file of the first folder.
Folder: \$VRMusic\ArtistA.
May contain audio files: No.
Folder number: N.A.
Folder: \$VRMusic\ArtistA\Album1.
May contain audio files: Yes.
Folder number: 1.
Folder: \$VRMusic\ArtistA\Album2.
May contain audio files: Yes.
Folder number: 2.
Folder: \$VRMusic\ArtistB.
May contain audio files: No.
Folder number: N.A.
Folder: \$VRMusic\ArtistB\Album1.
May contain audio files: Yes.
Folder number: 3.
Folder: \$VRMusic\ArtistB\Album2.
May contain audio files: Yes.
Folder number: 4.
The Music Bookshelf may contain playlists. A playlist is a text file containing a list of supported audio files to play. It must have the file extension of “m3u”. A playlist cannot link to other playlists. A playlist is considered to be a folder for navigation purposes.
The 2 and 8 keys are used to select folder or file navigation level and the 4 and 6 keys move from folder to folder or file to file. The Stream’s Text-to-Speech will announce the names of files and folders. Note that the Folder Level is not available for Other Books.
Where am I?: Pressing the Where am I? key will report the file number, the name of the current file in Text-to-Speech, and the time elapsed in the current book in hours / minutes / seconds.
Go to file: Press the Go to Page key once VICTOR READER STREAM will go to a specified file within the current folder.
Enter the file number, If no number is entered, default will be the current file. Press Confirm to move to the chosen file. Or, press Play/Stop to move to the chosen file and start playing.
Go to folder: Press the Go to Page key twice STREAM will go to a specified folder. Enter the folder number. If no number is entered, default will be the current folder. Press the Confirm key to move to the first file of the chosen folder and STREAM prompts "Go to file". Note that the Go to Folder option is not available for Other Books.
The user will then enter the desired file number. If no number is entered, 1 is assumed. Press the Confirm key to move to the chosen file and the message "File X" is announced. Or, press the Play/Stop key to move to the chosen file and start playing.
Pressing the Info (0) key will announce the following information :
Number of files and folders (Not available for Other Books)
Total play time
Time elapsed
Playing Time remaining
Number of Bookmarks
Battery or Power Cord Current Battery Level: High, Medium, Low and Very Low, VICTOR READER STREAM model number, software program version number, user key(s) (if any), and serial number.
The following lists characteristics that differ between the Other Books and Music bookshelves:
Characteristic: Next/Previous folder.
Other books: Not available.
Music: If the current file is the first or the last file of a folder, the Left/Right arrows will switch to the last or the first file of the previous or the next folder respectively.
Characteristic: Next/Previous file.
Other books: Playback is restricted to the current folder when navigating between files at the file level.
Music: If the current file is the first or the last file of a folder, the Left/Right arrows will switch to the last or the first file of the previous or the next folder respectively.
Characteristic: Randomize.
Other books: Not available.
Music: All files in the Music Bookshelf are played in random order. Use left/right (4/6) keys to move to the previous/next file in the randomized order. Only the File level is available.
Characteristic: Continuous play.
Other books: Playback loops within a single folder.
Music: Playback continues from the last file of one folder to the first file of the next folder. If Random play is set then playback loops through the randomized playlist.
Characteristic: Current reading position.
Other books: Saved separately for each folder (book).
Music: Only one reading position is saved for the entire music structure.
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. Supported formats include: TXT, HTML and XML.
For HTML files that have heading tags (<H1>, <H2>, <H3> etc.) these will correspond to equivalent navigation levels 1, 2, 3 etc. on the 2/8 menu. Be aware that some HTML 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 on the 2/8 menu. Also, an HTML 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.
When reading files in the Text Bookshelf, 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 the Pound or Confirm key 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. Note that for relative file positions of 1% to 99%, Stream will position to the start of the next paragraph after the specified position. Thus, after you move to a percentage position, the Where Am I may report a different percentage than you specified.
HumanWare may from time to time offer new versions of the Stream software.
The .upg software update file is contained in a .zip file downloaded from HumanWare's website.
To update your Stream:
- Copy the HumanWare software update file to the root of an SD card or USB stick.
- Connect the Stream to a power outlet.
- Power on the player and insert the card.
- The update will start and report the new version number that is being installed. The installation takes 2 to 3 minutes.
- After the update is done, the player will power off.
- You may then remove the update file from the SD card or USB stick.
Victor Reader Stream Specifications:
1030, Rene-Levesque Blvd.
Drummondville, Quebec.
Canada J2C 5W4.
Telephone: 1 (819) 471-4818.
Toll-free (Canada & USA): 1 (888) 723-7273.
Fax: 1 (819) 471-4828.
E-mail: ca.support@humanware.com
Website: www.humanware.ca
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/)
Type: SYSTEM.
Name: CDROM.
Error Number: 1.
Description: Does not apply.
Type: SYSTEM.
Name: MEMORY.
Error Number: 2.
Description: Memory allocation problem.
Type: MEDIA.
Name: READ.
Error Number: 1.
Description: Error reading sector on disc.
Type: MEDIA.
Name: FORMAT.
Error Number: 2.
Description: Unsupported File system.
Type: MEDIA.
Name: MOUNT.
Error Number: 3.
Description: Error while mounting device.
Type: MEDIA.
Name: AUDIO.
Error Number: 4.
Description: Does not apply.
Type: MEDIA.
Name: FILE.
Error Number: 5.
Description: Error accessing the audio file.
Type: MEDIA.
Name: WAV.
Error Number: 6.
Description: Error creating new wav structure.
Type: MEDIA.
Name: MPEG.
Error Number: 7.
Description: Error handling an mpeg file.
Type: MEDIA.
Name: VORBIS.
Error Number: 8.
Description: Error handling a vorbis file.
Type: MEDIA.
Name: NO AUDIO.
Error Number: 9.
Description: No audio output available.
Type: MEDIA.
Name: AMR-WB+.
Error Number: 10.
Description: Error handling a AMR-WB+ file.
Type: BOOK.
Name: GENERIC.
Error Number: 1.
Description: Unspecified.
Type: BOOK.
Name: MP3.
Error Number: 2.
Description: Error with the mp3 decoder.
Type: BOOK.
Name: VORBIS.
Error Number: 3.
Description: Error with the ogg vorbis decoder.
Type: BOOK.
Name: WAV.
Error Number: 4.
Description: Error with the wav decoder.
Type: BOOK.
Name: NO FILE NAME.
Error Number: 5.
Description: No file name available.
Type: BOOK.
Name: NO CUR POS.
Error Number: 6.
Description: No current position is set.
Type: BOOK.
Name: FILE NOT FOUND.
Error Number: 7.
Description: File not found on MCART.
Type: BOOK.
Name: AMR-WB+.
Error Number: 8.
Description: Error with the AMR-WB+ decoder.