RealNetworks Releases Helix DNA Producer Source

Rob Lanphier writes "We just released the Helix DNA Producer, a multi-format media-encoding engine for creating streaming broadcasts, on-demand streaming content, and downloadable audio video files. It supports RealAudio, RealVideo and Ogg Vorbis, and includes many input and output filters, variable bitrate encoding support, option for two-pass encoding, audio gain control, Firewire support. Press release is here and a couple of stories are here(1) and here(2)." Here's a page that details the licenses under which the code can be obtained.

Comments

RPSL takes away freedom

[I Am The Owl]

I am stunned that Real Networks would want to take such a viral model as the GPL and incorporate it into their own source licensing schemes. What could motivate a company to do such a thing?

They have a moral obligation to release their code under the BSD license, so that it is free for all to use and we don't get the jackbooted source code police busting down your door after trying to make an honest buck selling your own improvements to their source code. What a bunch of anti-innovation socialists.

With the amount of spyware that Real is spreading

[saskboy]

Real already knows my genenetic code they have so much junk watching me when I install Real software with default options. They've probably figured out a way to have my monitor probe my brain.

Paranoia? I don't think so...

Yeah, Peter....What's Happening...

[mdechene]

Didn't you get the memo?

That was the entire point of their Helix Project.......

So if you could just put the new cover sheet on, that'd be great........And I'll see you get another copy of the memo.

Re:11th comment

[Anonymous Coward]

Alan Ralsky, 6747 Minnow Pond Dr., West Bloomfield, MI 48322, Thank You.

Re:GPL violations?

[robla]

Yeah, what he said. Trust me, our lawyers are *way* too paranoid to let us screw up like that. ;)

I'm confused.

[Erpo]

What is Helix DNA? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

On one hand, it's from Real -- the first major media company to release a player that (depending on a few bits in a file) won't let you save an internet multimedia stream, the precursor to modern DRM. Real also brought us RealONE, the most junk-infested media player ever, famous for spraying garbage all over your system without your consent.

Now they're releasing a player and its source with ogg support built in? If there's one thing we need in the media arena, it's an open file format and codecs to combat proprietary windows media, real, and quicktime. This sounds like it could be really cool.

But is it for Real?

Re:RealNetworks can kiss my ass

[Anonymous Coward]

Real might be spamming purveyors of bloatware pop-up software, but for low-bandwidth streaming audio like talk radio or NPR, they can't be beat.

I sorta see this open source thing as a cry for help: Please Open Sores Dudes! Please remove all the pop-ups and advertisements from our player. We've tried and we just end up adding more. We just can't resist. Help! We've fallen and we can't get up!