[icon-discuss] Re: Improving NLS on Icon and Braille Plus
- From: Linda Gehres <ljgehres@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:22:08 -0700
Hi Pratik,
Thanks for the less technical explanation: Even I, Linda, fully get this one!
On Tue, 21 Apr 2009 03:20:44 -0400, Pratik Patel wrote:
>I'm obviously not Marc. So I may not do justice to this.
>
>Codec is the means for the computer (Icon in this case) to decompress and
>understand how to play a particular audio file. NLS has chosen a file
>format that is supposed to be very good for audio. But to get a license
>for the Icon to decompress and play these files, either Levelstar has to pay
>a lot of money or rely on an open source technical specification. Commercial
>codecs would be better because they would provide some technologies that
>are not available in open source.
>
>TSm means the jumb between 100 to 120% or the jump between 120 to 140% and
>so on. Some people would prefer this time scale modification to be lower
>than it is--meaning, some people would like the gap between these
>percentages to be 10% or less.
>
>HTH.
>
>Pratik
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: icon-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>[mailto:icon-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Allison
>Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 1:38 AM
>To: Icon Discuss
>Subject: [icon-discuss] Re: Improving NLS on Icon and Braille Plus
>
>
>Wow Marc. I have no idea what this message means. Can you re-explain?
>codecs? TSM?
>
>Thanks,
>Allison
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Marc Mulcahy" <marc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: <ljgehres@xxxxxxxxxxx>; "'Icon and Braille Plus Discussion List'"
><icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 6:11 PM
>Subject: [icon-discuss] Re: Improving NLS on Icon and Braille Plus
>
>
>>OK, here's the scoop. There are two issues here. First is that NLS chose
>>an audio codec for which there are not many inexpensive and/or efficient
>>implementations. The least expensive implementation we've found costs
>>over
>>$20,000, and that's lots of Icon and Braille+ sales. As a result, we use
>>a
>>freely available, and not extremely efficient, reference implementation.
>>
>>In our latest private betas, we've improved the efficiency of the decoder
>>such that it seems you can speed NLS playback up to 220% without any
>>break-up, so you should see this improvement in a release soon.
>>
>>The second issue is that some don't like the sound of the timescale
>>modification which we use to speed up the audio. We have no plans to
>>change
>>TSM at the moment.
>>
>>Marc
>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: icon-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>[mailto:icon-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Linda Gehres
>>>Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 5:15 PM
>>>To: Icon and Braille Plus Discussion List
>>>Subject: [icon-discuss] Improving NLS on Icon and Braille Plus
>>>
>>>Irwin, I totally agree with you, and that's why I haven't
>>>taken the plunge yet into getting with the NLS pilot program
>>>till this issue is resolved. Yes, I've seen the new and
>>>improved Victor Streams, but I think it's absolutely
>>>ridiculous to purchase a second machine in order to hear
>>>computerized NLS books. I know there's been a lot of comment
>>>on the discussion list about this issue, and I, too, hope it
>>>can be resolved. I do, however, wonder if part of the
>>>problem is with the NLS formatting. Is that formatting just
>>>in the development stage, and is NLS assuming that everyone
>>>interested in reading digital books is going with the
>>>Humanware product? That doesn't sound fair to me either, and
>>>I gather one cannot just download digital NLS books on
>>>computer. Hopefully it's a situation where I'm just confused
>>>and don't have all of the information. But, please, a
>>>comment from someone in the know at Levelstar and or APH
>>>would be greatly appreciated.
>>>
>>>Linda Gehres
>>>
>>
>>If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender
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>>related to LevelStar or APH then consider sending your message to
>>icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>>
>>Icon Discuss Mailing List
>>icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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>>To post to this list, send your message to:
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>>
>>For answers to the most frequently asked questions about Icon and Braille
>>+, Visit
>>the LevelStar and APH FAQ pages:
>>Visit the LevelStar FAQ page at
>>http://www.levelstar.com/support-faqs.php
>>Visit the APH FAQ page at
>>http://sun1.aph.org/webcast/brailleplus2/faq.html
>
>If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender
>only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is
>related to LevelStar or APH then consider sending your message to
>icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>Icon Discuss Mailing List
>icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>//www.freelists.org/list/icon-discuss
>
>To unsubscribe from the list send a blank message with unsubscribe in the
>subject line to:
>
>icon-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>To post to this list, send your message to:
>
>icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>For answers to the most frequently asked questions about Icon and Braille +,
>Visit
>the LevelStar and APH FAQ pages:
>Visit the LevelStar FAQ page at
>http://www.levelstar.com/support-faqs.php
>Visit the APH FAQ page at
>http://sun1.aph.org/webcast/brailleplus2/faq.html
>
>If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender only.
>
>If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to
>LevelStar or APH then consider sending your message to
>icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>Icon Discuss Mailing List
>icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>//www.freelists.org/list/icon-discuss
>
>To unsubscribe from the list send a blank message with unsubscribe in the
>subject line to:
>
>icon-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>To post to this list, send your message to:
>
>icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>For answers to the most frequently asked questions about Icon and Braille +,
>Visit
>the LevelStar and APH FAQ pages:
>Visit the LevelStar FAQ page at
>http://www.levelstar.com/support-faqs.php
>Visit the APH FAQ page at
>http://sun1.aph.org/webcast/brailleplus2/faq.html
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