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Helix Player and RealPlayer 10 Released

Posted by michael on from the get-your-drm-on dept.

kforeman writes "The RealPlayer 10 for Linux and its underlying 100% open source Helix Player are now both finalized. The RealPlayer 10 for Linux has many new features including a Mozilla plug-in, so you can now enjoy all those embedded media clips, as well as the latest RealAudio 10, RealVideo 10, MP3, Flash, and Ogg Vorbis and Theora support. The Helix Player is 100% open source, (now including the GPL!) and includes support for SMIL 2.0 and open source codecs Ogg Vorbis and Theora. Our goal is to make the Linux desktop a first class citizen and we think today's releases are a good first step in that direction."

11 of 323 comments (clear)

  1. excellent! by hoborocks · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Now I don't have to use that pesky, non-intrusive, non-commerical, non-irritating, non-email-address-asking Xine!

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    AccountKiller
  2. Spyware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'd be very concered about hidden spyware/trojans in these programs based on Real's past releases. Is the RealPlayer/Helix relationship similar to Mozilla/Netscape?

    1. Re:Spyware by LordK2002 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'd be very concered about hidden spyware/trojans in these programs based on Real's past releases

      And just how long do you think that they would get away with that in an open-source project?


      K

  3. Going against code. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah, yeah, I know it's slashdot code to hate Real, but they've finally done something good. They continue to support Linux, and gave us the core of their player (which, IMO no longer sucks ass) and we're still criticizing them? Has anyone here even used Realplayer 10 Linux or Helix?

    For christ's sake, you're all like one of those Windows users who will never touch Linux again because "it's all command line" or a Mac since "longhorn will have a 3D UI". Give the company another fucking shot, it's not every day we get a decent media player that supports Theora, Vorbis or their own codecs.

    1. Re:Going against code. by Just+Some+Guy · · Score: 4, Insightful
      playing hide-the-link

      As someone who had to dig through the site numerous times to install "hidden" versions, I can understand being annoyed at Real, but I can't understand holding it against them. I mean, their business model has always included selling a "premium" player. It seems to me that the fact that they were giving away a gratis version should mitigate the fact that it wasn't prominently linked on the front page of their site.

      Should we be angry at department stores for not putting their brand-name clearance racks immediately inside the front door, or is it understandable that they make you walk past the regular-price goods in order to get to them?

      There are plenty of legitimate reasons to dislike the old Real. Making you dig through their site for a free version of their flagship product isn't one of them.

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      Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
  4. Let me know when EFF clears Xine.... by Kunta+Kinte · · Score: 5, Insightful
    ...then you may have a point.

    How is Linux suppose to be ready for the desktop if developers/users continue with 'patents be damned' attitude?

    Xine and MPlayer aren't legal in many major markets. That rules them out for many of us.

    Helix is legal and backed by RealNetworks legal department.

    --
    Based on upvotes, Ageism is the only "-ism" Slashdotters care about and think isn't SJW
  5. Re:One question: Why? by WWWWolf · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I recently tried RealPlayer 10's beta for Linux. It's actually pretty slick (well, it was beta, so it was a bit unstable at times, but hey...) and plays Icecast streams in Ogg Vorbis pretty damn well (and you can get just plain Helix Player for that too, without RealVideo support). It was small, not too slow (Linux versions of RP are never ever slow!) and there's no trace of ads!

    Yeah, Windows players are probably hell, but the *NIX players have the history of ruling, at least to small extent =)

    But to be perfectly honest, the real reason I switched from RP8 to RP10beta was the support for XVideo extension and actual support for fullscreen playing. Makes watching some videos far less annoying when you don't need to maximize the window and fullscreen mode doesn't eat all processor. And, yuck, RP8 was a Motif app and RP10 uses GTK+2.

  6. First Impression by Pecisk · · Score: 4, Insightful

    First, it doesn't require any kind of email registration. Second, it based on GTK - that's great, no more outdated Modif GUI. Let's see how it will be handled. I would like to point out that if we would have two descent Media frameworks - Helix and GStreamer (which still has to mature), then it would be very good. It's nice to see that Real learns something from their past.

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    user@ubuntubox:~$ stfu This server is going down for shutdown NOW!
  7. It doesn't work with Amazon's music clips by jonfelder · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Interesting, when I try to listen to an audio clip on Amazon.com with Real Player 10, I get an error about the codec being too old and no longer supported.

  8. Re:Why is this forcing me to use IE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Perhaps that's because you're logged into Mozilla/Firefox, but you're not in IE? I'm finding that being logged out makes me not get 503's..

  9. Re:No Ads Now makes is alright? by catbutt · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And what, I'm supposed to believe that they won't put them back in when its convenient to them? I don't think so.

    Why don't you wait till they do, and stop using it then?

    As it is, you are providing them no incentive to correct their past mistakes.