# Touch updated -- Text-to-Speech now messed up



## SeymourKopath (Jul 24, 2012)

We have 2 Touches. #1 has been updated to 5.3.2.1. #2 is still at 5.1.2.

Since the update, the text-to-speech feature on #1 has been messed up. Specifically, when trying to pronounce contractions. For example, take the word "it's." Before the update, TTS pronounced the word correctly. Since the update, TTS pronounces the word "it ... s" -- meaning it will pronounce the word "it", then a very brief pause (as if pausing for the apostrophe), then the letter "s".

The word "I've" is pronounced "I ... v e" -- the word "I" followed by a very brief pause followed by the letters "v" and "e" individually. 

Every contraction is pronounced that way. The word before the apostrophe followed by the letters following the apostrophe individually.

Playing the same passage on Touch #2 (with 5.1.2) results in correct pronunciation.

This is very annoying. To the point that I have stopped using TTS on Touch #1 until it can be fixed.

Anyone else experiencing this on the Touch with 5.3.2.1? 

Can I roll #1 back to 5.1.2?


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## Brownskins (Nov 18, 2011)

I am on 5.3.2 (don't know about the additional .1). The contractions sound normal. Maybe you can reinstall the update? Of you really want to roll back, I think there are copies out there (just google). So far though, I have had no problems with 5.3.2 and I like the new look, cover view, time left etc.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I'd suggest restarting the device -- you can do it through the menu: menu/settings/menu/restart. Yes, when you installed the update, it would have re-started, but it's worth a try.

You can also do it by holding the power switch for a good 30-40 seconds until it blinks. Then it should restart. Or, if not, push the power button again to power it on.

If you're still having TtS issues, contact Kindle CS (see the FAQ thread at the top of this section of the board.)

I haven't seen any other reports that the update affected TtS, and it's been out for some time.  I suppose you could get another data point by updating your other Touch as well -- but perhaps you don't want to risk that!  Brownskins indicates hers is fine -- though I note that the current version on the site is 5.3.2.1 which is a tweak to 5.3.2.

There is no _authorized_ way to roll back to the previous firmware. Though, as Brownskins notes, the files ARE out there. You might check with the folks at mobileread.com. The techie types hang out there more than here and may have some insights.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

I have 5.3.2 on my Touch and I don't normally use TTS so I just did an experiment and tried it on several different books.

All but one of the books was OK, but the odd one had the same problem you describe. Which is kind of confusing - if it isn't the software, which my experiment seems to suggest - and if it isn't the book - as your being able to play the same book on another Touch with no problems seems to suggest - then what exactly is causing it?

I'll update my Kindle to 5.3.2.1 and see if I have the same results. Back later.

EDIT: I've updated to 5.3.2.1 and I'm getting the same results - only one book of the four or five I tried is not working - the same book as before.

I'm not sure where that leaves you - a call to Kindle CS might be in order - if it's only happening on random books then maybe they haven't had enough complaints to realise there's a problem.


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## SeymourKopath (Jul 24, 2012)

Thanks to everyone for the replies so far.

I have tried restarting the Touch, with no effect.

However, I have discovered, as has Linjeakel, that the problem only presents itself with certain books. The first two or three documents I noticed the problem with, were items downloaded via Instapaper. This morning, I've checked three books purchased directly from Amazon and TTS works properly so far on all of them. So, my working hypothesis right now is that there's something in the Instapaper formatting causing the TTS error. Still, that doesn't explain why TTS should work properly with 5.1.2, yet have this error (even if limited to certain documents) with 5.3.2.1.

I'll probably end up calling Kindle CS at some point.

I'll come back later and update my experiences.

Edit: I just checked 2 more separate documents downloaded via Instapaper. They both exhibit the TTS problem. Also checked 4 or 5 more books downloaded from Amazon. No problems found so far. Granted, I only went through 1 or 2 pages of each document/book. But, I reason if the error doesn't present itself in those few instances in an Amazon book, it won't present itself at all in the rest of the book. Same reasoning, in reverse, for the Instapaper documents.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

So. . . .it sounds to me like there is something going wrong in the conversion through instapaper to kindle format.  

Further experiment proposed: are these documents you could download to your computer and then use 'send to kindle' to convert and load on the device?  If so, you might be able to determine if the error is at the instapaper end or at the amazon end.


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## SeymourKopath (Jul 24, 2012)

The problem only appears in documents downloaded via Instapaper so far. I like to accumulate a collection of articles in Instapaper, then download them in Kindle format to my computer. Then, when I'm ready to read them, I use the Send To Kindle app in Windows Explorer to send the Instapaper document to my Touch. So, is the problem with Instapaper, or with the Send To Kindle app? That's what I'm hoping to find out.

Test 1: I have a number of books on my computer in Kindle format that I've downloaded from Baen Books. I sent one of those to both of my Touches using the Send To Kindle app in Windows Explorer. TTS read a small sample of that book correctly on both Touches. Preliminary conclusion: it doesn't seem the problem is with the Send To Kindle app in Windows Explorer.

Some of the Instapaper documents I download are collections of stories from Lightspeed Online Magazine (lightspeedmagazine.com).
Test 2: Using the Send to Kindle bookmarklet installed in my Firefox browser, I sent a single story from the magazine to both Touches. TTS read a small sample of that story correctly on both Touches.

Test 3: I saved the same article used in Test 2 to Instapaper. Then I went to Instapaper and downloaded the document containing only that story to my computer in Kindle format. Then I sent that document to both Touches using the Send To Kindle app in Windows Explorer. TTS exhibited the problem reading contractions on the Touch with 5.3.2.1, but read the same document correctly on the Touch with 5.1.2.

Test 4: I copied the document used in Test 3 from my computer to the updated Touch vis the USB cable. TTS exhibited the same problem reading contractions.

Test 5: I copied a library book that I had previously downloaded onto my computer to the updated Touch via the USB cable. TTS read a small sample of the book correctly.

Current conclusion: there seems to be a problem in the formatting of an Instapaper document when it is downloaded to a computer in Kindle format that is causing this TTS issue.

It would be helpful if a few other people who use Instapaper could try the test I did to help confirm this conclusion: download an Instapaper document to your computer in Kindle format, then using the Send To Kindle app in Windows Explorer, send the document to your Touch that has been updated to 5.3.2.1. 

Linjeakel, what's the source of the book that's exhibiting the TTS problem on your Touch? Was it downloaded directly from Amazon, or is it from another source?

Ann: can you think of any other experiments to help get to the root of the problem?


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

SeymourKopath said:


> Linjeakel, what's the source of the book that's exhibiting the TTS problem on your Touch? Was it downloaded directly from Amazon, or is it from another source?


The ones I tried were all purchased and downloaded directly from Amazon - including the one that had the problem. For comparison sake, I just tried it with a Word document, uploaded via 'Send to Kindle' and TTS is working OK on that.


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## SeymourKopath (Jul 24, 2012)

Linjeakel said:


> The ones I tried were all purchased and downloaded directly from Amazon - including the one that had the problem. For comparison sake, I just tried it with a Word document, uploaded via 'Send to Kindle' and TTS is working OK on that.


Well, there goes my theory!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Based on the evidence presented thus far, I think it's a problem with Instapaper.

I think it's possible the data point Linda mentions is an anomaly. . . .same symptom, but different cause, perhaps. (If I learned anything from watching _House_ for years it's that sometimes there can be more than one underlying cause -- the trick is to work out which symptoms are important and which aren't.)

Perhaps the update from 5.2 to 5.3 changed something small that isn't a problem otherwise with Instapaper. I admit it's not something I've ever used. I get very little content from other than Amazon and what I do usually starts out .mobi or .prc and works fine using Send to Kindle. That said, I rarely -- really, never, but I don't want to rule it out completely  -- bother with TtS so even if it didn't work properly I probably wouldn't care.


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