PHP Text to Speech
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- phpbaby2009
- Forum Commoner
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2008 8:20 pm
PHP Text to Speech
I've been a html freak for a long time.. and PHP is new to me. When trying to create something, I always think of users. Can all sorts of users use your content ? That's the first question I put before anything else. Recently, I learned about a few commercial text to speech solutions but I feel really sad that there are no FREE webmaster tools for this. Since most hosts are pushing their data-transfer limit to UNLIMITED, why is it that we still don't have synthesizer's for webmasters ??? Now, don't tell me about sitepal and all, they are way TOOOOOOOO expensive. I mean, can we not develop a simple solution in PHP that translates text to speech ?
I REALLY FEEL SAD that in spite of so much development in web standards, Accessibility stills remains to be much desired. SAD. SAD. SAD. WEB !
During my so what research/search. I did find these, but none is what I am looking for.
(1) sitepal. (just google it)
(2) http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php - In spite of being such a BIG GIANT company, still can't allow any tools to use. This is a nice tool but it's been in the research as if it's snoring for years - for I have seen it the same in the past years. Just the same page. Wouldn't it be cool if it had some API for webmasters ???
(3) Our Operating Systems do have tools for Text to Speech. But what's the point that such a service has to be on a system not on a web? So, it's not REALLY available where-ever you go. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc163663.aspx and here is one more that works offline. http://espeak.sourceforge.net/
(4) http://freetts.sourceforge.net/ - got my head spin here. don't know if JAVA is the future. It's so hard to implement. Talk about asking a blind person to open multiple popups all asking permission to RUN.... bla bla... what a joke for accessibility.? LOL LOL LOL
I know you are probably wondering, why is this lunatic wanting so much ? I ain't. All I am saying is... where the heck do you see advance in WEB... when you can't even solve one little problem.... problem ? let me see you do it and show me where.... what ??? click here to read my home page.... Yes !
well, enough of this chit chat hope someone has some answers for me.
I REALLY FEEL SAD that in spite of so much development in web standards, Accessibility stills remains to be much desired. SAD. SAD. SAD. WEB !
During my so what research/search. I did find these, but none is what I am looking for.
(1) sitepal. (just google it)
(2) http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php - In spite of being such a BIG GIANT company, still can't allow any tools to use. This is a nice tool but it's been in the research as if it's snoring for years - for I have seen it the same in the past years. Just the same page. Wouldn't it be cool if it had some API for webmasters ???
(3) Our Operating Systems do have tools for Text to Speech. But what's the point that such a service has to be on a system not on a web? So, it's not REALLY available where-ever you go. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc163663.aspx and here is one more that works offline. http://espeak.sourceforge.net/
(4) http://freetts.sourceforge.net/ - got my head spin here. don't know if JAVA is the future. It's so hard to implement. Talk about asking a blind person to open multiple popups all asking permission to RUN.... bla bla... what a joke for accessibility.? LOL LOL LOL
I know you are probably wondering, why is this lunatic wanting so much ? I ain't. All I am saying is... where the heck do you see advance in WEB... when you can't even solve one little problem.... problem ? let me see you do it and show me where.... what ??? click here to read my home page.... Yes !
well, enough of this chit chat hope someone has some answers for me.
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Mark Baker
- Forum Regular
- Posts: 710
- Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:24 pm
Re: PHP Text to Speech
Well PHP is the tool to process information, not the delivery mechanism. The browser generally serves that purpose...
If you extend the principles of the MVC model: PHP is the Controller, and it's up to the View component (typically the browser) to server the purpose of transalting that information into a format for presentation to the user: in this case, text to speech. PHP can direct its output to many different tools/browsers... and doesn't care what is being used at the client PC IE/FF/Chrome/Safari. Rendering the information in human readable format (display to screen/text to speech/etc) is the task of those components, so why does PHP need a text to speech capability?
If you extend the principles of the MVC model: PHP is the Controller, and it's up to the View component (typically the browser) to server the purpose of transalting that information into a format for presentation to the user: in this case, text to speech. PHP can direct its output to many different tools/browsers... and doesn't care what is being used at the client PC IE/FF/Chrome/Safari. Rendering the information in human readable format (display to screen/text to speech/etc) is the task of those components, so why does PHP need a text to speech capability?
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robincanaday
- Forum Newbie
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:25 am
- Location: Portland Oregon USA
Re: PHP Text to Speech
Well, as a person who suffers RSI, my goal in my web apps has been to make them fairly voice-recognition friendly. Generally, this means plain-vanilla styling, conservative use of Javascript, and effective organization of the information presented. The same problems generally apply to screen readers (for the blind and vision-impaired) that apply to voice recognition. I've done some testing of the capabilities of Dragon Naturallyspeaking and Firevox (an add-on screen reader for Firefox) but I haven't done nearly enough research yet to come up with a cohesive set of design practices that are friendly to those sorts of programs/extensions.
But, I'll be doing more work on it in the future, after I figure out some of my backend stuff.
But, I'll be doing more work on it in the future, after I figure out some of my backend stuff.
Re: PHP Text to Speech
Windows server:
Code: Select all
$voice = new COM("SAPI.SpVoice");
$voice->Speak("Hello, lets have a conversation");
Last edited by VladSun on Tue Dec 11, 2012 9:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
There are 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't
- phpbaby2009
- Forum Commoner
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2008 8:20 pm
Re: PHP Text to Speech
VladSun wrote:
Windows server:Code: Select all
$voice = new COM("SAPI.SpVoice"); $voice->Speak("Hello, lets have a conversation");
oooooo VladSun !!
those codes seem new to me. is that something we can put in a php page... that would be really really awesome !!
Re: PHP Text to Speech
Well, it's not so good - it's server side TTS and I mean really server-side - that is the sound will be emitted by the speakers of the server.phpbaby2009 wrote:VladSun wrote:
Windows server:Code: Select all
$voice = new COM("SAPI.SpVoice"); $voice->Speak("Hello, lets have a conversation");
oooooo VladSun !!
those codes seem new to me. is that something we can put in a php page... that would be really really awesome !!well, how about something similar on a web page that activates itself when it finds out that a person has some sort of voice program run and say when the voice program is on, our websites don't just sit there... they start talking... that's what i mean. well, thanks for all your time guys.
i love this ico..
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I haven't played with SAPI.SpVoice, but I suppose there is a way to save the TTS output to a WAV file. Then play this WAV file at client-side.
There are 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't
- phpbaby2009
- Forum Commoner
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2008 8:20 pm
Re: PHP Text to Speech
Wow, that's some high tech stuff. Did you find any hosts etc that offer TEXT to Speech for FREE and doesn't disable when it reaches maximum use ? I can't find any. I guess i should offer some recorded sounds may be in mp3. without spedning money, what's my option other than audacity.... anyone... please. i need the program to record not from microphone but from another program that speaks from the speakers... sounds funny but the speakers would be off...
i am sorry guys. i am just tooo complicated.......
peace out!
<-is that U LOL !!
i am sorry guys. i am just tooo complicated.......
peace out!
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stranger.block
- Forum Newbie
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 12:49 am
Re: PHP Text to Speech
maybe u can try http://www.textvoz.com, a new tts site and the website tts integration module will come soon.
- phpbaby2009
- Forum Commoner
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2008 8:20 pm
Re: PHP Text to Speech
Nice site but it's a joke in terms of accessibility, alright, so you are here.. type to hear.. but i know you gotta have Eyes to use me.. need that [click here to listen to captcha and make them bigger, right ??]stranger.block wrote:maybe u can try http://www.textvoz.com, a new tts site and the website tts integration module will come soon.
so i are right. The web may look flashy and developed, but the fact is... it aint!!! In 21st century, all you are asking is a dummy yet a great tool that just translates everything that's on the web... Google seems to realize this... noticed how it's video sharing/youtube now comes with 'listen to comments' which was lacking for years. i am sure, there are great coders right here on this wonderful website who can offer other websites.. API for text to speech... without any captcha please !! LOL