Slashdot Mirror
Open Source, Real Media Mega-player?
chill writes "CNN is reporting "RealNetworks on Monday will unveil a new open source version of its streaming media software that supports multiple file formats for audio and video, including those that use Microsoft's Windows Media technology." and "RealNetworks did not formally license the ability to offer Windows Media software, but instead re-created the technology based on data streams sent between the server and player software, The New York Times reported. A Microsoft representative told the newspaper that the company would need to determine whether RealNetworks licensed the software before taking action. " I can't wait to see the actual license." Update: 07/22 19:10 GMT by T : The software can be downloaded from the Helix site, if you're interested.
The article compares Microsoft's battle with Real to their past battle with Netscape. It is an intersting comparison since both battles I believe were a combination of Microsoft's maneuvering and the other companies failure to put out an adequate product. Real has consistently put out bloated, resource-hogging, spywaring, bug-ridden software.
RealOne is a huge improvement over previous products but you still have to be careful with it re-associating itself with certain file types. I think what has helped Real, though, is the fact the Windows Media Player really peaked at 6.4 and has itself become bloated.
This might be great, you're right. But it won't be: this is Real we are talking about, the pioneer of the clunky-as-all-hell media applications that do nothing for anyone but barely stream audio and crash when the juices start flowing.
On the one hand, it is nice that Real is doing this for Open Sourcers, but, on the other, what other choice did they have?
So, before anyone wets their skeeves with dreams of Open Source-everything, be prepared for this to be the first in an unwieldy trend of crap being released to be saved by open sources, with no credit given back to them.
Some people say don't look a gift horse in the mouth, well this isn't a gift horse, it is just another media dinosaur waiting in the bushes to rip everyone off.
But hey, I could be wrong.
they release Microsoft's codec and don't release their own codec. We should not become a tool in the wars between these behemoths. That is a road to mediocrity.
As far as I can see, the DMCA is unlikely to apply here since plain (non-DRM'd) ASF streams do not contain any form of copy protection.
If I remember correctly, though, Microsoft has a patent on the ASF format scheme itself. The granting of this patent in the first place was ridiculous - (thought sadly commonplace these days) - ASF is a very simple format for multiplexing video/audio/whatever over a single stream. There's nothing innovative about it.
Of course plenty of patents are issued these days for very unimaginative, uninnovative things - what makes MS's patent so unusual is that it's tantamount to patenting a file format - something that could effectively prevent otherwise legal reverse-engineering.
The author of Virtual Dub was forced to remove ASF compatibility after pressure from Microsoft regarding the patent.
Microsoft - boldly leading us back into the dark ages of incompatibility!
One of the major reasons streaming media is used today is not for live productions, but rather, as a misguided and ill-conceived form of copy-protection and content-control. If Real goes open, and that creates a perception that Real is easier to copy, will the media cartel (RIAA, MPAA, etc.) drop Real entirely, in favor of Windows Media or some other more suitably evil technology?
In other words, could this make the Open Source streaming media situation worse, at least in the short-term?
dragonhawk@iname.microsoft.com
I do not like Microsoft. Remove them from my email address.
Of course, if Microsoft has patents on any of this, it's likely that Real is out of luck even if they did a complete "clean room" implementation of the software.
Your right to not believe: Americans United for Separation of Church and
The smartest thing that M$ could do is just let Real do it. Then all M$ has to do is to create a version of Media Player that includes ALL of Real's protocols (after all they have made it clear through their actions that they believe it is perfectly acceptable to reverse-engineer a protocol based on a data stream) give this new version a nice interface with less advertizing clutter and make it available as minor free update available as part of a service patch. Not that we have never seen this done before, right? Do these companies ever learn?
NetRatings suspect? Maybe...
b le/00/02/2 4/
l icreports. toppropertiesweekly
You've got to consider certain things...
NetRatings software availiable only for Windows:
http://www.macopinion.com/columns/tangi
Then, take a look at their website:
http://pm.netratings.com/nnpm/owa/NRpub
This list seems suspect. Obviously Microsoft tops the list since MSN.com is the default homepage for IE.
Also, keep in mind that NetRatings is simply tracking its own users. The 7.3 million for QuickTime is amongst those being tracked. Obviously, this number will differ greatly from the actual number of downloads (which is also misleading as I'm sure you've downloaded QuickTime more than once due to re-installs, upgrades, etc.)
Ratings (like statistics) tend to lie. How can RealPlayer have a larger install base on Windows when Media Player is installed by default? Who knows. Maybe they only track certain versions, intentional usage or something else.
-NT
IANAL, but assuming RealMedia did a proper clean-room implementation, what they've done is an independant creative work. Microsoft's copyright has not been violeted because nothing of the new implementation belongs to Microsoft.
There are also passages of the DMCA that deal with reverse-engineering for the purpose of inter-operability, but it will probably take a real lawyer to say anything intelligent about how applicable they may be to this situation.
-JS
Vanity of vanities, all is vanity...
"REALNETWORKS, INC.
"END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
"REALNETWORKS PRODUCTS
"REDISTRIBUTION NOT PERMITTED"
Yeah, whatever. But your crap ain't go'n on my PC under those terms, buddy!
So, how soon before we see a spy-ware free, non-self-"updating" version?
If all this should have a reason, we would be the last to know.
Rob, hope all you want, I doubt it will happen for one very basic reason.
No part of the code you have suggested opening does the *one* thing I and all other linux on the desktop users need you to do: convert the magical mystical proprietary byte stream of the week back into industry standard byte streams that I can shove into my sound card. Instead it looks like you've suggested open sourceing the bits that we already have implemented in a half dozen different projects.
Without the magic converter I'll continue to deliver my streaming content on industry standard streams and continue to loudly boycott any streaming content presented in one of the closed formats, such as your RA, or MS' WMA.