Re: OfB.biz: Real Networks Announces New Media Player Project

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On Wednesday 06 August 2003 05:20 pm, Daniel Cassidy wrote:
> On Wednesday 06 August 2003 7:41 pm, Neil Stevens wrote:
> > On Wednesday August 06, 2003 10:39, Timothy R. Butler wrote:
> > > Real Networks, the developer of the Real ONE player and popular Real
> > > Audio and Real Media formats, announced today plans to create a
> > > "comprehensive" Free Software media player. The player will help to end
> > > GNU/Linux's long time lagging behind Windows and Macintosh streaming
> > > media players.
> > >
> > >     http://www.ofb.biz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=256
> >
> > Lagging how?
>
> That's what I wondered.
>
> Unless you don't count some of MPlayer's codecs because they are
> 'non-free', or because they are Windows DLLs.

  Indeed, I don't count MPlayer at all. It's an absolute pain to use and 
certainly not something for your average end-user. Windows DLL's are 
impractical, especially if you don't have a Windows box. Even if they were 
pratical, it is somewhat of a hack compared to a native solution.

  Something like an Free Software RealONE will fulfill the need for a more 
modern streaming utility (RealPlayer 7 patched to support 8.0 codecs patched 
to support 9.0 codecs is so outdated). It will also provide the all-in-one 
interface people are now use to, similar to what JuK does.

  Anyway, consider someone says, "hey I just got a new PC preloaded with 
YourFavoriteDistro 10.0... how do I watch streaming video from my favorite 
news site?" 

"Well... you could download RealPlayer 8 and then go grab the 9.0 codecs and 
you'll get something that supports some (but not all) of recent RealMedia." 

"I want to see everything I saw with RealONE on my Mac."

"Uh, okay, you need to install RealONE for Windows somewhere and grab the 
DLL's."

"DLL's?"

"Yeah, there these libraries you need. Burn 'em to a CD and copying them 
over... then you can setup MPlayer to use them."

"How do I burn a CD?"

[...two hours later...]

"Okay, now type [amazingly long parameters to get MPlayer to provide a nice 
skin and full speaker support and whatever else] and you'll get to see that 
file."

"I think the site closed down."

Now, beyond my characture here, consider this: Real also brings a good name 
back into the community. 

"Hey can I get RealONE for my new Linux system?"

"Uh, no, but we can put some DLL's in a media player called MPlayer and it'll 
do something similar."

"I want RealONE!!!!"

  vs.

"Hey can I get RealONE for my new Linux system?"

"Sure, RealONE for GNU/Linux is called Helix Player, but it's still from Real 
and provides the same stuff."

"Great, where do I get it?"

  -Tim

- -- 
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy R. Butler       Universal Networks      www.uninet.info
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