Doesn’t add much to system capabilities
My fault, I suppose, for not doing due diligence but I don’t really think this app’s features reflects its price. It is simply an interface for built-in text-to-speech system feature on iOS (with the option of purchasing additional voices which are better but, of course, never as good in practice as the promotional audio samples suggest). Without this app, you can already tell Siri to read you anything, and you can even change the frequency/pitch using free apps (like Apple’s own Workflow app), so this app doesn’t really add much. Voice Dream Reader doesn’t really do what I was hoping it would do, like be smart about not reading footers (which can be very long). If I can quickly delete footers with a simple regex workflow (I’m not a programmer) before it speaks text, then surely this app’s developers can, too? Their pdf margin editor is very difficult to work—surprising given that this app geared to improve digital accessibility. I like the tap gestures, but other than that, this I app doesn’t really add much value to system features, certainly not the kind of value suggested by the price.
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Response from developer
Thanks for the feedback. Yes in principle iOS has text-to-speech, but in practice it leaves a lot to be desired. It doesn't really work with PDF files. It doesn't give you the total freedom to change text size, font, margins, colors, etc. It doesn't track your location, while Voice Dream Reader tracks the sentence that you're listening to resume later. The app comes with a high quality TTS voice from Acapella, such as the voice of Sharon which is probably the best TTS voice in the market. Plus many, many refinements. There is no subscription or other hidden costs. The fundamental difference is that Voice Dream Reader treats text like musical score that can be played. In other words, this app is a reading system built from ground up for TTS, rather than making TTS an after thought. Please give the app a week, and I promise that like the hundreds of thousands of other happy users, you'll find delightful refinements that you won't find in any other TTS solution. If you're still not satisfied, we're refund you for the full cost of the app.
Outstanding, well designed application.
I have been a heavy user of digital document & book ‘Text to Speech’ on three platforms for many years. This application is, hands down, the king of the mountain on Apples OIS devices. I noticed a previous negative review about unnatural sounding voices. This is an entirely unfair criticism for the following reason: Yes, if you only use one of the free Apple voices, they will sound robotic & unnatural. However; This fine developer has given uses abundant choices of the very best natural voices on the market that can be purchased from within this beautiful software. For example; purchase the inexpensive voice from ‘IVONA’ called ‘Amy’ and you will be impressed indeed! Also notice that if you use a voice like ‘Amy’, the developer of ‘Voice Dream’ has given us the options of sentence and paragraph pause time adjustment. The last comment I would make; is simply a heart felt thanks for the thoughtful hard work, the coder of this app has invested in Voice Dream! I love this software!!
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What a wonderful app!
I love Voice Dream it is such a game changer for students and teachers. I originally got this app for my grandmother who was a avid reader. But do to her stroke a couple years back she found it hard to read. So this app was wonderful for her up till the last. Being able to read all her favorite books and articles really brought her pleasure, when otherwise she could just been stuck watching tv.
This app is not perfect and can be glitchy at times. A way to look up words other than a title in each document would be good. When you are working on your thesis this would be a help. I have over a hundred articles that’s a mix of fiction research and nonfiction it’s hard to go back and find a particular document. But the pros outlasts the cons in that manner, so I’ll continue using this app.
This app is not perfect and can be glitchy at times. A way to look up words other than a title in each document would be good. When you are working on your thesis this would be a help. I have over a hundred articles that’s a mix of fiction research and nonfiction it’s hard to go back and find a particular document. But the pros outlasts the cons in that manner, so I’ll continue using this app.
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Best App in the Universe
So, if there is ever a version update and an app is temporarily buggy than have a little mercy. Geez! I see some critical reviews as if users are complaining that their coffee needs to be microwave.
This app allowed me to go through over 100 books this year so far. With scanning textbooks for post Masters education and an OCR program I am able to hear any book in my house as an audiobook.
Absolutely love this app. When my phone was dropped and destroyed, my first thought was not losing my way of contacting people, but losing my time with Voice Dream. Thanks developers for your genius. Sorry there are cry babies who think they could do better. They probably failed LOGO in computer science class in the 80s and are still bitter.
This app allowed me to go through over 100 books this year so far. With scanning textbooks for post Masters education and an OCR program I am able to hear any book in my house as an audiobook.
Absolutely love this app. When my phone was dropped and destroyed, my first thought was not losing my way of contacting people, but losing my time with Voice Dream. Thanks developers for your genius. Sorry there are cry babies who think they could do better. They probably failed LOGO in computer science class in the 80s and are still bitter.
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Invested
This app has been kept current for over 7 years! I read much online content this way. Maybe a watch app might be possible?
But already I find it near perfect.
But already I find it near perfect.
Far from a natural voice
I’m sorry to say but this is nothing like a natural voice that this purports. It sounds very computerized and does not flow. I hope I just get used to it but the price tag does not justify what this app does. I feel like I wasted a lot of money based on untrue reviews. No wonder the app doesn’t even allow you to try it before you buy because we wouldn’t buy it after trying
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Read the full terms first
I have brought this app without fully reading the specs etc.
Kindle and iBooks can not be read back to you due to copyright DMS or something like that. So my idea of falling to sleep listening to a book being read back to me have failed.
Kindle and iBooks can not be read back to you due to copyright DMS or something like that. So my idea of falling to sleep listening to a book being read back to me have failed.
Response from developer
There are free online tools that can help you remove DRM-protection (encryption). This will allow the file to be read in Voice Dream.
The App Gets Better and Better!
Thanks for VDR. This app just gets better with every update. i particularly find useful the thorough documentation of every change within it. It's great to have access to such great tts voices on my iDEVICE. Equally great to know details of my documents - such as how long it will take to read them.
So useful
I use this for listening to long magazine or newspaper articles that I don't get around to reading. I listen to a lot of audio books and podcasts so this fills in a nice gap for me and I get to enjoy long form journalism. It's good now but I look forward to it being even better in the future.
Fantastic assistive technology for dyslexic learners
Voice Dream makes 'reading' school texts so much easier for dyslexia learners. Thank you for this resource.
