Looking for a Local TTS speaker

[Keo]

I have been using Echo speaks for a while now, but recently my ISP has been having problems which has resulted in missed notifications for my kids. Are there any speakers that hook up easily to Hubitat, you all recommend?

Thanks for your help.

[rlithgow1]

Sonos or Google speaker (it uses chromecast which is local) I have a few chromecast speakers for sale if you want them.....

Google speakers for sale

I'm selling off my google and chrome cast speakers for the cheap. If anyone is interested. All speakers work with Google Home, including groups, as well as Hubitat chromecast integration. These are large speakers with really good bass too. Great for TTS 1 Google nest audio, Color Sage. $65.00 [image] 3 Vizio Crave 360's (they are also portable, battery lasts 9 hours) Really good sound. Chromecast or Bluetooth. $50.00 each [image] 1 LG Music Flow H7 w/ chromecast $50.00 [image]

[aaiyar]

@rlithgow1

Sonos or Google speaker

@Keo - bear in mind that any TTS from Hubitat needs internet access.

Hubitat uses Amazon Polly to encode text into speech that is then played locally on Sonos speakers (and I think Chromecast works the same way).

[rlithgow1]

Chromcast is local...

[aaiyar]

How is the encoding done?

[vitaliy_kh]

@aaiyar

@Keo - bear in mind that any TTS from Hubitat needs internet access.

Only 1st time.
Then created MP3 files become local unless announcement is using variable.

[aaiyar]

@vitaliy_kh

Only 1st time.

Correct. But most of my TTS announcements have a variable.

Eg. “Mail was delivered at %time%”

[Keo]

@aaiyar

Correct. But most of my TTS announcements have a variable.

Eg. “Mail was delivered at %time%”

Yeah. Most of mine announce the time as well. So it sounds like even if I switch I will still be dependent on the internet.

[rlithgow1]

@gopher.ny does the chromcast integration once set up use internet for announcements or only for the initial announcement?

[gopher.ny]

@rlithgow1

does the chromecast integration once set up use internet for announcements

Yes, it needs AWS to convert text to speech.

[rlithgow1]

My bad, thought it was all local

[aaiyar]

MyCroft/PiCroft has a built-in TTS engine. If I can get a Pi, I'm going to mess around with it. There's a Hubitat integration now. It's fully local for everything - voice control and TTS.

[jtmpush18]

One specific point.
There is a real difference between voice notification and voice control. In order to do local voice notification, you don't need the picroft approach, and there are drivers written to get TTS out of a local attached speaker.
However, to get local voice control work, there appear to be only 2 alternatives: picroft and rhasspy.
I personally will be working on a picroft approach in around a month's time, and at present I have no personal experience.

[aaiyar]

@jtmpush18

there are drivers written to get TTS out of a local attached speaker.

Which ones? Hubitat relies on the Amazon Polly engine to generate TTS that can be played locally on Sonos and Chromecast speakers.

While PiCroft has a built in engine.

[jtmpush18]

There is the one written for the multi room Samsung speakers:

[Release] Samsung Multiroom WiFi Audio

As far as I recall, this is the normal behavior for these speakers in general. You can EITHER have a speaker in a group, and use the group, OR, you can use a speaker as a standalone (BUT it cannot be in a group when you do that). If you are trying to broadcast to a group, you HAVE to use the main speaker that the group was created from. This was how it worked in ST as well. I think it is a limitation of the speakers/samsung multi-room platform.

There is also VLC thing:

Again with VLC Thing and Hubitat

Hi all... I'm here trying to play an specific track on VLC running on a Windows 10 PC but so far no luck. Let me explain: I had been a week reading several times the article " Porting VLCthing" and others as well but in any my doubt is fully explained. I got connection with VLC using port 8080 (for me is ok) and I can Play the last track, go to Next track, and others simple actions from the created Device using the driver published on this community but I can't figure out how to play an spe…

There is also Media renderer and dlna player

[Keo]

I don't really care for Local voice control

[rlithgow1]

Right but it will allow for local tts

[Keo]

@rlithgow1

Right but it will allow for local tts

Sorry. That was I was trying to imply

[rwclements228]

I m currently using an Aeotec Gen 5 doorbell/siren, for custom voice messages. It is an Z-wave device that works locally. However, it does not use TTS. You have to produce the message files either by recording the message in your own voice, or using a program like Zabaware Reader to convert Text to speech and then save the file.

Since the Aeotec Gen 5 is no longer available commercially and the Gen 6 device no longer supports customer message files, it is not a viable an option as it once was. There is another member on the forum who has a Gen 5 for sale.

I just ordered an Ecolink ISZW7-ECO chime + siren that allows you to store custom audio file on an SD card, Like the Aeotec Gen 5, you have to create the custom files yourself, although some default sounds are included. That would allow you to keep your alerts local.

[Keo]

@rwclements228

I m currently using an Aeotec Gen 5 doorbell/siren, for custom voice messages. It is an Z-wave device that works locally. However, it does not use TTS. You have to produce the message files either by recording the message in your own voice, or using a program like Zabaware Reader to convert Text to speech and then save the file.

I like this solution, but I was hoping to push things via code to the speaker. I will definitely remember this as a backup!