Reading

Choosing a Daisy player - a guide

Summary: Find out more about Daisy, the players that are available and where you can find Daisy material.

• Introduction
• What is Daisy?
• Portable players
• Desktop players
• Daisy software
• Daisy player accessories
• Where can I get Daisy audio titles from?
• Daisy FAQ’s
• Sources of further information

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Find out more about players and where you can get Daisy reading material.

Introduction

This guide highlights the unique benefits of Daisy as a reading format, the Daisy players and accessories available to buy, where to find Daisy reading material, as well as a frequently asked questions section.

If you need more information or advice, please do not hesitate to contact RNIB Customer Services team on 0845 702 3153 who will be able to help, alternatively, why not visit our Online Shop at rnib.org.uk/shop

Please note that the price of each player is correct at the time of publishing this guide, however, RNIB have special promotions and discounts throughout the year. To find out the latest prices contact RNIB Customer Services on 0845 702 3153 or visit our Online Shop at rnib.org.uk/shop.

How to order

By phone

0845 702 3153 or 01733 37 53 50

Lines are open from 8.45am – 6.00pm Monday to Friday, with the exception of Thursday when lines are closed from 3.30pm – 4.30pm. Opening hours on Saturdays are 9.00am – 4.00pm.

You can still contact us outside these hours, by leaving a message on our answerphone. Your order or enquiry will be processed the next working day. Customers with a hearing impairment can request information or order products via our Minicom number on 0845 758 5691.

By post

Write to us at RNIB Customer Services, PO Box 173, Peterborough PE2 6WS. Correspondence is welcomed in any format – print, braille, audio, Moon and computer disk.

By fax

01733 37 50 01

By email

cservices@rnib.org.uk

Online

rnib.org.uk/shop

In person

You could visit one of our centres located throughout the UK, or your local society for blind and partially sighted people, many of whom also stock products in their shops. Details of your local society for blind and partially sighted people are available from the RNIB Helpline by calling 0845 766 9999 or 020 7388 2525.

Please note some callers may find it cheaper to call a landline number so we have detailed both 08 prefixed numbers and landline equivalents where available for RNIB.

What is Daisy?

Daisy is an acronym which stands for “Digital Accessible Information System” and is now a recognised worldwide standard for audio developed by the DAISY Consortium. This Consortium, formed in May 1996, includes worldwide representation from a wide cross section of organisations including charities such as RNIB and commercial organisations like Microsoft.

Daisy is a digital reading format that can combine audio, text and graphical information in one production, making it accessible to a wide range of people with print disabilities. Daisy can be played on a standalone Daisy player, or by using Daisy software player on a computer.

What are the benefits of Daisy?

Navigation

Daisy text can be recorded on up to six heading levels which enables the reader to navigate through the recording by section, sub-section, chapter and pages, depending on how the book has been structured. For instance, RNIB’s Daisy TV listings allows the reader to jump by day, channel, time of day and finally to each programme. Bookmarks can also be inserted at any point, and the “resume” function means that playback continues from the point the reader left off, rather than at the beginning as with conventional CDs.

Compression

Large amounts of content can be compressed onto one Daisy CD. As a general rule, around 25 hours of audio can be recorded on a Daisy CD with no noticeable deterioration in the sound quality.

Multimedia

Daisy books can incorporate text, graphics and audio into one publication, allowing the reader to view the text at the same time as listening to it, such as on a computer screen.

How can I play a Daisy title?

Daisy titles can be played on a dedicated hardware player or on a computer using Daisy player software. RNIB sells a range of hardware and software players, including desktop and portable models that range in size, functionality and price. Some smaller players use memory cards rather than CDs and require Daisy books or music to be transferred to the memory card using a computer.

Many MP3 players will be able to play a Daisy title but not all the navigation features will be available. Domestic CD players will not be able to play Daisy titles.

Portable players

Victor Wave Daisy player

The Victor Wave is a compact portable clamshell design Daisy player, ideal for listening to Daisy audio books and music on the move. Similar in size to a conventional CD player.

• plays Daisy audio books, music CDs and MP3 CDs
• variable speed controls and automatic
• pitch compensation allow you to speed up and slow down the speech without altering the tone and pitch of the voice
• large tactile controls
• audio and visual feedback for controls and navigation
• numeric keypad to allow direct navigation to pages and numbering of bookmarks
• audio and visual indicators for volume, playback speed and battery
• battery life of up to nine hours
• supplied with carry case, rechargeable AA batteries, battery charger and earphones
• one year warranty.

Please note: large and complex books with more than three heading levels may take up to a minute to load the Daisy information.

Dimensions: Width: 13.8cm (5.4 inches) Depth: 14.8cm (5.8 inches) Height: 2.9cm (1.1 inches) Weight: 0.26kg

Victor Wave Daisy player (DD29) £195.00 (excluding VAT) £229.13 (including VAT)

Victor Stream Daisy player

The Victor Stream is a compact and portable Daisy book and MP3 player.

Weighing just 180 grams and the same size as a pack of playing cards, you can have your whole audio library in your pocket. The large, well-spaced buttons and advanced navigational controls make reading complex books and reference manuals quick and easy. You can download directly from your computer onto the Victor Stream for listening. It does not have a facility to play direct from a CD.

• built-in text-to-speech synthesiser converts text files into speech
• plays Daisy audio books and MP3 CDs
• variable playback speed
• voice recorder using built-in microphone
• large, tactile, high contrast buttons
• store books and music on a removable SD card. A variety SD cards are available from RNIB (product codes DD30 to DD34)
• key describer mode to familiarise yourself with the Stream’s functions
• sleep timer function to conserve battery life
• USB port to transfer books and music from your computer
• battery life of up to 15 hours
• supplied with carry case, earphones, battery charger, USB cable and CD manual
• one year warranty.

Dimensions: Width: 6.6cm (2.6 inches) Depth 11.7cm (4.6 inches) Height: 2.2cm (0.9 inches) Weight: 0.18kg

Victor Stream Daisy player (DD28) £190.00 (excluding VAT) £223.25 (including VAT)

Milestone 311 Daisy player

The Milestone 311 is the smallest Daisy player available. Similar in size to a credit card – just a little wider. Quality digital voice recorder, making it perfect for making lists, taking down notes, reading a book or listening to music on the move. You can download directly from your computer onto the Milestone 311 for listening. It does not have a facility to play direct from a CD.

• store several Daisy titles on the supplied 2GB SD card and navigate by page, chapter or section, and resume playback from the last saved position in each book
• voice recorder has five folders to organise your recordings and a voice tag can be assigned to each folder
• up to two hours recording on the internal memory, or up to 140 hours using the supplied SD card. Extra SD cards are available from RNIB (product codes DD30 to DD34)
• connects easily via USB to your computer, allowing you to transfer MP3 files to the memory or SD card, quickly and easily
• fully accessible with easy-to-see controls and voice prompts
• battery life of up to 10 hours
• charging takes approximately four hours
• supplied with a 2GB SD memory card, battery charger, lanyard, USB cable and printed manual
• one year warranty.

Dimensions: Width: 5.4cm (2 inches) Depth: 8.5cm (3 inches) Height: 1.4cm (0.5 inches) Weight: 0.085kg

Milestone 311 Daisy player (DD22) £195.00 (excluding VAT) £229.13 (including VAT)

Special offer: save over £120 when you purchase a Milestone 311 with EasyProducer software.

DD26 £420.00 (excluding VAT) £493.50 (including VAT)

Desktop players

Plextalk PTN1 Daisy player

This easy to use Daisy player is ideal for leisure reading, bestsellers, novels

or magazines. With a slot loading CD drive, large, raised, high contrast buttons and built-in speech guidance this player could not be easier to use.

• plays Daisy audio books, music CDs and MP3 CDs
• built-in English voice guide announces navigation and button pressed
• variable speed controls and automatic pitch compensation allow you to speed up and slow down the speech without altering the tone and pitch of the voice
• high performance built-in speaker and headphone socket
• simple operation with large tactile controls
• runs on mains power or up to five hours use with the rechargeable battery
• sleep timer to turn off the player after a specified time
• compatible with hearing loops and foot pedals
• supplied with power adapter and rechargeable battery
• two year warranty.

Dimensions: Width: 22cm (8.71 inches) Depth: 17.2cm (6.8 inches) Height: 5.6cm (2.2 inches) Weight: 1.2kg

Plextalk PTN1 Daisy player (DD11) £250.00 (excluding VAT) £293.75 (including VAT)

Daisy player easy pay pack

This pack enables blind and partially sighted customers who are normally resident in the United Kingdom to pay for a Daisy player and their National Library Service membership for two years over a period of 24 months. It is only available to individuals, not organisations. Details about the National Library Service are under the section “Where can I get Daisy audio titles from?”. Daisy player easy pay pack (TC21114)

Plextalk PTR2 Daisy player and recorder

This stylish, top of the range player and recorder allows stereo recording of meeting or conference sessions direct to CD or Compact Flash card. With a

choice of using mains power or the high capacity battery, this player is ideal for use at home or for making recordings on location.

• record up to 90 hours of meetings, conference sessions or interviews directly to a CD or Compact Flash card
• customise your recording settings
• built-in microphone, line in and microphone jack. The built-in automatic gain control (AGC) ensures that different inputs produce similar recordings
• built-in book creator mode with editing functions or edit recordings using a computer and the included fully accessible Plextalk recording software
• plays Daisy audio books, music CDs, MP3 CDs and wav format sound recordings through built-in stereo speaker or with headphones. Variable speed playback control (50% to 300%) without changing the pitch
• capacity for up to 10,000 bookmarks or 30 minutes of voice annotations
• calendar, on/off timer, calculator, clock and key describer function
• supplied with a carry bag, 64MB Compact Flash card, USB cable, power adapter, rechargeable battery and a blank CD-R to get you started
• two year warranty.

Dimensions: Width 16.7cm (6.6 inches) Depth: 20.5cm (8.1 inches)

Height: 5cm (2 inches) Weight: 0.94kg

Plextalk PTR2 Daisy player and recorder (DD21) £575.50 (excluding VAT) £676.21 (including VAT)

Special offer: Save over £200 by purchasing EasyProducer Daisy software and the Plextalk PTR2 Daisy player and recorder together (DD27) £720.00 (excluding VAT) £846.00 (including VAT)

Victor Reader Classic Daisy players

The following two Daisy players share a number of features:

• play Daisy audio books, music CDs and MP3 CDs
• easy to operate with high contrast controls
• variable speed controls and automatic pitch compensation allow you to speed up and slow down the speech without altering the tone and pitch of the voice
• high quality digital sound from the built-in speaker or your headphones
• operates on mains or up to 10 hours on rechargeable battery when playing Daisy audio books, or up to 25 hours when playing music CDs and MP3 CDs
• four hours to fully charge battery
• sleep timer function to conserve battery life
• supplied with power adapter and rechargeable battery
• two year warranty.

Dimensions: Width 23.7cm (9.3 inches) Depth: 20.9cm (8.2 inches) Height:

5.4cm (2.1 inches) Weight 1.1kg

Victor Reader Classic X Daisy player

This is the successor to the popular Victor Classic and is ideal for leisure reading and offers basic navigation by chapter, page and by bookmarks.

Victor Reader Classic X Daisy player (DD23) £250.00 (excluding VAT) £293.75 (including VAT)

Victor Reader Classic X Plus Daisy player

This is the successor to the popular Victor Classic Plus which, has extra features to help with more structured text books and reference material, making it ideal for schools, libraries and professionals. The numeric keypad allows you to jump to specific pages or numbered bookmarks, or move easily to chapter, section, page or paragraph. The player also has a key describer function that, once selected, will announce each button function when pressed.

Victor Reader Classic X Plus Daisy player (DD24) £270.00 (excluding VAT) £317.25 (including VAT)

Daisy software

EasyReader Daisy software

Turns your computer into a Daisy audio book player. It supports Daisy audio and text titles, allowing you to listen to the audio tracks and read the text on screen at the same time.

• alter the font, colour and layout of the text, and highlight the current word, sentence or paragraph, bringing additional benefits to those with a print impairment
• navigate a book by phrase, chapter, section or page number, or search for specific words or phrases in the text and jump straight to that point
• add multiple bookmarks to reference specific sections or create your own text or voice notes
• playback resumes from the place you finished
• alter the playback speed and skip text elements such as page numbers and footnotes
• simple to use and requires no training
• can be controlled by a mouse or with easy keystrokes
• System requirements: Pentium II 400 MHz or faster processor, Windows 98SE, 2000, ME, XP and Vista. Requires CD-ROM drive, multimedia sound, speakers and microphone for creation of audio notes. Requires at least 64MB RAM, 50MB hard disk space, 16 bit graphic card or higher, 800 x 600 minimum monitor resolution and Internet Explorer 6 SP1 or later.

EasyReader Daisy software (DD05) £30.00 (excluding VAT), £35.25 (including VAT)

EasyProducer Daisy software

EasyProducer is a simple software tool for converting Microsoft Word documents into synchronised text and audio digital talking books, making it a practical solution for blind and partially sighted individuals, teachers, lecturers and employers who need to produce accessible reading material quickly and

efficiently.

• install the software onto your computer and EasyProducer is integrated into the Microsoft Word toolbar and menu bar
• at the press of a key, EasyProducer will burn the title to CD for easy distribution and listening on the move
• the structure of your Word document is preserved, allowing you to create your own points of navigation for quick reference
• EasyProducer comes with the high quality Daniel RealSpeak synthesiser for producing audio files
• simple to use and requires no training
• can be controlled by a mouse or with easy keystrokes
• system requirements: Pentium II 400 MHz or faster processor, Windows 98SE, 2000, ME, XP and Vista. Requires CD-ROM drive, multimedia sound, speakers and microphone for creation of audio notes. Requires at least 64MB RAM, 50MB hard disk space, 16 bit graphic card or higher, 800 x 600 minimum monitor resolution and Internet Explorer 6 SP1 or later.

EasyProducer Daisy software (DD25) £348.00 (excluding VAT) £408.90 (including VAT)

Special offer: Save over £120 when you purchase EasyProducer with a Daisy Milestone 311 (DD26) £420.00 (excluding VAT) £493.50 (including VAT)

Special offer: Save over £200 when you purchase EasyProducer with a Plextalk PTR2 Daisy player/recorder (DD27) £720.00 (excluding VAT) £846.00 (including VAT)

Daisy player accessories

Headphones

Our range of Sennheiser headphones will provide you with hours of comfortable listening with exceptional sound quality. All are compatible with our range of Daisy audio book players, as well as stereos, MP3 players and personal stereos.

Please note headphones are non returnable, unless faulty, for hygiene reasons. Headphones are VAT-able products and are listed in price order, lowest price first.

Sennheiser PX20 headphones

The PX20 mini headphones are extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear with an over the head design.

Sennheiser PX20 headphones (DD16) £14.99 (including VAT)

Sennheiser MX360 headphones

The MX360 is a stereo headphone for listening on the move and is very lightweight and comfortable.

Sennheiser MX360 headphones (DD18) £21.98 (including VAT)

Sennheiser PX10 headphones

The PX10 mini headphones are lightweight and flexible. An in-ear system ensures a perfect fit.

Sennheiser PX10 headphones (DD15) £27.99 (including VAT)

Sennheiser HD437 headphones

Open, supra-aural, dynamic hi-fi stereo headphones. Specially designed damping perforation ensures rich, crisp bass response. These lightweight headphones are perfect for listening when out and about.

Sennheiser HD437 headphones (DD17) £33.99 (including VAT)

Sennheiser RS120 wireless headphones

The RS120 is an open, supra-aural wireless radio frequency (RF) headphone system. Its well balanced sound with great bass response makes this headphone an ideal choice for listening to all types of music and TV.

Sennheiser RS120 wireless headphones DD19 £81.99 (including VAT)

Memory Cards

The Milestone, Victor Stream and Plextalk PTR2 use memory cards for storage of books and music. RNIB stocks a range of memory cards in a variety of capacities.

SD memory cards

SD memory cards are available in three sizes; two, four and eight gigabytes

SD memory cards with USB reader

Use the USB card reader to make copying files to your memory cards faster. Our SD memory cards with a USB reader are available in two sizes; two and four gigabytes.

CompactFlash memory cards

CompactFlash memory cards are available in three sizes; one, two and four gigabytes.

Where can I get Daisy audio titles from?

RNIB National Library Service

The RNIB National Library Service is a library of professionally recorded audio books, delivered through the post to your door. Last year we sent two million books to our customers and added 450 new titles to the library. We have the largest collection of unabridged audio books in the UK, currently over 13,000 and growing all the time. In addition to these, there is a wide choice of academic and reference titles. Members choose a list of books or genres and automatically receive a new book each time one is returned, with up to six books on loan at a time. For more information about the National Library Service contact Customer Services on 0845 762 6843.

To buy

RNIB currently have over 300 Daisy audio book titles available to buy from as little as £3.99 and are the same recommended retail price as the printed version of the book. Titles cover a variety of genres from fiction to biographies, romance to science fiction, for children and adults. Choose from classics such as Jane Austen’s “Emma” to contemporary works like David Mitchell’s “Cloud Atlas”. Titles for children include “Treasure Island”, “The World of Pooh” as well as the complete Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. Order a copy of our Daisy book catalogue for a list of titles or to find out more contact Customer Services on 0845 702 3153 or visit rnib.org.uk/shop

BookStream BookClub

RNIB BookStream BookClub is an online book library allowing you to search our catalogue of over 13,000 talking books, reference and academic titles, as well as books requested by customers. You can also search our 7,700 braille books, 1,600 music manuscripts and 150 maps and diagrams. Once you have found what you are looking for, you can either order the book to buy, or in the case of our audio books, start listening immediately using our streaming service.

The BookStream book club is available to blind and partially sighted people living in the UK. Simply register and subscribe! For an annual subscription of £50 you can read as many Daisy audio books as you like throughout the year. You can search the catalogue for free. Visit the website at rnib.org/booksite for more information or call Customer Services on 0845 702 3153

National Talking Newspapers and Magazines

Provide more than 230 newspaper and magazine titles in audio or etext formats. Most top selling magazine titles are available, including Reader’s Digest, Woman’s Weekly, People’s Friend, The Economist and FHM to name a few. Every interest is catered for, including women’s magazines, sport, music, science, countryside and wildlife, and much more.

They also offer Daisy compilation CDs with each compilation containing up to 50 publications and 40 hours of listening. Four different weekly compilations are available, and one monthly.

For more information, or to subscribe, contact National Talking Newspapers and Magazines on 01435 866 102 or visit their website at tnauk.org.uk

Calibre audio library

The Calibre audio library has nearly two thousand titles available in MP3 disk format. Although not in Daisy format this service provides another source of reading material that can be played on Daisy players, and depending on the player, some of the same functions are retained, such as the resume and bookmark function. Visit calibre.org.uk for more information or telephone 01296 43 23 39

Daisy FAQ’s

Why can I not play Daisy on my CD player?

A standard CD player cannot read the files on a Daisy CD. However, if your CD or DVD player has an MP3 mark on it, you will be able to play the Daisy CD, but will not be able to take advantage of the extra navigation features that Daisy offers or alter the playback speed. You can, however, use your Daisy player to play standard CDs and MP3 CDs.

What is the difference between Daisy, MP3 and normal CDs?

MP3 is an audio format which allows up to 20 times as much audio to be burnt on a CD, so whereas ordinary CDs contain up to 80 minutes, an MP3 disc can contain up to 25 hours. Daisy is made up of several different kinds of files, including MP3. The extra files are what allow you to navigate directly to specific sections, chapters, pages and even phrases, although this depends on how the book has been structured by the producer. For more technical information on Daisy, visit the Daisy Consortium's website at daisy.org

Isn’t cassette better than CD because I never lose my place?

A book which requires 25 cassettes may be recorded on 1 CD, enabling you to jump straight to the bits you want to read, and skip over the bits you don’t. In addition, some of the smaller Daisy players which use memory cards can store several books on a single memory card. Standard CD players will not resume playback from where you finished listening, but all Daisy players have a resume function, so that they automatically mark the last reading position for each book you are reading. In addition, you can add bookmarks to return to particular points of interest.

I’m looking for a particular title in Daisy, where should I start looking?

RNIB Talking Book Service has over 13,000 titles available and you can either contact Customer Services on 0845 762 6843, or email cservices@rnib.org.uk. Alternatively, you can search for specific titles, or browse the entire catalogue online using the new RNIB BookSite at rnib.org.uk/booksite. You can also order the catalogue in braille or on CD from Customer Services for £9.99. Contact Customer Services on 0845 702 3153. The National Talking Newspapers and Magazines produce several Daisy publications.

Calibre Audio Library are converting many of their titles into MP3 files and these can also be read using a Daisy player.

Is there any way of creating my own Daisy books?

There are several options available for producing Daisy.

The Plextalk PTR2 allows you to record directly to CD or to a computer and to insert your own headings and page numbers, and is fully accessible to blind and partially sighted people.

If you have an electronic text, you can use EasyProducer to create a Daisy book using synthetic speech. This is particularly useful if you have limited time and requires no training.

EasyConvertor and EasyPublisher are two other software tools which can produce highly structured Daisy from a variety of sources. These are both available from RNIB and Dolphin.

Will my local library have any books recorded in the Daisy format?

Probably not, but you will be able to play their audio books on your Daisy player, albeit with less navigation capability than Daisy books offer.

I know that some of the smallest, most portable Daisy devices use memory cards instead of CDs. Where can I buy or borrow books on memory card?

At the moment Daisy books are not supplied on memory cards, so have to be copied from the original Daisy CD to the memory card using a computer. You would need to take this into account when choosing your player.

Sources of further information

The following websites can be used to gain further information about the Daisy format.

rnib.org.uk

daisy.org

dolphin.co.uk

calibre.org.uk

tnauk.org.uk

RNIB Helpline

Information, support and advice for anyone with a sight problem.

We can:

• provide you with free information and advice, online or by post
• put you in touch with specialist advice services
• give you details of support groups and services in your area
• offer a listening ear.

Call Monday to Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm, except on Wednesdays when we close at 4.00pm. An answer machine service is available when we are closed. Mobile and local call rates to 0845 numbers may vary. Calls may be recorded or listened-in to for quality and training purposes. All enquiries treated in confidence.

Call the RNIB Helpline on 0845 766 9999 or 020 7388 2525 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk

RNIB Membership

Become an RNIB Member and experience the warm and friendly welcome you’ll receive from our supportive community of members. Receive regular and up-to-date information on eye health and the latest products, services and gadgets that could make your life easier. Call the RNIB Membership team on 0870 787 0077 or 01604 64 00 40 to join or to find out more.

©RNIB January 2008

Registered charity number 226227

Publication reference: IP396P

Content author: cservices@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 25/07/2008 15:24