SEATTLE - During the past month, RealNetworks has hyped its new Helix Platform that is said to deliver multiple streaming media formats from a server to a client, including the competing Windows Media and QuickTime file types.
Last week, the company released another piece of the puzzle with Version 2 of its RealOne media player, which can play up to 50 different audio and video types, including DVDs, with the premium edition of the software. RealNetworks is dubbing the new version of the player "the world's first universal media player." What the company did not mention during the launch is that to play Windows Media or QuickTime content, users must have the respective media player software, Windows Media Player 6.0 or QuickTime 4.0, installed on their systems.
"The universal player is for a person who has multiple players installed already," says Kimberly Pepper, a RealNetworks spokeswoman. Pepper says the benefit of the player is that a user can play a Windows Media file in the RealOne player window without having to close it down and open Windows Media Player separately. For corporate IT shops, this means they still must ensure all three major media players are installed on each desktop for users to view content encoded in any format.
Version 2 of the RealOne player features TurboPlay, the ability to play back live content almost instantly, without having to wait for a buffer to fill before starting. The new release also features enhanced CD and MP3 burning at speeds up to 52 times real-time and DVD playback from the desktop.
RealOne Version 2 is available for download from Real.com. The Plus version costs $20 and a stripped down version is free. n/p>
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