Hand Scanner Recommendations?

[romad]

I'm just starting to use the CD & DVD applications so I was looking through the Help files. BTW, any way to save them as PDFs? Anyway I saw that you can use handheld scanners so I was wondering if there are some models recommended and which connection works the best. The last time I researched scanners was wayback in the late 90s/early 00s when the library I worked at was automating. I don't remember the brand we chose though.

[romad]

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

[DanThe]

Just for clarification, are looking for a barcode scanner or a document scanner?

For scanning letter or legal size documents, any scanner with a document feeder that does double-sided scanning and any app that supports optical character recognition (OCR ) will do fine. Most printer companies offer multifunction devices that will print, scan and copy.

Many smartphones have apps that will scan documents such as Microsoft Lens. The newly released iOS 15 has OCR built into the OS so any text in a photo or via the camera is recognized.

For odd sized documents such as receipts, Fujitsu and Epson have specialty scanners for those.

For scanning barcodes, the Bruji apps support using web cams. I also use an Opticon OPR-3201 USB barcode scanner I purchased many, many years ago which is seen by the OS as a keyboard device.

I hope I did not miss what you were asking for and that this answers your question.

[romad]

For some reason I'm not being notified when a reply is posted so I apologize for the late response.

Yes, barcode scanners. I'll look into the Opticon model.

[DanThe]

As I mention, I had purchased the Opticon a long time ago. I did some digging and it was purchased in October of 2009. So I am not sure if that model would still be available. There might be a replacement model or equivalent from another company.

[romad]

There are both that version and an updated OPR-3201Z on their website. BTW, what is the simplest USB wired scanner spec that will work with the software?

[DanThe]

Don't want to be picky here but your question leaves out specifics and I do not want to assume these before giving an answer. But here goes anyway.

For the simplest USB wired scanner spec, if this is about a barcode scanner, then it is treated as a wired keyboard since it translates the barcode into text. The only important specs would be the number of Symbologies (barcode types) that it supports.

The datasheet for mine lists the following Symbologies:

1D:JAN/UPC/EAN (WPC incl. add-on), Chinese Post, Codabar/NW-7, Code 11, Code 39, Code 93, Code 128, IATA, Industrial 2of5, Interleaved 2of5, ISBN-ISMN-ISSN, Korean Postal Authority code, Matrix 2of5, MSI/Plessey-UK/ Plessey, RSS, S-Code, Telepen, Tri-Optic, Composite Codes
2D: MicroPDF417, PDF417

My model does not support QR codes in case you need that as well.

The easiest barcode scanner to find is a simple webcam since all the Bruji Pedia apps support using a webcam to scan barcodes. When I bought my barcode scanner, software back then did not yet have the feature to use a camera as a scanner.

For QR codes most smartphones cameras can now recognized QR codes (as well as barcodes).

Now 2/3rds of the time, I use my webcam or smartphone camera for scanning. For the other third, it's the USB wired barcode scanner.

The "how to" for using a webcam or scanner is also covered in the "Adding entries" section of the Bruji app Help files.

That's it unless I made a bad assumption about the question.

[romad]

I just ordered a cheap 1D one from Amazon that is supposed to work on MacOS. Since I have CDs, LDs, & DVDs, I don't know exactly what type of 1D barcodes existed when each format was introduced (LD in 1978, CD in 1982, DVD in 1996) plus I have LPs going back to the introduction of barcodes in 1974. I'm just trying to see if I can escape manual entry of the hundreds of LPs, 45s, LDs, CDs, & DVDs (and the few VHS tapes that were never rereleased on DVD). Of course the pre-1974 LPs/45s will require manual entry as will the 78rpm Shellacs.

[rverhoog]

I just bought a great scanner at Amazon. Its the Netum 1D wireless. Works great without errors. I have added hundreds of CDs in just a few hours.
Works with a USB dongle and cost just 25,99 euro..

Ronald

[HaringKoning]

Bought a Netum handscanner for just 15 euro at Aliexpress. Works perfect! No drivers, additional software or adjustment within Dvdpedia necessary, just plugged it into a USB port. Now I need to find out which of the sources has the best results. I'm Dutch, so we should pick our own Bol.com, but this online store doesn't have much of the import titles. Any recommendations?