CZUR ET24 Pro Smart Book Scanner Review

I’d never been excited by a scanner until I got my hands on the CZUR ET24 Pro Smart Book Scanner ($649.00). Trust me, by the end of this review, you’ll share my enthusiasm. This versatile device truly deserves to be called “smart,” a term that can’t be easily applied to your traditional flatbed scanners, especially those that come as an add-on to all-in-one printers.

Let’s break down what makes this scanner stand out and why you may want to consider adding it to your shopping list as one of CZUR’s best Black Friday deals, where you can save up to 50 percent off.

This is a sponsored article and was made possible by CZUR. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author, who maintains editorial independence, even when a post is sponsored.

Overview of Features

What sets the CZUR ET24 Pro Smart Book Scanner apart from traditional scanners is its overhead design. As opposed to traditional flatbed scanners, the overhead design ensures quicker, more efficient scanning, without any physical contact with the page. This eliminates the typical wear and stress associated with scanning delicate or bound materials.

The no-contact nature of this scanner is further amplified by its patented Curve Flattening Technology. Enabled by a calibrated laser sensor, this technology automatically adjusts for the 3-dimensional shape and angle of the book pages. The result is a flat, distortion-free digital image that negates the need to press down on the book being scanned – a particularly advantageous feature for those working with archival or rare texts.

Besides automatic curve flattening, the CZUR ET24 Pro is also armed with a slew of automated features that make your scanning experience practically effortless: the scanner can automatically detect the position of the materials you’re scanning and correct their orientation, recognize and remove fingers from the final images, capture images of both the left and right pages of a book, and save them as separate files.

All these smart features are made possible by the scanner’s dual-core openrisc 32-bit processor. Thanks to its impressive performance, it’s theoretically possible to complete a scan in as little as 1.5 seconds per page, with Page Turning Detection and Auto-Scanning features enabled.

Thanks to a built-in microphone, HD camera, and continuous LED lights, the scanner can be turned into a visual presenter, allowing users to share content directly with their computer or overhead projector – ideal for business presentations and educational settings. In fact, the CZUR ET24 Pro could easily find a home in the arsenal of teachers looking to enrich their instructional methods or YouTubers in need of a versatile tool for crafting detailed explainer videos.

While the CZUR ET24 Pro isn’t particularly large (it measures 362.45 x 351.5 x 149.30 mm) for a scanner that can handle documents up to A3 size, it’s still fantastic that its utility extends beyond traditional scanning tasks. This makes it less likely to spend most of its time just taking up space.

Unboxed

Unpacking the CZUR ET24 Pro using the included branded plastic package opener is like digging into a treasure chest filled with nifty tools and thoughtful add-ons. The scanner ships extremely well-packaged in a hinged polystyrene box that keeps it in perfect condition until it arrives at your doorstep.

Inside, the box contains much more than just the scanner itself. There’s a USB cable for connectivity and a 9V power supply with US, UK, and EU plug adapters that allow you to effortlessly use the scanner, even when traveling internationally.

To make the scanning process more efficient, CZUR includes both a hand button and a foot pedal, giving you multiple options for triggering scans without having to reach for the scanner itself. This is especially convenient when you’re dealing with larger or more cumbersome materials that require both hands for positioning.

Speaking of positioning, the package also includes specialized finger cots, with alignment marks printed on them. These marks help the scanner’s software identify and remove the cots from the final image.

For those who encounter the challenge of scanning glossy magazines or photographs, the package includes a side light designed to minimize glare and reflections, by illuminating the scanned material at an angle so that the light bounces off, away from the scanner’s sensor.

Last but not least, a CD containing essential software is included to help you get started. You’ll also find a getting started guide and detailed instructions that walk you through the setup process and offer tips on how to make the most of your new scanner.

Getting Set Up

Setting up the CZUR ET24 Pro Smart Book Scanner turned out to be a breeze, though not without its small quirks. After swapping out the US prongs on the adapter plug for the EU ones, it was time to power up. I was slightly set back by the shorter-than-expected power cable, so an extension cord had to solve the issue.

I rolled out the black scanning mat and centered it under the scanner, which was an easy thing to do, thanks to a clever little cutout in the mat, designed just for this. It’s little details like this that make all the difference in user experience.

Again, the provided USB data cable was a tad too short for my setup. Thankfully, I had a USB extension lying around. Distance between the scanner and computer does matter. The final piece of the puzzle was the remote control button, which connects via USB. Unfortunately, there’s only one USB port on the scanner, so it’s not possible to have both the remote control button and the foot pedal connected at the same time.

To install the brains of the operation, the CZUR Scanner software tool, I had to track down the software online. It was easy, thanks to the step-by-step instructions in the pamphlet.

However, upon launching the tool, I was prompted to enter a serial code. I had a heads-up about this and knew exactly where to find the code. (Pro tip: it’s at the bottom of the scanner.) Without this foreknowledge, I imagine some users could find themselves scratching their heads at this point, as neither the software nor the instructions make a note of the code’s location.

Once the code was in, the software sprang to life, and I was ready to start scanning.

Using CZUR ET24 Pro

The CZUR Scanner software tool has a clean and intuitive interface, with a layout that doesn’t require a manual to navigate: batch processing and export options to my left, a generous preview area front and center, and a neat list of scanned files to the right.

Diving into my first scan, I hit the prominent Scan button in the bottom-right corner. The software displayed a live preview of my document, along with available color modes (auto-enhance, color, black and white, grayscale, and others) and processing choices for every kind of document (flat single page, facing pages, combine sides, manual selection, no processing). Additionally, a slider at the bottom allowed me to tweak the exposure to my liking.

To actually save my scan, it was as easy as pressing that same Scan button. No fussing over perfect alignment; the software recognized and cropped the scanned document just fine without any help from me. But let’s be honest, scanning a lone document is child’s play. That’s why I grabbed a book, selected Facing Pages mode, and activated the Auto Scan feature.

My job was simply to flip the pages – the scanner caught each new page as soon as my hands ducked out of the frame. In about ten minutes, I had a digital twin of the book. To up the ante further, I grabbed a glossy children’s book, whose reflective material bounced the light from the projector’s top LEDs right back at the sensor, creating a nasty glare.

To combat the glare, I installed the optional side lights (which instantly snap on, thanks to a magnetic connector), and turned off the top lights. This instantly eliminated the glare and allowed me to maintain the vibrancy of the illustrations.

Curious about the OCR capabilities, I instructed the software to turn a rather complicated book page into a Word document. (You can also use it to extract text from images.) Since English was supported by the software right out of the box, the software instantly delivered a Word document that remarkably preserved the original layout and demonstrated excellent accuracy. More than 180 other languages are also supported. Do note that if you are using the Arabic language, it requires a software download.

I made sure to also test how the CZUR ET24 Pro does when used in Presenter Mode, which outputs what the scanner sees on your display or to an external device (such as an overhead projector or TV) with an HDMI cable.

I found this mode to be just as well-thought-out as the rest of the scanner, with no perceptible delay between my movements and their representation on the screen and built-in annotation tools. I can really see how educators or YouTubers would find this feature invaluable for their work – whether it’s for demonstrating how to solve a math problem, showing detailed illustrations, or conducting a live unboxing.

Final Thoughts

The CZUR ET24 Pro Smart Book Scanner impresses with its blend of advanced features and user-friendly design. It’s a robust tool that delivers on its promises of speed, convenience, and quality. The Curve Flattening Technology is a boon for anyone working with bound materials, and the versatility of both scanning and presentation modes opens up a wealth of possibilities for various use cases.

Its minor quirks, such as the short cables and the inability to keep both the remote button and the foot pedal connected at the same time, far outweighed its overall performance and utility.