Comics?

Drewmangroup · 02-22-2009, 09:53 PM

I haven't decided yet on the Sony PRS-505 so I have a question. I would like to use it to view some Comics. I have them in CBR format and have downloaded Calibre. I did a conversion to EPUB just to see what the result would be. I had it set to 64 greyscale. So how does this look on the 505, since it only has like 8 greyscale colors,right? Is there another reader that would look better. I was thinking of the Kindle but I did a Mobi conversion and it wasn't right and only did like 2 pages. So if this doesn't look good, what reader would it look good on? Or maybe if someone could maybe post a photo of what a comic looks like on the 505 screen? I am trying to make sure I am making the right e-reader decision based on what my reading preferences are going to be.

desertgrandma · 02-22-2009, 11:39 PM

Welcome to MobileRead, drewmangroup.

Some will chime in with opinions, I'm sure.

Enjoy the forums.

matanic · 02-22-2009, 11:59 PM

I have an EZ Reader not a Sony, but the main thing I've noticed when I was trying out different ways to convert comics and different settings, is that what looks good on the computer doesn't look good on the reader. But the stuff that doesn't look all that great on the computer can look really good on the reader, so I'm not sure you are going to be able to get an accurate idea without a reader. Here is a post with some screenshots on the Sony.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...convert+comics

There are actually quite a few threads about this sort of thing, try searching for comics or convert comics

qibsss · 02-23-2009, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drewmangroup

I haven't decided yet on the Sony PRS-505 so I have a question. I would like to use it to view some Comics. I have them in CBR format and have downloaded Calibre. I did a conversion to EPUB just to see what the result would be. I had it set to 64 greyscale. So how does this look on the 505, since it only has like 8 greyscale colors,right? Is there another reader that would look better. I was thinking of the Kindle but I did a Mobi conversion and it wasn't right and only did like 2 pages. So if this doesn't look good, what reader would it look good on? Or maybe if someone could maybe post a photo of what a comic looks like on the 505 screen? I am trying to make sure I am making the right e-reader decision based on what my reading preferences are going to be.

Are you talking about American comics or Japanese Comics?

If it is Japanese comics, I highly recommend ChainLP

http://no722.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/

It is the easiest one step solution to convert the comic files (jpg with sequential file name) into a LRF file for the Sony PRS-505.

tech_au · 02-23-2009, 05:33 AM

Calibre does an excellent job at converting cbz and cbr files in LRF.
It is a little hard to read the speech bubbles if there are a number of panels on the page.You really need a bigger screen to get the best view.

Drewmangroup · 02-23-2009, 09:10 AM

Thats what I was afraid of. I converted some cbr files to lrf and epub with calibre. Viewing them with the calibre viewer they look good and readable. I installed the sony software and the epub looked horrible but the lrf looked ok. But I still couldn't get a feel of what they looked like on the screen. I am interested in both manga and comics. I read some manga on my iPhone. I put it in landscape and just zoom to fill the sides and I can read the text just fine, I just have to scroll the page down. So I figured that a 6" screen would be a little bigger than that. And I could fit the whole page in the screen. One thing I am seeing is that manga has a bit bigger text and fonts, where american comics try to fit alot of text in the page and it looks like it could be hard to read. So my plan is I converted some american comics and manga to both LRF and EPUB, I put them on an SD card. I am going to take the card to my local Target and see if I can bring them up on the display model. Is there a way to tell which format I am looking at (LRF or EPUB) on the 505. I am afraid that its not going to be readable which would suck because it was about 70% of the reading i was wanting to do on the device.

SpiderMatt · 02-23-2009, 09:50 AM

I use my iPod Touch for comics. I don't read a lot of CBRs and CBZs on the go because of the limitations but when I do, iPod Touch is definitely the way to go due to its better performance. Its LCD screen, zoom, and color give it a distinct advantage that e-ink can't yet match up to. I would recommend sticking with your iPhone for comics. Other literature is better on e-ink readers for obvious reason but the technology isn't yet at the point to make comic reading comfortable.

Drewmangroup · 02-23-2009, 09:54 AM

Yeah its looking more and more like the Sony wouldn't be all that great for comics.

sealbeater · 02-24-2009, 12:56 PM

Ok, so here I come to defend my reader. I don't bother with converting to LRF or EPUB since for various reasons, that's not my cup of tea, so I don't know how helpful this will be but there's a script floating around here that coverts from zip or rar to pdf. sony-convert-archives2pdf is the name. Please see samples attached.

By the way, I have tons of manga on my reader and have no problems reading them.

http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0003.jpg
http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0004.jpg
http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0005.jpg
http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0008.jpg
http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0009.jpg
http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0010.jpg
http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0011.jpg

Last one is a little blurry, bad pic, it looks crisp, just my unsteady hand.

Kirtai · 02-24-2009, 01:19 PM

I convert my comics to lrf for my Sony and they look fine. ePubs tend to look bad though, it seems that the Sonys support for graphics inside epubs is pretty awful.

sealbeater · 02-24-2009, 01:31 PM

One of my beefs against converting to lrf is that even tho it's an open spec, it's only as far as I know supported by Sony, I would rather convert my comics to something that can be read by a wide audience of devices. Perhaps, we could compare file sizes some time, you covert something and I'll do it and we'll compare.

Drewmangroup · 02-24-2009, 02:01 PM

Thanks for the pics. I think I am over not being able to read comics on this (or any other for that matter with a screen less than 9-10 inches) device. But there is a fair amount of Manga I would like to read and of course books. Do you find the image quality of the pdfs to be better than the LRFs? I keep going back and forth from the Kindle to the Sony. I can read both Manga and books on either, but putting the Manga on the Kindle seems to be a bit more work.

sealbeater · 02-24-2009, 05:13 PM

I do, I find the lrfs to be a bit "fuzzy", but I only use the pdfs for manga, (I'm not sure what the difference is in your use of manga vs comics). Look for the script on the forums it'll save you a lot of time, it does a lot of image manipulation and sharping and whatnot and if nothing else, you can get the dimensions that you need if you are going to do it yourself. The author is helpful as well.

Drewmangroup · 02-25-2009, 10:00 AM

I couldn't find this script you are talking about. I searched for those words and nothing, maybe it was renamed? I am going to try the LRFs on either a demo unit or if my friend gets one before me.

agami · 03-03-2009, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sealbeater

I do, I find the lrfs to be a bit "fuzzy", but I only use the pdfs for manga, (I'm not sure what the difference is in your use of manga vs comics). Look for the script on the forums it'll save you a lot of time, it does a lot of image manipulation and sharping and whatnot and if nothing else, you can get the dimensions that you need if you are going to do it yourself. The author is helpful as well.

I've searched on here and google for sony-convert-archives2pdf and I've only been able to find two posts of you suggesting it, do happen to have a link to it or could you upload that script? Thanks.

02-22-2009, 09:53 PM	#1
Drewmangroup Member Posts: 21 Karma: 16 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: sony prs-505	Comics? I haven't decided yet on the Sony PRS-505 so I have a question. I would like to use it to view some Comics. I have them in CBR format and have downloaded Calibre. I did a conversion to EPUB just to see what the result would be. I had it set to 64 greyscale. So how does this look on the 505, since it only has like 8 greyscale colors,right? Is there another reader that would look better. I was thinking of the Kindle but I did a Mobi conversion and it wasn't right and only did like 2 pages. So if this doesn't look good, what reader would it look good on? Or maybe if someone could maybe post a photo of what a comic looks like on the 505 screen? I am trying to make sure I am making the right e-reader decision based on what my reading preferences are going to be.

02-24-2009, 12:56 PM	#9
sealbeater Banned Posts: 666 Karma: 1752814 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-505 : Onyx Boox Max : Sony PRS-900 : Onyx Kepler Pro	Ok, so here I come to defend my reader. I don't bother with converting to LRF or EPUB since for various reasons, that's not my cup of tea, so I don't know how helpful this will be but there's a script floating around here that coverts from zip or rar to pdf. sony-convert-archives2pdf is the name. Please see samples attached. By the way, I have tons of manga on my reader and have no problems reading them. http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0003.jpg http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0004.jpg http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0005.jpg http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0008.jpg http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0009.jpg http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0010.jpg http://66.104.77.10/reader/cimg0011.jpg Last one is a little blurry, bad pic, it looks crisp, just my unsteady hand. Last edited by sealbeater; 02-24-2009 at 12:59 PM.

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02-22-2009, 11:39 PM	#2
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Welcome to MobileRead, drewmangroup. Some will chime in with opinions, I'm sure. Enjoy the forums.

02-22-2009, 11:59 PM	#3
matanic Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: iPad Air, Kobo Aura H2O	I have an EZ Reader not a Sony, but the main thing I've noticed when I was trying out different ways to convert comics and different settings, is that what looks good on the computer doesn't look good on the reader. But the stuff that doesn't look all that great on the computer can look really good on the reader, so I'm not sure you are going to be able to get an accurate idea without a reader. Here is a post with some screenshots on the Sony. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...convert+comics There are actually quite a few threads about this sort of thing, try searching for comics or convert comics

02-23-2009, 05:33 AM	#5
tech_au Oz Bookworm Posts: 516 Karma: 4056 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Australia Device: Sony PRS 505,PRS 650	Calibre does an excellent job at converting cbz and cbr files in LRF. It is a little hard to read the speech bubbles if there are a number of panels on the page.You really need a bigger screen to get the best view.

02-23-2009, 09:10 AM	#6
Drewmangroup Member Posts: 21 Karma: 16 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: sony prs-505	Thats what I was afraid of. I converted some cbr files to lrf and epub with calibre. Viewing them with the calibre viewer they look good and readable. I installed the sony software and the epub looked horrible but the lrf looked ok. But I still couldn't get a feel of what they looked like on the screen. I am interested in both manga and comics. I read some manga on my iPhone. I put it in landscape and just zoom to fill the sides and I can read the text just fine, I just have to scroll the page down. So I figured that a 6" screen would be a little bigger than that. And I could fit the whole page in the screen. One thing I am seeing is that manga has a bit bigger text and fonts, where american comics try to fit alot of text in the page and it looks like it could be hard to read. So my plan is I converted some american comics and manga to both LRF and EPUB, I put them on an SD card. I am going to take the card to my local Target and see if I can bring them up on the display model. Is there a way to tell which format I am looking at (LRF or EPUB) on the 505. I am afraid that its not going to be readable which would suck because it was about 70% of the reading i was wanting to do on the device.

02-23-2009, 09:50 AM	#7
SpiderMatt Grand Arbiter Posts: 447 Karma: 1574837 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Arizona Device: iPod Touch, Amazon Kindle, Motorola Droid	I use my iPod Touch for comics. I don't read a lot of CBRs and CBZs on the go because of the limitations but when I do, iPod Touch is definitely the way to go due to its better performance. Its LCD screen, zoom, and color give it a distinct advantage that e-ink can't yet match up to. I would recommend sticking with your iPhone for comics. Other literature is better on e-ink readers for obvious reason but the technology isn't yet at the point to make comic reading comfortable.

02-23-2009, 09:54 AM	#8
Drewmangroup Member Posts: 21 Karma: 16 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: sony prs-505	Yeah its looking more and more like the Sony wouldn't be all that great for comics.

02-24-2009, 01:19 PM	#10
Kirtai Addict Posts: 304 Karma: 2454436 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: PRS-505, PRS-650, iPad, Samsung Galaxy SII (JB), Google Nexus 7 (2013)	I convert my comics to lrf for my Sony and they look fine. ePubs tend to look bad though, it seems that the Sonys support for graphics inside epubs is pretty awful.

02-24-2009, 01:31 PM	#11
sealbeater Banned Posts: 666 Karma: 1752814 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-505 : Onyx Boox Max : Sony PRS-900 : Onyx Kepler Pro	One of my beefs against converting to lrf is that even tho it's an open spec, it's only as far as I know supported by Sony, I would rather convert my comics to something that can be read by a wide audience of devices. Perhaps, we could compare file sizes some time, you covert something and I'll do it and we'll compare.

02-24-2009, 02:01 PM	#12
Drewmangroup Member Posts: 21 Karma: 16 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: sony prs-505	Thanks for the pics. I think I am over not being able to read comics on this (or any other for that matter with a screen less than 9-10 inches) device. But there is a fair amount of Manga I would like to read and of course books. Do you find the image quality of the pdfs to be better than the LRFs? I keep going back and forth from the Kindle to the Sony. I can read both Manga and books on either, but putting the Manga on the Kindle seems to be a bit more work.

02-24-2009, 05:13 PM	#13
sealbeater Banned Posts: 666 Karma: 1752814 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-505 : Onyx Boox Max : Sony PRS-900 : Onyx Kepler Pro	I do, I find the lrfs to be a bit "fuzzy", but I only use the pdfs for manga, (I'm not sure what the difference is in your use of manga vs comics). Look for the script on the forums it'll save you a lot of time, it does a lot of image manipulation and sharping and whatnot and if nothing else, you can get the dimensions that you need if you are going to do it yourself. The author is helpful as well.

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02-25-2009, 10:00 AM	#14
Drewmangroup Member Posts: 21 Karma: 16 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: sony prs-505	I couldn't find this script you are talking about. I searched for those words and nothing, maybe it was renamed? I am going to try the LRFs on either a demo unit or if my friend gets one before me.