Help What's the point of Google's new high quality text-to-speech?

[Paddy Landau]

Google has rolled out its new high quality text-to-speech for selected languages. I use English (UK), which means that in addition to the low-quality female voice, I have the option to download and use low-quality male, high-quality female, and high-quality male.

I have downloaded the high-quality male voice. It works when I test it with "Listen to an example".

But that is the only time it's used. With OK Google and Google Navigation (the only two places I know that use speech), it still uses the built-in low-quality female voice.

So, what's the point of the high-quality voice? Have I somehow missed a setting that instructs apps to use the high-quality voice? Or does it only work with accessibility for blind people?

 

[jennyfur]

I use various different voices in Tasker. For instance I made an alarm that speaks the weather in a female British accent every morning ;-)

 

[Rxpert83]

Could simply be that maps hasn't been updated to recognize it yet :dontknow:

 

[Paddy Landau]

So I can't get Navigation to use it? I find the built-in low-quality voice a bit jarring when I'm driving.

 

[DMajor239]

I use various different voices in Tasker. For instance I made an alarm that speaks the weather in a female British accent every morning ;-)

Dude....
Female British accents >>>>>>

 

[Paddy Landau]

Dude....
Female British accents >>>>>>

? I live in England, so I use English accents.

Anyway, I thought maybe that the high quality speech was intended for audio books. No such luck; I opened a book in Google Play Books, and it still uses the built-in low quality speech.

My conclusion is that the speech works only with the example and (according to @Jennyfur) Tasker, which I have not tried.

I shall ask Google Support, if I can work out how to do so. If I find a solution, I'll post it here.

 

[jennyfur]

Google Text-to-Speech for Android to soon get high-quality voices, and more | NDTV Gadgets

I'd imagine the main usage for text-to-speech is for accessibility options (to read aloud things for people with disabilities). But aside from Tasker, you can use language packs in any app that reads things for you (news apps, apps such as Play Books, etc). Like someone said earlier, I'd imagine things like maps and search will eventually be updated to take advantage of them as well but since the language packs only just came out they haven't yet.

 

[Paddy Landau]

Thanks for the more detailed info. It currently doesn't work in Google Play Books even with the "High-quality voice" option ticked. Let's hope that the various apps are updated soon.