In what format to download e-books and how to convert them. Video formats supported by android Which book format is best for android

Electronic books (readers, readers) have long become familiar devices for a wide range of users. Their advantages: the availability of content (you can download the necessary book from the Internet in a matter of minutes), the E-ink screen that does not spoil your eyesight, the ability to have a collection of thousands of books in the reader, long work on a single charge, font type and size settings. Not so long ago, e-books with a backlit screen appeared - they allow you to read in complete darkness. In general, the advantages of readers can be listed for a very long time.

However, when getting acquainted with readers, users often have one problem. People who decide to purchase a reader for the first time, when faced with the concept of "e-book formats", often do not understand what it is about. The problem is especially relevant for beginners, to whom the abbreviations "FB2", "EPUB" or "MOBI" mean absolutely nothing.

So-called formats are various types of electronic text files that are supported (played) by one or another. Internet digital libraries often offer a wide range of file types: FB2, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, DOC, RTF, TXT and others. The choice is wide, and this poses certain problems for beginners. We will describe the main formats of e-books, tell you how they differ from each other, which readers are supported, and which format is better to choose if you have a multi-format reader that reads all formats.

Varieties of formats

1. FB2 (FictionBook)- an e-book format that was created by a group of Russian developers. Books in this file type have a structured look (that is, they contain a chapter breakdown, content, illustrations, cover). In addition, this standard stores information about the file (the so-called tags: author, title, genre), which is read by the reader and allows the user to conveniently sort files on the device. This type of file takes up a small amount, can be archived, and it also converts well to other formats. Of the features: in view of the fact that the format was originally developed for Cyrillic, texts in Russian in FB2 have word hyphenation.

The format was originally designed for Russian users, and it is practically not used abroad. That is why FB2 is not supported by the world's popular manufacturers of readers - Amazon and Barnes & Noble. But this is the main file format for readers popular in Russia from Pocketbook, Onyx and Wexler. In addition, Sony readers now support FB2 - after entering the Russian market, the company has developed an official firmware for the reader, which allows you to read books in FB2.

2. EPUB (Electronic Publication)- the world's most popular electronic format for readers. Barnes & Noble and Sony readers work with it. In terms of layout structure, this type of file resembles an archived web page containing text, graphics, embedded fonts, and illustrations.

In addition to Western brands, the EPUB format is supported by models of manufacturers focused on the Russian market (Pocketbook, Onyx, Wexler) due to the rapid growth in popularity in our country. In addition, this e-book standard is used by the iPhone and. Apple's proprietary iBooks reader supports exactly EPUB.

3. MOBI- format of e-book readers. It is gaining distribution in Russian online libraries as the Kindle becomes more and more popular in Russia. Other readers have support for this format "for show". MOBI is similar in properties to EPUB. Amazon recently introduced another e-text format, Kindle Format 8 or KF8 (which features richer formatting), with the clarification that new and old Amazon readers will not stop supporting MOBI.

4. TXT- the format of simple text documents. You can convert text from another format to TXT with a simple "copy-paste" action. Despite the fact that this type of file is supported by almost all readers and takes up very little memory space, we would not recommend reading books on readers in it. TXT lacks formatting, markup, hyphenation, alignment. It is suitable for short text notes, but not for full-fledged e-books.

5. PDF (Portable Document Format) is an electronic document format created by Adobe Systems. Inconvenient for use on readers for a number of reasons. Firstly, the files in this format are very bulky, as they are designed for the power of a computer, and they open quite slowly on readers. Secondly, if the file is not specially designed for the screen of a 6-inch reader, which has a format similar to an A6 paper sheet, then it will be very difficult to read A4 PDF on it (and most PDF files are presented exactly in the size of a standard paper sheet). In PDF, you can only increase the scale, but not the font size, which means that only some part of the page will fit on the screen. You will have to read the pages in parts, and this is very inconvenient.

Suitable for reading PDF, the screen size of which allows you to reproduce the page on a scale large enough for comfortable reading.

6. DJVU- a format developed for storing scanned documents - books, articles, manuscripts. A book in DJVU is actually a collection of scanned pages. In terms of reading comfort on 6-inch readers, everything is similar to the story with PDF. You will not increase the font size, only the scale. When zooming, the page will crawl out of the screen, and you will have to constantly move the area of ​​​​enlarged text to read - there is no need to talk about comfortable reading. To read DJVU, choose readers with a 9-inch screen. However, even on 9-inch readers, DJVU's convenient reading capabilities depend on how well the book presented in this format is scanned.

7. LRF- in the past, the proprietary format of Sony readers. On new models (starting with PRS-T1) it is no longer used, as it has given way to EPUB. Very badly converted to other file types. Despite the fact that it is still presented in some libraries, it is recommended to use it exclusively for owners of older Sony models.

8. RTF (Rich Text Format)- a format for storing text documents. Belongs to the category of "computer", not "book". It is not very convenient to read in RTF on readers - these are large files, and the speed of the reader is reduced by an order of magnitude.

9. DOC(as well as DOCX) - Microsoft Office text documents. These formats are supported by a lot of readers, but it is for reading documents, not books. Large files in this format can be large in size, and it is not easy to work with them on readers. Multipage books in DOC are best converted to FB2 or EPUB.

We have listed the main formats of e-books. We will not consider quite exotic types of files that are sometimes found on the Internet, but rather we will decide in which of the above formats it is most convenient to read books on electronic readers.

Which e-book format to choose

If you have a reader with support for all formats, then you can opt for a specific file type based on a number of factors. Let's say you're buying your first e-book and you don't have a pre-built collection of books, such as in FB2. In this case, choose the file format that is best played by your reader. Traditional "book" formats EPUB or FB2 for the reader (and for the user) are more preferable and convenient than "computer" PDF, TXT, DOC, DOCX and RTF.

In the case of 9-inch readers and the need to read DJVU and PDF, other things being equal, we advise you to prefer the latter, since PDF is a more modern format, and books in DJVU are often of poor quality.

From the point of view of ease of use, the advantages of "book" formats are obvious: EPUB, FB2 or MOBI visually look better in the menu of your reader (book covers are displayed), they are more convenient to sort (there are tags: author, title, genre), they take up much less memory places and the speed of the reader with such formats will be significantly higher.

Do you need support for all formats

In our opinion, it is not necessary to choose an all-format reader. Many users who have readers with support for all formats download books in one or two file types. All readers (including multi-format ones), one way or another, have a basic format, and in the end you will not exchange for others. For Pocketbook, Onyx and Wexler the main formats are FB2 or EPUB, for Barnes & Noble () and Sony - EPUB, for Kindle - MOBI.

In the case of Amazon and Barnes & Noble readers, if the desired book is in a format that these readers do not support, you can use a converter (for example, Caliber). This is a program that is installed on a computer and allows you to convert the same FB2 to MOBI or EPUB in a matter of minutes.

Reading books in the reader's native format is better than using additional programs installed on the reader. Our advice: take a few minutes to convert a book, for example, from RTF to EPUB using the Caliber converter. This is more convenient than reading it "in the original" using an additionally installed program (on Sony PRS-T1 or Kindle) or encountering slower device operation (for example, on Pocketbook readers).

Remember that the main thing is the convenience of using an e-book, and not the number of formats declared in its parameters.

Enjoy reading!

The popularity of paper books is gradually declining. This is not due to the fact that modern people began to read less. It’s just that paper editions are quite expensive, and besides, you need to allocate a separate place in the house for their storage.

Another thing is e-books. They can be downloaded to any electronic device, such as a computer, smartphone, reader, tablet. They do not take up much space, so you can literally create a library of your favorite books on your phone.

E-book formats are different. It is important to know which one is right for your gadget. And in what format it is better to download books for a particular device, we will analyze in this article.

e-book formats for readers

Readers are special devices for reading electronic books. They are convenient, portable, and a special screen will not let your eyes get tired even during long reading. These devices are both convenient and safe. In one place, you can create a huge library.

Let's look at some types of readers:

• choice of book format for kindle small, since the Amazon manufacturer itself (Amazon) created its own e-book format for its reader. But Kindle reads fine and txt;
• reader paper white- This is also a gadget from the manufacturer Amazon. Accordingly, the format will fit txt;
• formats for e-books PocketBook Literally any fit. It reads epub, rtf, txt, fb2 perfectly.

iBooks is a program for Apple gadgets. The choice of book formats for iBooks does not please with variety. iBooks only reads epub.

Phone e-book formats

Today, almost no one uses ordinary phones with buttons, mostly they are convenient and multifunctional smartphones, the capabilities of which are literally equated to computers.

• android. In what format do you need to download books on Android? We advise you to choose the fb2 format, as it is suitable for any program. But there is another suitable one - txt;
• iOS. Which book format for iPhone is a priority? iPhone supports epub format. In some cases, fb2 will do just fine.

In what format can I download the book to my computer?

On PC and laptop, email formats books are reproduced differently. Txt, for example, is not very convenient due to its type of text. You still have to find an application for playing books and choose the format for it.

What format of e-books does Windows XP read? fb2 will do the job just fine, but others will do the job. Again, depending on which reading program you choose.

If you are the owner of a MacBook, then everything is simple here - the format is the same as for other Apple devices, that is, epub.

e-book formats for tablets

A tablet is a convenient and multifunctional gadget. It is more powerful and larger than a phone, and therefore it has more possibilities. In addition, reading books on the big screen is even more convenient. But it is smaller than a computer or laptop, so you can carry it everywhere with you.

To answer the question in what format to download books to a tablet, again, you need to know what OS it is on. If this is Android, then, as in the case of a phone, two file options will do - fb2 and txt.

The choice of book format for iPad is small due to the specifics of the OS. For an iPad, epub is the best option. It is versatile and practical.

Reading literature not in the traditional paper form is possible both with smartphones and e-book readers specially designed for this purpose. Modern devices are equipped with a special E-ink screen that does not damage your eyesight. In addition, such gadgets allow you to have a whole library at hand, regularly and quickly replenish it. The main difficulty when choosing a reader or downloading a book to a smartphone can be its format - the type of electronic file with text that is played or not played by a certain device. In order to easily download and comfortably read electronic literature, you need to have an idea of ​​​​at least the main types of text files and know which ones are right for your device.

Format types

• TXT is the most common text document, which is also called a notepad. Such books take up little space, and TXT itself is supported by most readers and smartphones. However, it is better to use it only for reading small works or documents, any notes.
• FB2 is a format that saves information about a work (author, genre, title). This makes it possible to create a directory on the reader. Takes up little space, easily converts to other formats. The main convenience for a user who reads literature in FB2 is that books with this extension look structured. They contain a cover, images, table of contents, have a breakdown into sections. Since this file type was originally created for Cyrillic, Russian-language texts in it contain word hyphenation.

Attention! Books and documents in FB2 do not open on readers manufactured by Amazon and Barnes & Noble, since this format is mostly not common abroad.

• EPUB is perhaps the most common extension for e-book texts. The structure is similar to an archived web page that contains not only text, but also graphics, images, embedded fonts. Supported by domestic and foreign manufacturers of readers. The same format is suitable for playback on iPhone and iPad.
• PDF is a format more designed for computers and laptops, since files with this extension weigh quite a lot and open slowly on readers. In addition, most often such pages in electronic "readers" are displayed in parts. 9-inch readers are designed to play PDF format. Available for study on iPhone and Android.

• DOC and DOCX are the files recommended for business documentation if they are reproduced with the help of an e-book. Working with them on a computer or laptop does not cause inconvenience, but reading long texts on a reader can be uncomfortable, since the files are large.

Advice. Books with a large number of pages downloaded in DOC and DOCX should be converted to FB2 or EPUB.

• DJVU is a format created for storing scanned documents: books, articles, handwritten notes. If we talk about how comfortable it is to read in it, then everything here coincides with PDF. You can no longer make a font, but only a page. Therefore, when studying a document, you have to move the enlarged text all the time. Readers with a 9-inch screen are suitable for DJVU playback, but a lot here depends on the quality of the scan.
• LRF is a format that was considered proprietary for Sony's "readers". It is not used on modern readers, since it was replaced by EPUB. It is rather poorly converted to other types of files.
• RTF is another format for storing documentation, which is convenient to work with on a computer, and not on a reader. Such files are large, which reduces the speed of their reading.
• MOBI is a type of electronic file for Amazon Kindle devices. The characteristics are similar to EPUB.

Attention! Amazon's new e-reader models also accept Kindle Format 8 or KF8 while still supporting MOBI.

Tips for choosing formats for iPhone, Android, reader

• iBooks - supports EPUB as well as PDF;
• Bookmate - allows you to download books with the extension EPUB and FB2;
• Aychitalka - downloads FB2 files. The application is optimally adapted for iOS 7, but it also fits very well for earlier models.

Smartphone reader: video

Almost all the people who ask me for advice on choosing one or another reading device ask questions about e-book formats - which is better and why. In this article, I will answer these questions in great detail; I will consider both formats for reading fiction, and formats for reading technical, scientific and educational literature.

Fiction

There are the following formats in which you can find fiction on the Internet: TXT, RTF, FB2, EPUB, MOBI, DOC, PDF, DJVU. I must say right away that it is better to buy / download books in EPUB, FB2 or MOBI. It is these formats that are most suitable for reading fiction.

PDF and DJVU formats are too heavy and inconvenient; often the text in them is actually a picture, that is, only the entire page can be scaled, but not the font size itself. On reading devices (readers), books in PDF and DJVU are sometimes not displayed very well: letters can be very small; text is hard to read.

The TXT and RTF formats are devoid of such shortcomings, but they have other disadvantages: the text in TXT cannot be formatted at all, that is, headings, epigraphs, quotes will not stand out in any way; moreover, covers, pictures and tables are not supported in TXT. This is a very poor, simple format. In RTF, of course, formatting options are richer, but even here there are shortcomings: automatically collected tables of contents and footnotes are not supported. In addition, RTF files are usually quite large, and some readers do not always display them correctly.

The DOC format (and its variant DOCX) is great for complex documents, but it is not suitable for fiction: it is too cumbersome, complicated; DOC documents often display differently on different devices.

It is quite another thing - a trio of specialized formats, sharpened specifically for fiction: EPUB, MOBI, FB2 (and its variant FB2.ZIP). These formats are based on the so-called "floating layout", which allows you to change the size, typeface, line spacing and margin width. At the same time, these formats support pictures, tables, an auto-assembled table of contents, footnotes, and many other things. Reading books in FB2/FB2.ZIP, EPUB, MOBI is really pleasant and comfortable.

Of course, there are certain differences between these formats, but for beginners they are not significant. Although it is worth noting that on the Russian-language Internet there are most books in FB2, in EPUB - already less, and in MOBI - even less.

The final choice of format also depends on your reader: with some format it may work better, with some worse. This is where you need to experiment. In addition, there are devices that support only one of the three formats. For example, the Amazon Kindle only reads MOBI, and the B&N Nook only reads EPUB.

You can read more about the FB2 format, about EPUB -, about MOBI -.

Scientific, technical and educational literature

Everything is more complicated here: this kind of literature is usually distributed in PDF, DJVU, DOC (DOCX) formats, each of which, as I noted earlier, has certain drawbacks. Sometimes it is still complicated by the fact that some books are available in only one format, and sometimes only in one version.

The DOC format, in principle, is not so bad - in comparison with PDF / DJVU. Reading books on a computer is more or less comfortable. Things are worse with reading devices: some readers display it almost like bare text, excluding a number of illustrations, tables, formulas, and so on. Others display more like a picture: design elements are shown, but you cannot change the font size and typeface, which sometimes turns into a disaster on a small screen.

PDF. There are three variants of this format: text, graphic ("picture") and graphic ("picture") with an OCR layer. The first option is the most preferred: it can contain all formatting elements, and the text remains scalable. In the case of an image PDF, the text is just a picture that can only be enlarged in its entirety; font size cannot be changed. Graphical PDFs are therefore very difficult to read on devices with small screens.

Sometimes an OCR layer is overlaid on the pages of image PDFs using text recognition software. In a PDF book with an OCR layer, you can search, use a dictionary. This is a good option. But, again, not all reading devices “see” this OCR layer. And it does not allow you to increase the font size. Therefore, the OCR layer is often useless.

The DJVU format generally resembles a graphical PDF: it's usually just a collection of scans or photos from a paper book. The quality of these scans/photos can be just terrible, or it can be quite decent. Sometimes an OCR layer is superimposed on scans / photos using a text recognition program. In a DJVU book with an OCR layer, you can search, use a dictionary. This is a good option. But, again, not all reading devices “see” this OCR layer, and it will not allow increasing the font size. Therefore, often the OCR layer is practically useless.

To summarize: the most preferred format for reading scientific / technical / educational literature is text PDF, I would put DOC in second place, graphic PDF and DJVU with an OCR layer in third. The last place is occupied by image PDFs and DJVUs without an OCR layer.

Documents, spreadsheets and presentations

Most of the documents, spreadsheets and presentations are distributed in MS Office formats: DOC/DOCX, XLS/XLSX, PPT/PPTX. These formats are very functional, but, unfortunately, rather "cumbersome" and very "closed" (in other words, it is rather difficult for third-party developers to create a program for reading files in these formats). Therefore, some devices do not support them. You have to convert documents to PDF.

Converting a document / table / presentation to PDF is very easy: any decent text / spreadsheet editor can do it. In addition, you can use some kind of converter: you can find a list of them.

If the document is simple, and the main thing in it is text, then it is better to convert it not to PDF, but to FB2 - so it will be read on the reader with great comfort. See the list of relevant converters.

Enjoy reading!

The iPhone and iPad have become so big that you can comfortably read books on them. We know that Apple does everything with a twist, so the question arises about the format of books and in what is the best way to download.

If you are asking this question, then you are probably interested in the format for a program such as iBooks. Let's talk about this program and touch on others a little.

So, on almost any iPhone now you can find a pre-installed program called iBooks. If you don't have it, download it from the App Store - it's completely free.

Of course, you can buy books, but you can also download from your computer or simply download from any website.

iBooks supports the following digital book formats:

• .epub

If you download files with this extension to your device, then you can easily open and read it in the iBooks program.

This application was developed by Apple itself, so everything is just excellent and there are more than enough functions on it. Changing fonts, saving the last reading place and other functions are present here.

ePUB - what is this format?

If everything is clear with the PDF format, because we meet with it quite often in life, then what is the .epub format and what are its features in general.


Naturally, this format was created for digital books and in fact, it is not the easiest solution today.

In fact, this file is a website that is completely built on a platform such as HTML 5. The essence of the file is that it is an archive with a whole set of folders with files.

A significant disadvantage is the number of supported platforms that are generally capable of opening this format with high quality - Android and iBooks.

conclusions

In general, reading on iOS devices, regardless of the format of the book, is very comfortable today and deserves a rating of 5 out of 5. I often use this application myself and have no complaints at all.

If you want to use other apps for reading books on your iPhone or iPad, then just look at the format type right in the app description before or after downloading it.