RealNetworks Opens SMIL Implementation

Rob Lanphier writes "RealNetworks just released the source code to their SMIL 2.0 implementation (along with JPEG, GIF, PNG, and WBMP implementations) as part of the Helix Community initiative, under the OSI-approved RPSL. Some neat tricks to do with the code: superimpose images on top of video, or transition effects between videos, using standard W3C-defined markup. More tech details in the Helix community datatype project page, or look at the SMIL production topics page. A precompiled release with this code will be coming out very soon."

Comments

realone

[Pompatus]

Does this mean I can play real audio/real video files without realone? I hate installing that thing on my computer. However, alot of stuff is only available in that format, such as live audio of nfl games and clips from my friends local hip hop group (www.psychoward.com, yes it uses flash too, I tried to tell him, but nobody listens)

SMIL? Don't talk to me about SMIL

[Mr_Silver]

The problem with SMIL files is not the implementation of the filespec, but the way that phones deal with them.

I work with SMIL files on a download platform and the biggest problem is the poor implementation by the manufacturers.

So far, the only phones that use SMIL's correctly are the SonyEricsson T68i, T610, P800 and the SAGEM MY X-6. Other SMIL capable phones either:

1. Pop up a message "unknown format"
2. Show you only the first frame
3. Force you to manually advance through each frame by pressing a button (all Nokia's do this)

SMIL's will only get popular if the handset manufacturers can implement it correctly - and so far, they haven't.

Re:SMIL? Don't talk to me about SMIL

[tsvk]

You are confusing the SMIL used in mobile handset multimedia messages (MMS) and SMIL in general. SMIL wasn't created for MMS purposes, it's the other way around: MMS uses SMIL to define presentation.

But MMS messages use a only a very limited subset of SMIL to define the MMS presentation. Currently an MMS is a SMIL slideshow where you link a picture, some text and a sound together for each slide (= par element), (example markup here). As you mentioned, all the Nokias ignore the timing information, etc. so the SMIL implementations by the handset makers are rather incomplete. But they very well may be so because to be MMS-conformant, they don't have to support all of SMIL.

RealNetwork source code?

[Dark Lord Seth]

1. Download source code.
2. Skips advertisements.
3. Start compiling.
4. Enter email adress.
5. Continue compiling.
6. Ignore hordes of incoming spam.*
7. Install software.
8. Look at crappy videos from companies/people too stupid to use a decent codec.

* = Only if user is retarded enough to enter a real email adress.

Re:On a side note... (a little OT)

[CptChipJew]

Real still offers the free player. They just make it hard to find on the site, as they always have. Typically, 99% of the site is a bunch of big graphics and text advertising their free services, and some font size=1 text with a link to the "Basic Player". I can't even remember a time when the Basic player was easy to find on the website. Here are the links to download the free player:

MacOS X
Windows

So yeah, it's there, you just have to look carefully. I'm not sure whether this is smart marketing or not, but they've always done it this way.

Re:On a side note... (a little OT)

[zdislaw]

This is totally fucked up. I've worked on a site for over five years that streams video using Real. The way they try to trick people into paying for a player is totally unethical. But check your facts. they do still offer a free player.

Here's the thing: You don't have to give your credit card number. If you were asked for a credit card number, they tricked you. You were trying to download the trial version of the full RealOne player, not the free version.

To download the free version, you need to click the [incredibly tiny] text link near the upper right corner of real.com and not the big orange button on the page that says "DOWNLOAD NOW - FREE" (read the fine print..."FREE 14 day trial."). Then is takes you to a second page where they try to trick you into downloading the trial version. Don't be fooled, click the text link at the lower left corner "Download the Free RealOne Player."

Believe it or not, this is an improvement! They have taken about three clicks out of the process.

The only info you need to give them is a [fake] email address, [fake] first name/lasname, [fake] gender (of course), bday and secret question.

I'm not a huge fan of the player, but it does pretty well and is very widely implimented. The company sucks eggs and I wish nothing but ill on them.

Re:Flash Replacement?

[rexguo]

To begin with, you will need to be able to read SWF files directly. After that, you need to implement a better renderer than Flash's vector engine. After which you need to mirror ActionScript's functionality in SMIL, probably as an extension. Finally, you need a content creation tool that's very much like Flash's IDE to have a smooth migration tool for Flash developers.

SMIL is the first true multimedia XML sibling

[Qbertino]

I worked with SMIL on some Multimedia and E-learning projects. And I must say: Allthough Realplayer looks like someone did doo-doo on your screen and their interpolation algorithms and scaling was really crappy back then (and Flash ruled everywhere) the actuall intention and scope of this language is somewhat sophisticated. It goes from simple Text and Hyperlinks all the way thourgh to serious layering and Video output.
I'd actually trust SMIL to become the 'ogg' of multimedia data and Realplay with their opening Helix initiative seem determined to actually doing something usefull to the OSS community.
Let's hope it turns out well.

You might want to try this.

[MeanE]

The people of Kazaa Lite fame (if I am not mistaken) created this nice little package called Real Alternative which is Media Player Classic and the Real codecs package in one.

Play those nice Real movies without the cruddy Real player!

Re:Flash Replacement?

[smallpaul]

To begin with, you will need to be able to read SWF files directly. After that, you need to implement a better renderer than Flash's vector engine. After which you need to mirror ActionScript's functionality in SMIL, probably as an extension. Finally, you need a content creation tool that's very much like Flash's IDE to have a smooth migration tool for Flash developers.

First, SMIL is not intended to be a Flash replacement. The W3C set of standards are very modular so you would put several of them together to do the sort of things Flash does. SMIL alone is not even close. But then I doubt Flash is very close to SMIL. As far as ActionScript: SMIL is a Web technology. Of course you can use ECMAScript/Javascript with it.

Real

[huntz0r]

A precompiled release with this code will be coming out very soon."

As soon as it finishes buffering.

Rember RealNetworks has only official *NIX player

[benwaggoner]

Folks seem to have a lot of bitterness towards RealNetworks. I certainly agree the download process is self-defeatingly difficult. But of the Big Three propritary formats, RealNetworks is the only one shipping a *NIX player. It's community supported only, but is really pretty good, and they provide downloadable updates to the latest.

Real also provides authoring tools for Linux, albeit command-line only.

Also, the Real codecs are really quite nice. RealVideo 9 is second only to Windows Media Video 9 in terms of compression efficiency, and performs better on lower end machines. The audio codecs are getting a little long in the tooth, but are still more than adequate for real-time streaming applications.

Re:Rember RealNetworks has only official *NIX play

[31 Flavas]

Also, the Real codecs are really quite nice. RealVideo 9 is second only to Windows Media Video 9 in terms of compression efficiency, and performs better on lower end machines. The audio codecs are getting a little long in the tooth, but are still more than adequate for real-time streaming applications.

Check out doom9.org forums, specifically, the "new A/V format" forum. THE Senior Codec Engineer of RealNetworks posts daily there. He does it on his own free time and even lets the forum readers in on pre-release fuctions and code.

Specifically, EHQ encode mode, RealAudio 5.1 audio, and the Animation DropDupe Pre-filter are all new capabilites being discussed there. EHQ mode gives upto 30% improved compression efficiencey and the DropDupe pre-filter provides for variable frame rate encodeing of animation/cartoons, that plays back as if encoded at 24/30 fps, so since repeated frames are droped instead of being encoded, you save diskspace.

The cream of the crop, so to say, though would be the DirectShow filter for RealMedia.

Also a lot of discussion has gone on about the marketing department of RealNetworks being utterly retarded, which from as a result of the forum and internal pressure, has been made to relize a lot of their faults. Version 3 of the RealOne player we are told will be really nice (as in getting rid of ads and such).