Victor Reader Stream FAQ
1: Audible.com Books and Audible Manager
2: Bass, Treble, Tone, Pitch, Speed, and Volume Controls
7: CNIB Online Digital Audio Books (Canada)
16: Serotek and System Access Mobile Network
1: Audible.com Books and Audible Manager
Q. Can the Stream play recorded books from Audible.com?
A. Yes. You must first be a member of the Audible service and use the Audible Manager program to authorize your Stream to play the protected Audible books.
Q. Can I try out the Audible service without Subscribing?
A. Yes. HumanWare has a partnership with Audible to allow HumanWare customers to try the Audible service free for 14 days including download of a free Audible book. To learn more visit:
http://www.audible.com/humanware
You can cancel at any time during the trial period and still keep your downloaded book.
Q. What is Audible Manager?
A. Audible Manager is a Windows software program that you download and install from Audible.com when you become an Audible member. Audible Manager is then used to activate Victor Reader Stream to enable it to play Audible books. Audible Manager will also keep a list of your downloaded Audible books and allow you to play them on your computer and transfer them to your Stream. Audible Manager runs on Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. It does not run on Windows 98 or ME.
Q. Can I listen to a sample Audible book before subscribing?
A. Yes. Visit:
http://www.audible.com/humanware to sign up for a free 14 day trial of Audible including a free download book and the Audible Manager software. You may still keep the book if you decide not to subscribe to Audible. There are also excerpts of Audible content on your Stream CD in the Interactive Tutorial folder. The CD Release Notes explain how to transfer the tutorial files so you can listen to them on your Stream.
Q. How do I activate my Stream with Audible Manager?
A. First, be sure you have version 5.1.0.2 or higher of Audible Manager. If you are an existing Audible customer, you can download the latest version of Audible Manager from
http://download.audible.com/AM50/ActiveSetupN.exe
When Install Shield asks you to choose a player device, you may choose Victor Reader Stream. Alternatively, you can also choose "No mobile Device" during the installation because you can also add the Stream device later from Audible Manager.
Once it is installed, be sure to remain connected to the Internet and run Audible Manager. With Audible Manager running you are now ready to activate your Stream SD card for playing Audible books. Follow these steps:
- Insert the SD card in your Stream. Power off your Stream and connect it to your computer using the long USB cable provided. Then power the Stream back on. You should hear the message, “Player connected”. Important: When using Audible Manager, you must connect the Stream. You cannot activate with your SD card in a card reader.
- After connecting, Windows may open the auto play dialog asking you what program you want to use to play your USB device. Simply arrow down to the "Take no Action" choice or close that window and return to the Audible Manager window.
- In Audible Manager, press Alt+D to open the Device pull down menu.
- If you did not specify the Stream during Audible Manager installation, then choose the Add New Device option.
- You will then be asked to connect to the Internet so Audible Manager can update necessary components. Select the YES button to proceed.
- Audible Manager will then present a list of possible devices. Arrow down the list to Victor Reader Stream and select it. Then tab to the OK button and activate it.
- Audible Manager will download the plug-in for the Stream and then ask to close Audible Manager to install the plug-in on your computer. Select the OK button.
- Audible Manager will then close and reopen.
- Again open the Device menu and choose the option to activate your device.
- Audible Manager will prompt you to enter your Audible Username and password. Then press the OK button to activate your Stream's SD card.
- Note that Audible refers to the Stream device as Humanwre VR Stream. The incorrect spelling of HumanWare is because there is a maximum of 8 characters for the USB device company name.
- After you press OK the SD card should become activated. You can verify this because there will be a folder named $VRAudible on your SD card and a file named AudibleActivation.sys in that folder. Note that this is a system file and will not appear unless your Windows folder options are set to show hidden system files. However, you do not need to change your folder options as this will not affect use of Audible. If the $VRAudible folder is created then likely the Activation file is there.
Q. Can I use more than one SD card for Audible books on the Stream?
A. Yes. If you need to use a second SD card for Audible simply repeat the above procedure or create a $VRAudible folder on the second card and copy the AudibleActivation.sys file to it.
Q. After I activate my Stream how do I transfer Audible books to it?
A. You can use Audible Manager with the Stream connected to transfer your Audible books to the Stream. An easy way to do this is to arrow down to the book you want in the Audible Manager library list. Then press the applications key on your keyboard and from the resulting context menu, select the "Add to Humanware VR Stream option". Audible Manager will place the Audible book .aa file in the $VRAudible folder of the SD card.
Instead of transferring books with Audible Manager, you may also place your SD card into a card reader and use Windows Explorer to copy the .aa Audible book files from the Audible download folder to the $VRAudible folder. The default Audible download folder is:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Audible\Downloads
Or, if you updated an older version of Audible Manager it may be:
C:\Program Files\Audible\Programs\Downloads
You must not create separate subfolders in $VRAudible for each book.
2 Bass, Treble, Tone, Pitch, Speed, and Volume Controls
Q. What is the difference between bass, treble, Tone, and Pitch Controls?
A. The Tone control is a single setting to raise or lower the tone of voice audio. If you set the Tone control to the middle or 0 setting it will not alter the voice. If you move the tone to lower settings below zero it will lower the tone of the voice and settings above 0 will increase the tone. This works well for the limited range of voice frequencies. However, for the wider range of frequencies of music it is useful to be able to control the lower (bass) frequencies and higher (treble) frequencies independently. Therefore, separate Bass/Treble controls are used in place of a single Tone control on the music bookshelf. On the Text bookshelf, the Tone control is replaced with a Pitch control. The Pitch control directly adjusts the Vocalizer text-to-speech (TTS) engine which provides a much wider range of control to the sound of the TTS than does the Tone control.
Q. Are the bass, treble, tone, and pitch settings independent of each other?
A. Yes.
Q. Why does my Volume setting change if I insert or remove my headphones?
A. For your convenience, Stream remembers separate volume settings for the built-in speaker and the headphones. This means you can set one volume level that is comfortable for the headphones and a different volume level that you prefer for the built-in speaker. When you remove the headphones Stream will reset to the last volume level you set for the speaker and when you plug the headphones back in Stream will reset to the level you last set for the headphones. There are 10 volume settings for the speaker and 15 settings for the headphones.
Q. Why does my stereo music play in mono?
A. Be sure the variable speed control is set to normal speed (setting number 0). If you speed up or slow down the speed for music files they will play in mono instead of stereo.
3 Battery
Q. How long will Stream play on a full battery charge?
A. Approximately 15 hours for continuous play of recorded talking books on SD cards.
Q. How long does it take to recharge the Stream battery?
A. Up to 4 hours.
Q. My battery becomes warm when recharging. Is that ok?
A. Yes. It is normal that the battery becomes warm during the recharge process. The player has a safety mechanism that will suspend the charge if the battery becomes too warm. This could prolong the recharge beyond the normal 4 hours. Thus, for maximum efficiency you should recharge the player outside its carrying case and be sure it is not near a heat source.
Q. Why does the green power light (LED) sometimes blink when I plug the Stream to AC power?
A. When the player is turned off and plugged to AC power the LED will blink to indicate the battery is recharging. When the battery is fully charged, the LED will stop blinking. If the player is in use and connected to the AC power the battery will still recharge but in this case the LED will not blink.
Q. If I cannot see the LED, how do I tell if the player is charging?
A. You can press INFO (key 0) to hear the battery and recharge status.
Q. Can I quickly get battery status without listening to all the Information items?
- Yes. Press the Info key 0 followed by a double press of key 4.
Q. Can I recharge the Stream while it is in use?
A. Yes. However, instead of blinking, the LED will glow steadily while recharging and the power is on.
Q. Will the battery charge through the USB port?
A. No.
Q. Will I lose any bookmarks or player settings if I change the battery or allow the battery to fully deplete?
A. No. The Stream saves all bookmarks and settings in its flash memory which does not require power to maintain the memory. When the player senses the battery is very nearly depleted it will save all settings and automatically power off.
Q. Can I obtain a spare battery for my Stream?
A. Yes. You may purchase it from HumanWare.
Q. Can I buy an external battery charger for the Stream?
A. No.
Q. What is the best way to store the battery for a long period of non use?
A. The battery should be stored in a clean dry place respecting the following conditions:
- Recommended temperature: -5 to +35 Celsius
- Relative humidity: less than 75%
- Good ventilation
- Avoid storing next to corrosive components
- Keep away from fire and heat sources
When storing for long periods (several months) keep storage temperature between -5 and +20 Celsius. It is recommended to charge and discharge 1 to 3 times every 3 months. For storage periods of 6 months, 3 full charge and discharge cycles are recommended.
4 Bookmarks
Q. How do I place a bookmark precisely at the start of a chapter or page or file?
A. Stop playback near the start of the heading, page, or file that you want to bookmark. Press the Where Am I key to determine the heading, page, or file number. Then press the Go To key above key 1 to select the appropriate function: Go To Page, Go To Heading, or Go To File. Enter the number and then press the Confirm (pound) key. Stream will position precisely at the start of the entered page, heading, or file but playback will not start. Now insert your bookmark.
Q. How can I quickly remove all the bookmarks in a single book?
A. You can quickly delete all the bookmarks in a book by pressing the bookmark key five times then the number nine five times followed by the confirm key.
Q. Will the Stream Bookmark data base fill up if I never delete bookmarks?
A. No. There is room for several thousand bookmarks in the data base. Even if this limit is reached the Stream will start reusing space from the least recently read book. The only reason to delete bookmarks is if you do not want them.
Q. Can I enter a bookmark while recording?
A. Yes. While recording, press the Bookmark key once and a bookmark will be inserted at that position in your recording.
Q. During playback, will the Stream alert me if I pass over a previously bookmarked position?
A. Yes, if you enable bookmark alerts in the Stream Menu. To do this, press key 7 to open the Navigation and Playback menu. Then press key 8 until you reach the Bookmark Alert item. Then press key 6 to select the Enable option. Then press the Play key to save your selection and exit the menu.
Q. If I have bookmark alerts enabled will the Stream automatically announce my audio bookmarks?
A. Yes. You will hear your audio bookmark recording when playback passes over the bookmarked position.
5 Bookshelf and Folders
Q. Why does Stream not find my music folders?
A. If you have any talking books (DAISY or NISO) in the root of your SD card, then Stream will not look for any other files in the root. If you want to have talking books in the root you must put music files in $VRMusic folder and any non structured MP3 books in $VROtherBooks.
Q. Why does Stream not find my text files?
A. All text files must be saved in the $VRText reserved folder.
Q. If I put all my Stream files into the $VR folders can I save other types of files on the same SD Card?
A. Yes.
Q. Can I have sub-folders within the $VR bookshelf folders?
A. Yes, except for $VRAudible and $VRNotes. Also, on $VROtherBooks, $VRText, and $VRPodcasts, Stream will let you navigate the folders when you are browsing the bookshelf. You enter bookshelf browse mode with key 1. Keys 2 and 8 will let you choose your navigation level within your sub-folders and keys 4 and 6 will move from folder to folder at that level. The lowest level is called the book level. For Music you can also navigate any folder structure that you have created within $VRMusic but since Music is defined as a single book, you must first open the music book by pressing the Play or Confirm key from the bookshelf browse mode. You may also categorize books in the $VRDTB Talking Books bookshelf by using folders for each category and then placing the sub-folders for each book in the appropriate category folder. Stream will only allow you to browse the Talking Books bookshelf at the book level but it will still list the books in category order.
Q. How can I read .doc documents on the Stream?
A. You can use your Microsoft Word program on your computer to save the file in html or txt or rtf format and transfer it to the Stream Text Files bookshelf. The html format is recommended because it will maintain any structure headings that were in the Word document. This means you can use keys 2 and 8 on the Stream to select the heading navigation level and move backward or forward from heading to heading with keys 4 and 6. When converting to html format, you should save your document as a filtered html file to remove unnecessary Microsoft Office specific tags.
Q. I have many books on my Talking Books bookshelf. Do I always have to browse one book at a time in that long list?
A. No. You can use the Go To Book feature. For example, if you have 50 books and you know the desired book is located approximately in the middle of the list then you can press the Go To Book key above key 1 and enter 25 followed by the Confirm (pound) key. Stream will move to book 25 and you can then use keys 4 or 6 to move back or forward from that position.
Q. I have many books on my Talking Books bookshelf. Can I arrange them in categories?
A. Yes. The Stream lists the books in alphabetic order by their path names. So, you could create two levels of subfolders in your $VRDTB bookshelf. The first subfolder could be categories of books. For example, you could create a subfolder for Newspapers, another for recorded books, and a third for Text books. Then within each of these category subfolders you would create the sub-subfolders for each of your books. This example, when you browse the Talking Books bookshelf, Stream will list all the newspaper books, then the recorded books, and then the Text books.
Q. Can I list my Talking Books bookshelf in date order?
A. Yes. You could prefix the folder name of each book with the date in year-month-day order. For example, if you add Harry Potter on the 23 of April 2009, you could name that folder as “090423 Harry Potter”. Thus, the last book folder you create will always be at the end of the bookshelf and you can reach it quickly by pressing key 4 once when you enter the Talking Books bookshelf.
Q. When my podcast episode ends, can Stream automatically play the next one?
A. Yes, if you save the podcast files in the Other Books bookshelf. On the Podcasts bookshelf each audio file is considered a book with its own reading position and bookmarks. Thus, the Stream stops playing at the end of the file and announces end of book. If you have a collection of podcasts that are all related you may want to consider putting those in a single subfolder under $VROtherBooks bookshelf. On this bookshelf each subfolder is considered a book so the Stream will automatically play each file in the subfolder and continue playing the next until all the files are played. It will also save only one reading position within the subfolder instead of for each file.
6 Bookshare (United States)
Q. What is the proper way to put a Bookshare book into the Stream Bookshelf?
A. Download the Bookshare zip book to your computer. Use Windows to extract the book files from the zip file into a folder on your computer. Then copy the folder to the $VRDTB folder on your SD card. The only files that are required are the four that end with .NCX, .OPF, .SMIL, and .XML. However, it is ok to copy the entire folder as the extra files will not affect book playback. Also, instead of using Windows, you may also use the Stream Companion software to transfer Bookshare zip books. The Companion will automatically unzip the book and create the folder on the SD card.
7 CNIB Online Digital Audio Books (Canada)
Q. How do I transfer a CNIB Library Online Digital Audio book to the Stream?
A. Follow these steps:
- Follow the CNIB procedure to download all the mp3 files that belong to the title of interest. If, for example, the title is Harry Potter, then create a folder on your computer hard drive called Harry Potter and download all the MP3 files for that book into that folder.
- Then power off your Victor Reader Stream and connect it to your computer USB port using the long USB cable provided. The smaller end of the cable connects to the Stream USB port on the top left of the device. Once connected, power the Stream back on. You will hear the message, "Player connected".
- Note: An alternative to step 2 is possible if your computer has a USB SD card reader. In this case you can simply remove the SD card from the Stream and put it in the computer card reader.
- Your computer will now recognize the Stream (or the SD card if you have used a computer card reader) as a USB drive. You can find the drive with the My Computer program. Or, if a menu pops up asking how to play the new drive, arrow down to the choice to open it with Windows Explorer and press Enter. Arrow to the folder on your Stream SD card drive that is called $VROtherBooks. Press Enter to open this folder.
- Now return to the Harry Potter folder on your computer and press Control+C to copy that entire folder to the Windows clipboard.
- Now return to the $VROtherBooks folder on your Stream SD card. Press Control+V to paste a copy of the Harry Potter folder into the $VROtherBooks folder. Wait until all the files are copied and then press Alt+F4 to close the SD card drive.
- Use the Windows Safely Remove Hardware option in the Windows System Tray to tell Windows you are now done using the SD card. With JAWS you can bring up the Windows System Tray menu with Insert+F11 and with Window Eyes the command is Insert +S. This option will ask you to stop the USB device. Confirm that it is ok to stop the device and then press Alt-F4 to close the Safely Remove Hardware program.
- Power off the Stream and disconnect it from the computer (or return the SD card from your card reader to the Stream).
- Power on the Stream and press key 1 repeatedly until you reach the Stream Other Books bookshelf. Press key 4 or 6 to browse the Other Books bookshelf until you find the Harry Potter book you just transferred. Press Play to start playing the book.
8 General
Q. Do I have to return the Stream to my dealer to get the software upgraded?
A. No. Stream software upgrades consist of a zip file that is downloaded from HumanWare's web site. You simply download that zip file and unzip the single UPG (upgrade) file from it to the root of an SD card. Note that you do not need to install special unzip software. Windows XP and Vista will unzip the UPG file. Simply press Enter on the zip file and the UPG file will appear. Then press Spacebar to select the UPG file and press Control+C to copy it to the clipboard. Then navigate to the root of your Stream SD card and press Control+V to paste the UPG file from the clipboard to the root of the card. Then insert the card in the player while it is plugged to AC power. Stream will recognize the special UPG file and automatically update its internal software. Audio announcements will inform you of the start and end of the update process. It takes approximately 2 minutes to update the player.
Q. What should I do if my Stream does not respond even to the power button?
A. If the Stream becomes non-responsive, you can force a system reset and reload all software by pressing and holding the Power button for 7 seconds. This is equivalent to removing the battery. If this does not restart the Stream, you should contact customer support for assistance.
Q. What is the rectangular shaped hole on the back of the Stream above the battery door?
A. This is for connecting an optional cartridge holder that can be used to hold the book cartridges from NLS (National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped) in the United States. HumanWare provides the cartridge holder as an optional accessory.
Q. Can I play the Stream while it is connected to my computer?
A. No.
Q. Can the Stream connect to a MAC computer?
A. At present, HumanWare does not provide technical support for MAC connectivity. However, we are aware that many MAC users are successfully connecting the Stream to their MAC computer. If the Stream does not connect then an alternative is to use a USB card reader. HumanWare is working with Apple to improve MAC connectivity.
Q. Why do some audio files play at different volume levels on different bookshelves?
A. The Stream uses a dynamic volume normalization called AGC (Auto Gain Control) during playback for all bookshelves except music. This dynamic volume adjustment is useful for recordings that may come from varying sources and may not have consistent volume levels from one file to the next or even within one file. To avoid the user having to frequently adjust the volume, the Stream’s built-in AGC automatically raises or lowers the volume during playback to a pre-determined level. However, the AGC is not applied to music files because it is desirable to exactly reproduce the original music recording. Thus, if exact reproduction of a recording is desirable then place it on the music bookshelf.
Q. Will Stream play WMA protected books such as those from Overdrive or NetLibrary.com sources?
A. No.
Q. Can the Stream play MP3 books from Overdrive?
A. Yes. Overdrive is now offering some recorded books
in MP3 format which does play on the Stream. If your library
offers Overdrive
MP3 books you can download the MP3 files of a multi-part MP3 book
and put those
files in a subfolder of $VROtherBooks. To do this, use the
Overdrive Media
Console software. On the screen where you choose which parts of
the book to
transfer, press the Advanced button. You will be placed on a
screen where you
can choose the folder you want to use. The benefit of reading a
multi-part MP3
book on the Stream is that your reading position is saved since
all the files
are treated as one book when you save them in a subfolder of
$VROtherBooks.
Q. How do I know if my public library’s Overdrive service offers MP3 books?
A. To check if MP3 books can be downloaded from your public library’s Overdrive service you can examine the drop down menu where you choose a book format to see if MP3 is one of the choices. For more information about Overdrive, visit www.overdrive.com .
Q. How do I do a factory reset of the Stream?
A. Press and hold the bookmark key and key 5 while powering on the Stream. You will hear a message informing you that the player profile has been reset. Resetting the profile will erase all your bookmarks, clear the reading position of all your books, and reset your Menu options to default values. It will not affect your SD card and it will not remove any book keys (e.g. NLS or RFB&D keys). If the Profile data base becomes corrupt your Stream may not power on or books may not play properly. Resetting the Profile may sometimes correct such issues.
Q. Can I use the Windows Explorer SEND TO menu to send files to my Stream?
A. Yes. To do this you create shortcuts in the Windows SEND TO folder that point to the appropriate bookshelf of your Stream SD card. For example, if you wanted to identify your Stream Talking Books bookshelf as a choice in the Windows Send To menu, follow these steps.
- Be sure your Stream or your SD card is connected to your computer.
- Use Windows Explorer to navigate to your computer’s hard drive, then to the Document and Settings subfolder, then to your username subfolder, then to the SEND To subfolder. Note: The Send To folder may be hidden. If such is the case, add \send to after your username in the address bar or modify your folder options to Show hidden files and folders.
- Open the File menu of Windows Explorer.
- Select the New submenu and then select shortcut to create a new shortcut.
- You will be asked for the target of the new shortcut. Enter E:\$VRDTB. If the drive letter of your Stream SD card is not “E” then substitute the correct letter. Then activate the Next button in the dialog.
- You will then be asked for the name of the shortcut. Enter the name you wish to appear on the Send To menu such as “Stream Talking Books”. Then activate the Finish button.
You have now created a shortcut to the $VRDTB folder on your Stream SD card. The next time you browse to a folder containing a talking book you can right-click on that folder or press the applications key to the left of your keyboard right Control key. A context menu will appear and on this menu is the Send To option. Select it and choose Stream Talking Books. The folder will then be sent to the $VRDTB folder of your SD card. Or you can repeat the steps to set up additional Send To shortcuts for the other bookshelves. You must of course take care to send the appropriate folder or file by ensuring you are pointing at that desired folder or file before activating the Send To menu.
9 NFB (United States)
Q. I receive NFB newspapers by email. How do I transfer them to the Stream?
A. In the United States the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) provides a newsline service where you can receive accessible newspapers in DAISY format. To learn more visit:
After signing up for the NFB Newsline service, one can choose to have specific newspapers sent to them via E-mail. When this occurs, the DAISY newspaper will be received as an email with 4 attached files that make up the daisy newspaper. The following steps explain how to transfer these files to the Stream. These steps assume that you are using the Microsoft outlook E-mail program.
1. Insert the SD card into the computer's SD card reader, or with the stream turned off, connect the stream to the computer with the USB cable and turn it on. The unit should say "Player Connected."
2. Open the NFB newsline e-mail.
3. Click the file menu or press ALT F.
4. Arrow down to Save attachments and press enter.
5. Press enter on the ok button to save all attachments.
6. When the save dialogue box appears, click the save in drop down menu or press ALT I, and arrow down to the drive letter that represents your SD card or stream and press ENTER on it. The drive is often referred to as a removable disk.
7. Tab to the Folder view. Arrow down to the $VRDTB folder and press ENTER on it.
8. Tab to the OK button and press ENTER.
The newspaper will be transferred to the streams SD card and will appear in the talking books bookshelf. You can press key 1 until you reach the Talking Books bookshelf and then press keys 4 or 6 to find the newspaper. When finished reading, you can again press key 1 to return to the bookshelf and then press key 3 to delete the newspaper from the bookshelf.
Q. What is NFB-Newsline In Your Pocket?
A. This is a streamlined more flexible way to easily download your favorite NFB Newsline publications directly to your Stream. Using a free software application, you only need to plug your Stream into your computer with a USB cable, launch the free application, and your favorite newspapers and magazines will be placed on your Stream automatically. It is a powerful and flexible way to use NFB-Newsline for Victor Reader Stream users. For more information visit:
http://www.nfbnewslineonline.org/
Q. How do I get the NFB-Newsline In Your Pocket application program?
A. Registered NFB-Newsline users should log in to their Newsline online account at:
http://www.nfbnewslineonline.org/ and select the link for the NFB Newsline in Your Pocket. This link will give information about the service as well as a link to the free download application software for Windows. Instructions on how to download and install the software are also available on this page.
Q. After installing the software, how do I download NFB-Newsline publications to my Stream?
A. First dial in to your NFB-Newsline account with your telephone and use option 4 to set up your list of favorite newspapers and magazines. This need only be done once or whenever you want to modify your list of favorites. Then, each time you wish to download your favorite content, follow these steps:
• Power off the Stream, connect the Stream to your computer using the long USB cable, and then power it back on. Or, if you have an SD card reader on your computer, you can simply insert the Stream SD card into it.
• Select the NFB-Newsline In Your Pocket desktop icon.
• The NFB-Newsline In Your Pocket program will run and look for your Stream SD card. The first time it will ask you to enter your login ID and pass code and confirm a name for your Stream device. Then it will connect to the NFB-Newsline server, download your selected favorite publications, and transfer them to your Stream. It will announce the content as it is being transferred.
• Select the Windows Safely Remove Hardware option in your Windows system tray. When Windows tells you it is safe to do so, power off the Stream and disconnect it or remove your SD card from the card reader.
• You will find your downloaded newspapers and magazines on the Talking Books bookshelf of your Stream.
10 NLS Books (United States)
Q. Are NLS books available for download?
A. Yes. The NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) website provides digital talking books and magazines for download to eligible NLS patrons. For more information visit the BARD site at: https://nlsbard.loc.gov/
Q. How do I register for the NLS BARD service and enable my Stream to play NLS books?
A. There are 3 steps to register to the NLS BARD service and authorize your Victor Reader Stream to play NLS books and magazines.
Step 1 - Apply Online at the NLS BARD web site.
Access to the BARD website is restricted to eligible readers. You require a login id and password to use the BARD service. To apply for your username and password visit:
Select the link for the BARD application instructions which explain the criteria for participation. If you qualify, select the link to the BARD application form. Fill out this enrollment application completely and after activating the submit button the following page will offer a link to choose your player. Activate this link and select the Victor Reader Stream from the resulting list of players. If you are approved to participate, NLS will send you an e-mail message with your BARD site username and password. If there is a problem, you will receive a message explaining the problem. Note: If you forget to select the Victor Reader Stream when applying you can still go back later after NLS approves your application. Simply log in to the BARD site with your new username and password and then select Account Settings to register your Victor Reader Stream.
Please note that your enrollment information will be shared with the National Library Service, Library of Congress and HumanWare.
Step 2- HumanWare will contact you
Once you have registered your Victor Reader Stream with NLS, NLS will notify HumanWare. HumanWare will then contact you by email with a link to a HumanWare web form where you will need to supply your Stream’s serial number to authorize it to play NLS books. Please do not try to complete the HumanWare web form until you receive our email as we cannot process your request in advance.
Step 3 - Sending the NLS Authorization Key to You
After you complete the HumanWare web form, HumanWare will respond within 2 working days with a second email. Attached to this email will be an NLS authorization key file to install on your Stream. The email will contain the installation instructions. After you install the key file, you will be able to play NLS downloaded digital talking books and magazines as well as digital book cartridges.
Q. Once I am registered for NLS BARD service, how do I download a book?
A. Follow these steps:
Go to the NLS BARD site at https://nlsbard.loc.gov/
Log in to the web site by entering your NLS username and password. Note that both of these are case sensitive.
After login, you will be on the screen to choose books or magazines. You can search for books by title, author, subject, or keyword. You can find magazines by title or issue date. The different sections of the page are marked with headings. Individual books are also separated by heading markers making it easy to jump from one book to the next with the heading shortcut keys of your screen reader. The site also has a link to get help on to search for books and magazines.
Once you arrive at your chosen book simply click or press ENTER on its download link.
Your computer will ask if you want to OPEN or SAVE the book. Specify to SAVE It.
Your computer will then ask where you want to save the downloaded book. The book download is a single ZIP file containing all the necessary files for the book. Choose a desired location on your computer where you want to save NLS books and select the Save button. The download window will then open showing the progress of the download.
Q. After downloading the book on my computer, how do I transfer it to my Stream?
A. The downloaded book is a ZIP file. You cannot copy the ZIP file to the Stream. You must first unzip the book files to a folder on your computer and then copy the folder to the Stream as follows:
- First unzip the book files which are contained inside the ZIP file. You do not need to install special software to unzip. Both Windows XP and Vista computers will unzip the book files from the downloaded ZIP file.
- To unzip the files, right-click on the ZIP file or press the Applications key to the left of the Control key. A context menu will pop up. Select the option to Extract all files.
- An extraction wizard dialog will open. Select the Next button to begin extracting.
- The Wizard will ask which folder to extract the zipped book files. By default, a subfolder with the same name as the book will be created in the folder you downloaded to. Just press the NEXT button to accept this or use the Browse button to find another location on your computer to create this book folder. Ignore the Password field in the Wizard because the zip file is not password protected.
- The Wizard will unzip all the book files into the subfolder. It is not necessary to view the files so uncheck the box to show the extracted files and then select the Finish button to close the Wizard.
- Arrow down your list of folders to the newly created folder. Press Control+C to copy that folder containing your book files to the Windows clipboard (or right-click on the folder and select Copy).
- Power off your Stream, connect it to the USB port of your computer using the long USB cable provided, and turn the Stream back on. You will hear that the player is connected. Note: If you have a computer or USB card reader you may use either instead of connecting your Stream.
- Using the Windows Explorer or My Computer programs, find the Stream SD card on the list of drives. If your CD is drive letter D, then the Stream SD card will likely be drive letter E. Open the SD card by pressing Enter on the drive. Arrow down to the $VRDTB folder on the SD card and press Enter to open it.
- Now press Control+V to tell Windows to paste your book folder from the clipboard into the $VRDTB folder. This could take a while as all the book files need to be copied. Your screen reader mouse cursor can be used to monitor the progress of the File Copy.
- When the copy is complete, use the Safely Remove Hardware option of the Windows System Tray to release your SD card. Then disconnect the Stream or remove the SD card from your card reader. The book will now appear on the Stream’s Talking Books bookshelf.
Q. As an alternative, can I transfer NLS zip books using Stream Companion?
A. Yes. Stream Companion will unzip and transfer the book for you. In the Companion Talking Books pane be sure to check the Include ZIP files box so that your downloaded zip file will show in the list of books.
Q. Will the Stream play the NLS book cartridges?
A. Yes, if the Stream is properly authorized to play NLS books as explained above. Once the player is authorized, the user may attach an NLS book cartridge to the Stream using a short cable supplied with the Stream. Once attached the user may play the cartridge book. To copy the cartridge book you press key 3 while playing the book. HumanWare also sells an optional book cartridge holder which can be attached to the back of the player allowing the NLS book cartridge to be inserted and played as an integral part of the player.
Q. Can the Stream copy an NLS cartridge book to the SD card?
A. Yes. With an NLS cartridge attached to the Stream via the short USB cable or optional cartridge holder, the book on the cartridge can be copied to the Stream SD card by pressing key 3 while playing the book. A prompt will ask you to confirm the copy. A “please wait” message will repeat during the copy process. The copy will take approximately 10 minutes depending on the size of the book.
11 Playback and Navigation
Q. If I accidentally press key 4 or 6 how can I quickly get back to my reading position?
A. If you press the Cancel (star) key within 10 seconds of the accidental move, the Stream will undo your navigation. For example, suppose you were in the middle of chapter 5 and accidentally press key 6 and moved to chapter6. If you then press the Cancel key within 10 seconds you will be returned to your previous position in chapter 5.
Q. How can I quickly get to the start of a book?
A. Press Go to Page, heading, time or percent followed by the Play key.
Q. How can I quickly reach the end of a book?
A. Press the Bookmark key repeatedly until you hear bookmark list. Then press key 6 until you hear end of book. There are always at least 2 default bookmarks on the bookmark list: one for the start and one for the end of the book.
Q. How can I quickly jump to a position far into a large text file?
A. While in the Text files bookshelf, press the Go to key above key 1 which functions as a Go to Percent key for text files. Simply enter the relative percentage offset from the start of the file that you wish to reach. For example you can enter 50% to position at the middle of the file, 67% to position two thirds of the way into the file and so on. You can press Go to Percent followed by the Play key to return to the start of the file.
Q. How can I quickly jump to a position far into a large audio file?
A. Use the Go To Percent or Go To Time functions to enter a percentage or time offset from the start of the book. These functions are available for Other Books, Podcasts, and Notes. Audible has the Go To Time but not the Go To Percent function. Note that the time or percentage offset is from the start of the first book file in OtherBooks, or the start of an individual Podcast or Audio Note file.
Q. How do I backup just a few seconds with Rewind key? If I hold it too long it backs up 1 minute.
A. You can press and release the Rewind key instead of holding it down and this will backup 5 seconds for each press. The same applies to the fast forward key.
Q. Can I resume reading a few seconds back from where I last stopped?
A. Yes. Instead of pressing the Play key to resume your playback, just tap the Rewind key. It will back up 5 seconds and start playing.
Q. How can I lock the keypad while playing a book?
A. If you are listening to your Stream while carrying it in a backpack or purse, you may wish to lock the keypad so keys are not accidentally pressed. To do this, start the book playing, then press and hold the star key. To unlock the keypad press the 1, 2, and 3 keys in sequence.
12 Playing Content from CDs
Q. How do I copy CD DAISY books to the Stream?
A. You must create a subfolder for the book in the $VRDTB folder of the Stream SD card. Then copy all the files from the CD into that subfolder. If the CD has more than one book then copy all the folders on the CD to the $VRDTB folder excluding the Discinfo file on the CD. You may also use the Stream Companion program to copy CD books.
Q. How do I copy DAISY multi-CD books to the Stream?
A. If you have a DAISY book that is on 2 or more CDs then you put the files of each CD into separate folders of $VRDTB just as if each CD was a separate book. For example if you have a 2 CD book titled, History of Science, then create two subfolders in $VRDTB called:
History of Science CD1
History of Science CD2
And put all the files from CD1 into the first subfolder and the files of CD2 into the second subfolder. If you make a mistake and copy the CD2 into the CD1 folder it does not matter. The Stream will still play the book correctly and announce the book title part 1 and part 2 based on the actual book contents not the folder names.
The Stream will announce the message to insert CD2 whenever you attempt to navigate to any part of the book that is on CD2. The message to insert CD2 is actually part of the book itself. It is not part of the Stream's program. Similarly, if you are playing the CD2 portion of the book and navigate to a part of the book that is on CD1 you will hear a similar message to insert CD1.
Note that the INFO key 0 will report the total time and total pages for the entire book i.e., all the CDs. So, if CD1 was 1 hour with 50 pages and CD2 was 30 minutes with 25 more pages then key 0 would report a total of 75 pages and 1.5 hours total time for the book. If you were reading the part of the book from CD1 and you requested to go to page 61 you would hear the book message to insert CD2. At this point you could press Go To Page again to change your mind and enter a number less than 50 and remain in part 1 of the book. Or, you could press key 1 for the bookshelf and navigate to the second part of the book and press play to open it. However, at this point you will be at the beginning page 51 of part 2 not page 61. In other words, the Stream cannot jump from the first part of the book to the actual page number you enter in the second part of the book.
So, when you hear a message to insert a different CD, then at that point, you need to press the bookshelf key 1 and then press the left or right (key 4 or 6) to navigate to the other part of the book on your talking books bookshelf. If you have created the two folders in the $VRDTB folder for each CD then you will find both part 1 and part 2 of the book on the bookshelf list.
Q. Why does Stream not play the files I copied from my audio CD using Windows Explorer?
A. You cannot copy commercial audio CDs using a simple copy and paste with Windows Explorer. To copy audio CDs you must use special CD extraction software to extract (often referred to as rip) the audio CD format to a format such as MP3 or OGG Vorbis that can be played on Stream.
Q. I have a DAISY CD with multiple books and a Discinfo.html file. How do I copy that CD to my Stream SD card?
A. Simply copy all the folders of the CD to the $VRDTB folder. Do not copy the Discinfo file.
13 Recording
Q. Can Stream record in stereo or record music?
A. No. Stream is designed first as an advanced DAISY, MP3, and NISO player with a secondary voice recording capability. It can only record in mono and is optimized for voice recording frequencies.
Q. Can I edit my recorded voice notes on my computer?
A. The Stream records audio notes in 3gp compressed AMR-WB+ files (file extension is 3gp) for high quality voice recording. To edit your audio note files on your computer you need to convert the 3gp files to standard wav files on your computer. To do this, HumanWare provides a free software program called the Stream Companion. The Stream Companion was added to the Stream CD in January 2008. To obtain the latest version of the Stream Companion download it from the Stream support page at HumanWare.com.
Q. How do I find the total recording time available on my memory card?
A. While browsing or playing audio notes just press the info key 0. It will announce both the recording time remaining and the space available on the SD card.
Q. What are the recording specifications and space required for the AMR-WB+ files?
A. The recording files are encoded in AMR-WB+ using 16 bit samples at a sampling rate of 25600HZ with a bit rate of 20.8kbps. This means that it takes approximately 9.1 megabytes of storage per 1 hour of recording.
Q. Why do my Audio Note files have no creation date?
A. Stream has no internal clock so the files it creates cannot be assigned a date or time.
Q. I have many Audio Notes and cannot remember all the note numbers. Can I rename/move the Notes for archival?
A. Yes. Using Windows you can move the Audio Note files from the $VRNotes folder to one or more subfolders in $VROtherBooks and rename them with appropriate file names. When you rename the files you must keep the .3GP file extension. Stream will play them like any other book in the Other Books bookshelf announcing the folder and file names using the text-to-speech. Note that moving the notes in this way will not move any bookmarks you made while recording. Also, the Stream Companion has a conversion tool to copy Audio Note files to wav files on your computer so you can edit or archive them on your computer.
Q. What type of microphone should I use on my Stream?
A. The built-in microphone of the Stream is satisfactory for most voice recording applications. The built-in microphone is omni directional meaning it will pick up sound in all directions which is useful for recording in group situations such as meetings. However, if you have special needs such as recording interviews or dictation you may want to investigate using a directional microphone. Also, some people find a directional microphone helpful for recording lectures where you are mainly interested in capturing the instructor's voice at the front of the room. Most electret type microphones for computer usage that have an input impedance around 2.2KOhms are suitable for the Stream. Such microphones require plug-in power which the Stream provides through the microphone jack. The jack is a standard 3.5mm size. Also, the Stream records in mono so there is no advantage to using a stereo microphone as you would also require a stereo to mono adapter to plug it in.
Q. Is there value in purchasing professional grade condenser or dynamic microphones?
A. Not really. These microphones require external pre-amps and an XLR adaptor for use on the Stream. Unless you are a professional who understands and requires the specific advantages of these types of microphones the additional cost and complexity may provide more frustration than advantage. Also, improper use of these microphones has the potential of damaging the Stream through too high a signal input.
Q. Can I record from external devices such as mixers or CD players?
A. No. The output of most external devices is typically a line-out that is matched to a line-in of the recording device. The Stream does not have a line-in jack. It has only a microphone-in jack. You should avoid connecting the output of other devices that need to connect to a line-in jack. Connecting devices that require plugging to a line- in will likely provide too high an input signal causing distortion or potential damage to the Stream.
14 RFB&D (United States)
Q. Can Stream play RFB&D books?
A. Yes. However, RFB&D books are encrypted and any player must have a User Authorization Key (UAK) from RFB&D to decrypt the books.
Q. How do I obtain the RFB&D User Authorization Key?
A. RFB&D sells a user authorization key (UAK) to install on the Victor Reader Stream. The UAK must be purchased directly from RFB&D member services by calling 1-800-221-4792. Once your order is processed you will be shipped a CD authenticating your purchase. In addition, the CD will contain step-by-step UAK installation procedures.
If you login to your account on the indicated UAK site and your key is not yet available it means your order has not yet been processed. RFB&D advises that the UAK download file is typically available 24 hours after the CD has been shipped.
The UAK is unique to the serial number of your device and cannot be transferred to or from any other Daisy Book player. To obtain the UAK you will need the following:
• You must know your RFB&D Member ID
• Your Stream software must be version 1.1 or higher.
• You must know your Stream serial number. You can find both the Stream software version and the serial number by pressing INFO (key 0) on the Stream. The Serial Number format is XX-XXXX-XXXXXX
Q. How do I install the RFB&D UAK once I have purchased it?
A. Follow these steps To Install the UAK Using a Windows computer.
- Once your UAK order is processed, go to the RFB&D Digital Playback Software Registration Site at http://www.rfbd.org/UAK
- Enter your MEMBER ID # and click "LOGON"
- Select HumanWare Stream from the Product List, enter your Stream Serial Number with or without the dashes and select "GENERATE UAK". RFB&D will validate your device and return the UAK to you. This UAK will be a zip file containing 10 files (3 SMIL, 3 MP3, 3 html, and a KXO).
- Download and save the zip file to your computer.
- Connect your Stream to your computer using the long USB cable provided. Be sure the Stream is powered off when you connect it. After connecting it, power it back on and you will hear the message, "player connected". Alternatively, if you have an SD card reader, you may put the SD card of your Stream into the card reader.
- Wait for Windows to recognize your Stream's SD card. It will appear as a drive letter on your computer.
- Open this drive letter using Windows Explorer or the My Computer program.
- Extract (unzip) all the 10 files from the zip file on your computer into the root of this SD card drive. Be sure to save the files in the root not in any of the $VR folders.
- Close the SD card in Windows by exiting Windows Explorer or My Computer.
- Use the Safely Remove Hardware option in the Windows System Tray to tell Windows you want to disconnect the Stream or release the drive that contains your SD card.
- Power off the Stream and disconnect it from the computer or, if you used a card reader, insert the SD card into the Stream.
- Power on the Stream. It will then prompt you for your 4 digit RFB&D PIN number. Enter the number followed by the pound key. The Stream will announce that the user key has been processed. Your Stream will now be authorized to play RFB&D AudioPlus books.
Once your Stream is authorized, you should then delete the 10 files from the SD card and keep the zip file on your computer as a backup. You only need to authorize the Stream once even if you use multiple SD cards.
Q. How do I play RFB&D CD AudioPlus books on the Stream?
A. To play AudioPlus CD books on your Stream you will need to copy all the files on the RFB&D CD to your Stream SD card. To do this create a subfolder for the book title in the $VRDTB folder of the SD card and copy all the files on the CD into that subfolder. Alternatively, you may use the Stream Companion software and select the drive letter of your CD as the source of the book files.
Q. How do I play RFB&D AudioPlus books that come on more than one CD?
A. If the book is on multiple CDs you need to create a sub-folder for each CD and copy the files of each CD to the respective subfolder. If you do not copy the CDs in order it does not matter as the Stream determines which is part 1, 2, etc. by the book contents not the folder name. The Stream will treat a multi-CD book as separate books.
15 SD Card