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

Stefan Svartling
9 Jul 202310:18

TLDRThis video review introduces Speech Central, a cost-effective text-to-speech app that rivals Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro with a one-time purchase. It offers powerful features such as reading books, web articles, emails, and scanned documents with high-quality voices, adjustable speed, and volume. The app supports Apple's premium voices and has extensive settings for language detection, voice pitch, and text display customization. The reviewer highly recommends Speech Central for its affordability and rich features, including the ability to export audio files and highlight text.

Takeaways

  • 📚 Speech Central is a text-to-speech app that offers a one-time purchase with powerful features similar to Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro.
  • 💰 It is a cost-effective alternative to subscription-based apps like Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro.
  • 📖 Users can listen to books, web articles, emails, and scanned documents with Speech Central.
  • 🔊 The app supports Apple's premium and enhanced text-to-speech voices for high-quality audio output.
  • 🌐 Language detection is available for books and web articles, with options to choose voices in different languages, including English and Swedish.
  • 🎛️ Customization options include voice pitch, speed, volume, font size, and text appearance settings like colors and contrast.
  • 🔄 Two speed settings allow for switching between normal and high-speed reading, which can be useful for different situations like driving or reading along.
  • 📝 The app includes features for exporting books as audio files and saving emails and web articles directly from Safari.
  • 🔖 Bookmarking and commenting features are available for users to mark important sections and add notes.
  • 👍 The reviewer highly recommends Speech Central for its affordability and feature set compared to other apps.
  • 🔄 The same functionality and features work across both iPhone and iPad devices.

Q & A

  • What is the name of the app discussed in the video that is cheaper than Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro?

    -The app discussed in the video is called Speech Central.

  • What are the key features of Speech Central that make it comparable to Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro?

    -Speech Central offers powerful features such as listening to books, web articles, emails, and scanning in documents to listen to them. It also supports Apple's premium text-to-speech voices and has various settings for language detection, voice pitch, reading speed, and volume.

  • How does the one-time purchase model of Speech Central differ from the subscription models of Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro?

    -Speech Central requires a single one-time purchase, after which the user has access to all its features without needing to pay an annual subscription like Speechify or Voice Dream Reader Pro.

  • What type of files can be opened and read by Speech Central?

    -Speech Central can open and read Epub files, PDFs, Word documents, and even web articles saved directly from Safari.

  • Does Speech Central support Microsoft neural engine voices, and is it a standard feature?

    -Speech Central does support Microsoft neural engine voices, but it is mentioned as more of an advanced hack and not a standard feature.

  • What are the additional settings available in Speech Central for customizing the reading experience?

    -Speech Central offers settings for font size, different voice fonts, colors, background contrast, text contrast, highlight color, and sentence highlighting.

  • Can users export the content from Speech Central as an audio file?

    -Yes, users can export the content as an audio file with text-to-speech conversion.

  • How does Speech Central handle different languages for text-to-speech?

    -Speech Central has settings to detect the language spoken in the book or web article and offers different voices for various languages, including English and Swedish.

  • What is the purpose of having two speed settings in Speech Central?

    -The two speed settings in Speech Central allow users to switch between normal and high speed, which can be useful for different situations, such as driving or reading the book at the same time as listening to it.

  • Can Speech Central be used on both iPhone and iPad?

    -Yes, the video transcript mentions that Speech Central is available and can be used on both iPhone and iPad.

  • What does the video suggest about the cost-effectiveness of Speech Central compared to other apps?

    -The video suggests that Speech Central is a more cost-effective option compared to Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro due to its one-time purchase model and the rich features it offers.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Speech Central App

The video introduces Speech Central, a cost-effective text-to-speech app offering features comparable to more expensive apps like Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro. The app is available for a one-time purchase and supports reading various formats including ePub files, web articles, emails, and scanned documents. It boasts Apple's premium text-to-speech voices and includes settings for language detection, voice selection, pitch, speed, volume, and text display customization. The speaker also mentions the inability to use the Neural Engine voices within Speech Central, a feature not available in the other apps either, due to Apple's restrictions.

05:03

🔊 Exploring Speech Central's Features and Settings

This paragraph delves into the app's voice options, including the ability to select from different voices and the mention of Microsoft's Neural voices, which require a Microsoft Azure account. The speaker expresses satisfaction with Apple's premium and advanced voices. The app also includes a feature to switch between normal and high-speed reading, which is useful for multitasking, such as reading while driving. Additional features highlighted include the ability to export books as audio files, highlight text, and add comments or bookmarks. The speaker highly recommends Speech Central for its affordability and rich feature set compared to subscription-based services.

10:03

👋 Conclusion and Future Content Tease

The video concludes with the speaker expressing enthusiasm for Speech Central and its capabilities across different devices, such as the iPhone and iPad. They mention plans to create more videos exploring the app's settings and additional features in the future, encouraging viewers to subscribe to the channel for updates. The speaker also promises to provide a link to the app in the video description for those interested in trying Speech Central.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Speech Central

Speech Central is the name of the app being reviewed in the video. It is a text-to-speech application that allows users to listen to books, web articles, emails, and scanned documents. The app is highlighted for its affordability as a one-time purchase, in contrast to subscription-based services like Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro. It is mentioned as having powerful features, including support for Apple's premium voices and various settings for customization.

💡Text-to-speech

Text-to-speech, or TTS, is the technology that converts written text into audible speech. In the context of the video, Speech Central uses this technology to enable users to listen to various types of text content. The script mentions that Speech Central supports Apple's premium text-to-speech voices, enhancing the listening experience.

💡One-time purchase

A one-time purchase refers to a payment made once for the permanent acquisition of a product or service. The video emphasizes that Speech Central is available for a one-time purchase, unlike other apps that require ongoing subscription fees. This is presented as a significant advantage of Speech Central over competitors like Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro.

💡Voice Dream Reader Pro

Voice Dream Reader Pro is one of the competitors mentioned in the video script. It is a text-to-speech app that is compared with Speech Central in terms of features and cost. The script suggests that Speech Central offers similar or better features at a lower cost, as Voice Dream Reader Pro requires a subscription.

💡Speechify

Speechify is another text-to-speech application mentioned in the script. It is compared to Speech Central, with the latter being described as cheaper and offering a one-time purchase option. The comparison is used to highlight the cost-effectiveness of Speech Central.

💡Apple's premium voices

Apple's premium voices refer to the high-quality text-to-speech voices provided by Apple for use in its devices and applications. The video script mentions that Speech Central supports these voices, allowing users to enjoy a better listening experience with options for different languages and voice types.

💡Settings

Settings in the context of the video refer to the customizable options available within the Speech Central app. These include language detection, voice selection, pitch, speed, volume, font size, and text contrast. The script emphasizes the variety of settings as a key feature of the app, allowing users to tailor their listening experience.

💡Microsoft neural voices

Microsoft neural voices are advanced text-to-speech voices developed by Microsoft, known for their natural-sounding speech. The script mentions the possibility of using these voices with Speech Central, although it notes that this requires a Microsoft Azure account and is considered an advanced feature not covered in detail in the video.

💡Export

In the context of the video, exporting refers to the ability to save the text-to-speech output as an audio file. Speech Central allows users to export books and documents as audio files, which can be useful for listening at a later time or on different devices.

💡Bookmark and comment

The video script mentions the ability to bookmark and comment within the Speech Central app. This feature allows users to mark specific parts of the text and add comments, which can be helpful for referencing or annotating the content while listening.

💡Subscription

A subscription in this context refers to a recurring payment model for accessing a service or product. The video contrasts the subscription model of Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro with the one-time purchase option of Speech Central, positioning the latter as a more cost-effective choice.

Highlights

Speech Central Voice Reader App is a cost-effective alternative to Speechify and Voice Dream Reader Pro.

Speech Central offers a one-time purchase with no subscription fees.

The app includes powerful features for listening to books, web articles, emails, and scanned documents.

Speech Central supports Apple's premium text-to-speech voices for high-quality audio.

Users can select from a variety of voices, including different languages and enhanced voices.

The app does not support the use of Neural Engine voices from Apple.

Speech Central provides settings for voice pitch, speed, volume, and more.

Customizable font sizes and styles enhance the reading experience.

The app offers various text and background color options for better contrast and readability.

Speech Central allows for quick toggling between standard and high-speed reading modes.

Users can export books as audio files and work with Word documents, PDFs, and ePub files.

The app includes features for highlighting text and adding comments for better note-taking.

Speech Central is recommended for its one-time cost and rich feature set compared to subscription-based apps.

The app works seamlessly across both iPhone and iPad devices.

Speech Central is praised for its ease of use and extensive customization options.

The video creator plans to produce more content featuring Speech Central in the future.

A link to Speech Central will be provided in the video description for interested viewers.