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Helix Server Source Released
Rob Lanphier writes "RealNetworks just released the Helix DNA Server source code, the main engine powering the RealNetworks' Helix Universal Server (nee RealServer). Additionally,
the RealNetworks' Public Source License (RPSL) just became approved as an Open
Source Initiative (OSI) certified license. Speaking of which, the Helix DNA Server is available under RPSL (which
wasn't originally our stated intention). Ask questions via IRC during our live webcast at 11am PST (19:00 GMT) or just read the press release."
I mean, that is wonderful that it is open-source and all, but why would they do something like this? Do they really want everybody making their own streaming format off of their source code or do they expect people from the OSS community to basically write their code for them?
Now i'm just waiting for someone to do some kind of quantitative or benchmark comparison between this and Darwin Streaming Server.
It's all just RTSP... right? Do the two support any common codecs?
Are the RSPL and ASPL compatible? I mean, can we take code from Darwin and code from Helix and legally put it into the same app?
Um, no.
Frankly, and don't take this the wrong way, no one cares about Ogg Vorbis except for Slashdotters. When talking about streaming media, you have only two and a half choices: Windows Media and Real Media (QuickTime is only half supported, if not for its typical clunky Apple streaming solution. Streaming OGG Vorbis on mainstream websites, or on any site for that matter that asks the user to "download something else" will force users away. In short, never gonna happen, stick with the proven market leaders.
Err.. Insightful? I thought the point of OpenSource was sharing. Now you've got the source for a potentially great streaming media server, and you're bitching about not having the codecs?
I suppose you'd rather re-write the whole server, AND the codecs yourself instead of just the codecs.
No, it's not 100% free, but if you're looking for 100% free streaming server there are many already out there.
If this was Jack Mioff releasing this (half-done) on Sourceforge, you would be hearlding this as another step forward for OpenSource. I guess because it's from Real, they should be able to give you the whole thing for free, right? Wine changed to GPL because they didn't want companies profitting from their code, and not giving anything back. Why do you think a company would be any different?
Please, be thankful you now have another choice, and if you want a codec, code it yourself.
"I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)
Considering that WinAmp has had Vorbis support built in for ages now, and WinAmp is extremely popular even amongst all my non-geek friends, I doubt it'd actually "force" as many users away as you might think.
Anyway, last time I checked RealPlayer didn't come included with Windows either?
Someone should take the MMS protocol description from http://sdp.ppona.com/ and write in support for that. Since it would be basically a clean-room implementation for compatability with the WMP based off the documentation the SDP project provides, there shouldnt be any legal issues. I almost started a stand-alone version of that, but we've more or less dropped the media side of our business, and I'm busy w/ other things.
When it comes to software, free as in beer is about 100x more important to the average consumer than free as in source code.
I think you're underestimating the ratio there. It is ironic how over-estimated open source really is, rather than being seen for what it often really is
-A last ditch, before being kicked in the grave attempt by an organization to re-invent themselves around a failing product, hoping to get some massive free labour.
-A shirking of normal software development responsibilities. This weekend I had to go spelunking through masses of code for a famous open source product to find a trivial feature that wasn't documented at all. A lot of people have a "throw the code over the wall" mentality that relieves them of documentation, good user interfaces, or even making a stable product (How many times have we heard on here "You've got the code! Fix it!").
Linux is what Hurd only dreamt of becoming.
Monolithic? I think not :)
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something" - Plato
> (How many times have we heard on here
> "You've got the code! Fix it!").
About as many times as I've heard people whining over a product that I'm producing in my freetime, for no money, because it does something *I* need it to do, which I decided might benefit someone else so I made the code public domain.
Shadus
Streaming OGG Vorbis on mainstream websites, or on any site for that matter that asks the user to "download something else" will force users away. In short, never gonna happen, stick with the proven market leaders.
I switched from mp3 to ogg for my website, and out of ~1000 unique users/week, I've received two or three emails where people had trouble.
I can see WM as being about on par (end-user wise) with Vorbis, but Real? Come on. Realaudio still sounds straight out of 1995. RealPlayer/One is incredibly buggy (how can installing a media player manage to destabilize an entire NT4 or 2k system?!), it's full of ads, and user control of content is very limited.
Besides, Vorbis is free. That's already managed to convince a number of game companies to use it as the compression standard in their products (e.g. Soul Reaver 2 and Blood Omen 2 for the PC).
"...always new atoms but always doing the same dance, remembering what the dance was yesterday." -Richard Feynman
While there is legacy support for the 1995 RealAudio codecs, the modern stuff is really very good.
Anyone encoding music or soundtracks should be using the RealAudio Stereo Music 8 codecs. At lower data rates, this uses Real's in-house "Cook" codec, and at higher data rates a streaming-optimized version of Sony's ATRAC3 from miniDisc.
While Ogg is a fine format for download and CD-ROM type applications, today it isn't anywhere near mature as Real is for real-time streaming over lossy networks. Of course, with the sub-band stuff, Ogg could get a LOT better for this with further development.
My video compression blog
you can stream Real and MP3 for free, non-commerically.
I'm talking about the ability to play a RealAudio or RealVideo clip with a legitimate media player that doesn't consume every aspect of the OS. It will never happen (they might talk about it, but it will never happen). And eventually, I can get rid of my bastard software partition.
Life is the leading cause of death in America.