Speech Central Voice Reader App is Better & Cheaper than Speechify & Voice Dream Reader Pro

Stefan Svartling
9 Jul 202310:18

TLDRThe video introduces Speech Central, a text-to-speech app that rivals Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro in features but is more affordable with a one-time purchase. It supports reading books, web articles, emails, and scanned documents with Apple's premium voices, adjustable settings, and the ability to export as audio files.

Takeaways

  • 💰 Speech Central is a cheaper alternative to Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro.
  • 🛒 Speech Central requires a one-time purchase for full access to its features.
  • 📚 The app allows you to listen to books, web articles, emails, and scanned documents.
  • 📱 Speech Central supports Apple's premium text-to-speech voices.
  • 🌐 You can customize language detection and choose different voices for reading.
  • 🔊 Users can adjust voice pitch, reading speed, and volume settings.
  • 🖋️ The app offers customizable font sizes, types, colors, and text highlights.
  • 💾 Speech Central can export audio files and documents.
  • 🚗 The app provides two-speed settings for different situations, such as driving.
  • 📑 Users can highlight text, add bookmarks, and leave comments in their documents.
  • 🎧 Speech Central is available on both iPhone and iPad.
  • 🔄 You can save and listen to web articles and emails directly from Safari.
  • 📄 The app supports various document formats, including PDFs, Word docs, and epub files.
  • 👍 Speech Central offers features similar to or better than Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro.

Q & A

  • What is the main advantage of Speech Central compared to Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro?

    -The main advantage of Speech Central is that it requires only a one-time purchase, making it much cheaper than the subscription-based Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro.

  • What types of content can you listen to using the Speech Central app?

    -You can listen to books, web articles, emails, and scanned documents using the Speech Central app.

  • Which devices does the speaker use the Speech Central app on?

    -The speaker uses the Speech Central app on both their iPhone and iPad.

  • What kind of voices does Speech Central support?

    -Speech Central supports Apple's premium and enhanced text-to-speech voices.

  • Can you use Apple's neural Engine voices with Speech Central?

    -No, Apple's neural Engine voices are not available in Speech Central, Speechify, or Voice Dream Reader Pro.

  • What features can you customize in Speech Central?

    -In Speech Central, you can customize voice pitch, reading speed, volume, font size, font type, colors, background contrast, text contrast, highlight color, and sentence highlight.

  • What is a unique feature of Speech Central regarding reading speed?

    -Speech Central allows you to switch quickly between normal and high reading speeds, which can be useful for different scenarios such as driving or reading while listening.

  • Can you export audio files with Speech Central?

    -Yes, you can export text-to-speech converted audio files and Word documents with Speech Central.

  • What additional functionality does Speech Central offer for managing content?

    -Speech Central allows you to highlight text, add bookmarks, and make comments on the text.

  • Why does the speaker prefer Speech Central over other text-to-speech apps?

    -The speaker prefers Speech Central because it is much cheaper due to the one-time purchase and offers a wide range of powerful features similar to or better than those in Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introducing Speech Central: An Affordable Text-to-Speech App

The video introduces Speech Central, a cost-effective alternative to more expensive text-to-speech apps like Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro. Speech Central offers a one-time purchase with no subscription fees, providing powerful features such as listening to books, web articles, emails, and scanned documents. The app supports Apple's premium text-to-speech voices and includes settings for language detection, voice selection, pitch, speed, volume, font size, and text contrast. It also mentions the inability to use the Neural Engine voices within the app, which is a common limitation across similar apps due to Apple's restrictions. The speaker shares their personal preference for the enhanced voice quality and the app's customization options, promising further exploration of Speech Central's features in upcoming videos.

05:03

🔊 Speech Central's Voice Options and Speed Settings

This paragraph delves into the variety of voice options available in Speech Central, including the mention of Microsoft Neural voices, which require a Microsoft Azure account. The speaker expresses satisfaction with Apple's premium and advanced voices and highlights the app's user interface, showing the book progress and the two-speed settings: normal and high speed. The high-speed setting is particularly useful for activities like driving or when the listener wants to read the text faster alongside listening. The app also allows exporting books as audio files and includes features for highlighting and bookmarking. The speaker strongly recommends Speech Central for its one-time cost and feature set, comparing it favorably to subscription-based services, and mentions plans for more in-depth videos on the app's capabilities.

10:03

👋 Conclusion and Invitation to Learn More about Speech Central

The final paragraph serves as a conclusion to the video, with the speaker summarizing the benefits of Speech Central and inviting viewers to subscribe for more detailed videos on the app's features. The speaker reiterates the app's affordability and comprehensive functionality, encouraging viewers to check out the link in the video description to learn more about Speech Central.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Text-to-Speech

Text-to-Speech (TTS) refers to the technology that converts written text into audible speech. In the context of the video, TTS is the core functionality of the Speech Central app, allowing users to listen to books, web articles, emails, and scanned documents. The script mentions the app's ability to support Apple's premium TTS voices, enhancing the listening experience.

💡Speech Central

Speech Central is the name of the app being reviewed in the video. It is highlighted as a cost-effective alternative to other text-to-speech apps like Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro. The video script emphasizes its features, such as the one-time purchase model and the ability to handle various document formats for reading aloud.

💡Speechify

Speechify is one of the apps compared to Speech Central in the video. It is mentioned as being more expensive due to its subscription model. The script positions Speech Central as a cheaper alternative with similar or better features.

💡Voice Dream Reader Pro

Voice Dream Reader Pro is another app in the same category as Speech Central. The script suggests that, like Speechify, it requires a subscription, making Speech Central a more affordable option with a one-time purchase.

💡One-time purchase

A one-time purchase refers to a payment made once for the permanent acquisition of a product or service. In the video, this term is used to describe the cost model of Speech Central, contrasting it with the subscription-based models of Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro.

💡Apple's premium voices

Apple's premium voices are high-quality text-to-speech voices provided by Apple for use in iOS applications. The video script mentions that Speech Central supports these voices, offering users a better listening experience.

💡Language detection

Language detection is the ability of an app to automatically identify the language of the text it is processing. The script describes how Speech Central can detect the language spoken in a book or web article, which is crucial for accurate text-to-speech conversion.

💡Voice pitch and speed

Voice pitch refers to the frequency of the voice, affecting how high or low it sounds, while voice speed refers to the rate at which the text is read aloud. The video script explains that Speech Central allows users to adjust these settings to customize their listening experience.

💡Font size and style

Font size and style pertain to the visual presentation of text, including its size and typeface. The script mentions that Speech Central offers various font sizes and styles, allowing users to optimize the text display for readability.

💡Export as audio file

Exporting as an audio file means converting the text-to-speech output into a standalone audio file that can be played back independently of the app. The video script highlights this feature of Speech Central, which allows users to save and listen to books or documents as audio files.

💡Microsoft neural voices

Microsoft neural voices are advanced text-to-speech voices developed by Microsoft, known for their natural-sounding speech. The script briefly mentions the possibility of using these voices in Speech Central, suggesting a high-end listening option, although it notes this as a more advanced feature.

Highlights

Speech Central is a text-to-speech app that is cheaper than Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro.

Speech Central can be purchased with a one-time payment, providing access to powerful features.

Users can listen to books, web articles, emails, and scanned documents with Speech Central.

The app supports Apple's premium text-to-speech voices.

Speech Central allows language detection in books or web articles.

Different voices, including enhanced and premium voices, can be chosen for listening.

The app does not support Apple's Neural Engine voices, which is a limitation shared with Voice Dream Reader Pro.

Speech Central offers settings for voice pitch, speed, volume, font size, and text contrast.

Users can choose from various fonts and colors for better readability.

The app includes a feature to highlight text and sentences.

Speech Central allows users to export books as audio files.

The app can handle PDFs, Word documents, ePub files, and web articles saved from Safari.

Speech Central enables users to save emails directly to the app.

The app provides two speed settings for reading: standard and high speed.

Users can switch between fast and normal reading speeds, which is useful for activities like driving.

Speech Central is recommended for its one-time cost and extensive features, making it a cost-effective alternative to subscription-based services.

The app is available on both iPhone and iPad, providing a consistent experience across devices.

More detailed videos on Speech Central will be released, showcasing additional features and settings.