The Text-To-Speech Web Browser for SAPI 5

The TTS Browser is similar to the Internet Explorer which it is based on and has the same basic operation but with customized menus and toolbars for speaking the text of any web page. The Narrator functions in two ways:

• As an embedded child window in the main frame the TTS Dialog  has the same basic functionality as that of Microsoft's TTSApp;
• The Narrator can also be used as one of the MS Agent characters to read the text.

The Narrator is switched by clicking one of two buttons in the toolbar:

The TTS Narrator starts initially as the Dialog Computer since the default voice for Windows Vista is 'Microsoft Anna', a female voice, whereas the MS Agent characters are male and will only use a male voice if you have one installed on your computer. If you are using Windows XP and if you do not have the Lernout & Hauspie TruVoice speech engine (SAPI 4) installed then Merlin uses Sam (installed by Microsoft as default).  If you have Windows Vista and you only have 'Anna' installed then the Dialog Narrator is better when listening to a female voice.  

• Download the TTS Browser WinZip file for Microsoft SAPI 5 (2.993 megabytes) (you can also download the MS Agent files for Win XP)
• Zip files require the WinZip32 utility to extract the files. Choose "Save File to Disk".and "Install"

The TTS Browser features many additional functions added such as the ability to record and playback your own voice and support for the VLC Net Dictionary. This makes it particularly useful for students, although the TTS Browser can be used by anyone who wants to listen to their web pages or any other text speak to them with the SAPI 5 voices. 

System requirements

You need a sound card installed on your PC, which should be running Windows XP or Vista.  You'll need to follow different instructions for using this program according to whether you're using XP or Vista.  The program will work with both systems even if you do nothing, but on Windows XP the default voices for the MS Agent characters use SAPI 4 voices and this must be installed with a separate add-on from Microsoft (available for free download from Microsoft).  All the characters, the Lernout & Hauspie TruVoice speech engine and the Microsoft add-on for Windows XP SAPI 4 are distributed with the TTS Browser Setup program.  If you are using Windows XP you can install these if you wish, but you do not need to.  Do NOT try to install any of these if you are using Windows Vista, as they will not function. 

Windows Vista Users

With Windows Vista the MS Agent characters do not use SAPI 4 voices, and these will be ignored. Only SAPI 5.3 voices will be used, Microsoft Agent is installed with Vista, with Merlin as the Narrator. Merlin will use the default voice installed with Vista or any male voice that it finds, so you need to install male voices separately.  At the time of writing we do not know of any third party voices for Vista other than the 'Microsoft Anna' voice which is installed with Vista.  The AT&T voices will not install on Vista, and voices created with SAPI 5.1 and 5.2 will not work on Vista. Do NOT install these voices on Windows Vista as they do not work.  If you have installed the 5.1 SDK you should uninstall it, and only put on voices created for Vista with SAPI 5.3.  The TTS Browser works with Microsoft Anna, but other Microsoft voices (Mary, Mike and Sam) created with earlier versions of the SAPI which work on Windows XP will not function on Vista. You can, however, download the additional Agent characters produced by Microsoft, which will use the same voice as Merlin.

When you install the TTS Browser it will:

• 1. Enable you to navigate to any web page.  
• 2. Enable SAPI 5 Text-To-Speech engines to read any web page by selecting from the toolbar buttons.

Figure 1: The TTS Browser with the Narrator Dialog Box

Figure 3: The Toolbar

The TTS Browser Toolbar has a dropdown list and 10 buttons which provide for quick navigation and access to the TTS Browser functions.  The dropdown list is for the SAPI 5 voices, and can only be used to select the voice with the Dialog Narrator as the MS Agent characters ignore it and select their voices independently.  The next seven of these buttons are for various TTS functions, and the other three are for the Net Dictionary lookup, VLC Home Page and opening the Recorder respectively. 

The functions are listed below (going from left to right):