Great news for Linux and open source developers. Today Real announced it has added a fundamental patent for certain streaming media technology to its portfolio of patented innovations in digital media AND is automatically licensing the patented technology via its OSI-certified open source license for Helix DNA software, as Real has done with its other digital media patents embodied within Helix DNA Software. The recently-issued "Click-to-Stream" patent (U.S. Patent No. 6,985,932) covers the core methods used when a user selects a link to stream audio-visual content. The patent covers Real's groundbreaking technology innovations dating back to November 1994, four months before the introduction of RealAudio, which forever changed the Web by bringing streaming audio to the Internet for the first time. Real is indeed serious about open source software.
Click-to-Stream joins the portfolio of over 35 patents related to digital media, many that are available to Helix DNA Software licensees. As many of you know, over 50 commercial and open source companies, including Nokia, Linspire, Motorola, Novell, Real, Red Hat, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Sun Microsystems, Trolltech and Xandros, have licensed Helix DNA software and its patented technology to build media-enabled products.
So what about the GPL license you ask? Yes, the Helix DNA Client (the FOSS media framework which supports any format and any operating system) is licensed under the GPL license. And what about patents under the GPL? As you may know, the proposed draft 3.0 of GPL contains an express patent license, whereas the current version of GPL being used by Real (version 2.0) does not contain a patent license. There is broad and public discussion about whether and to what extent an implicit patent license is or is not granted under the GPL, and if so, what the scope of such a license would be. Real's concerns regarding the uncertain nature of such an implied license has led Real to expressly disclaim any implied patent license under its GPL license grant, and to encourage Open Source developers who desire an express patent license from Real to take a license from Real under the RealNetworks Public Source License. For those who nevertheless prefer to use the code under the GPL, we assure you that Real has no plans to pursue any abiding GPL licensee of the Helix DNA Client software - We fully encourage open source software innovation and the collaboration among our licensees.
There is currently a known issue restricting the functionality of the Rhapsody Player Engine Plug-in on Linux with version 1.5 of Firefox. Version 1.0.7 should work fine.
This problem was introduced when Firefox v1.5 went gold leaving Real little time to fix the issue prior to beta release. Real is currently investigating a fix and hopes to have a new plug-in available soon.
Yes, Real today launched the beta Helix-powered www.Rhapsody.com, a Web version of the music service that offers consumers a free and legal way to play full length songs from all the major music labels. Any US-based consumer can freely access up to 25 songs/mo, via the new www.Rhapsody.com site and for the first time Linux and Mac users can experience Rhapsody.
The music service enables your favorite browser (IE, Firefox, or Safari) to instantly find, listen, and share, for free, up to 25 full tracks (from 1.4M+ songs) per month. Consumers also get free, unlimited access to 25 commercial-free radio stations.
There is NO credit card registration required to begin using the service and the music industry is compensated for each song played via Rhapsody.com
Real also introduced its new Rhapsody Web Services initiative, which will enable Web sites to access Rhapsody music services. Web portals, community sites, music sites, and other web sites wanting to integrate music services into their web experience can now access services such as song playback and editorial content.
The new Rhapsody Web Services initiative will enable websites to integrate Rhapsody music services. Tools for Web sites to create links, called "Rhaplinks," to individual music tracks, full albums, and radio stations that can be integrated into their Web sites and that enable immediate playback from Rhapsody.com;
* XML feeds, including RSS, of Rhapsody editorial information about music, which third party Web sites can integrate directly into their sites -- such as new releases, top 10 tracks, and top 10 albums.
* A blog for developers to participate in the future roadmap and development of the Rhapsody Web Services initiative.
Initial companies supporting Rhapsody.com and the Rhapsody Web Services initiative include Comcast, RollingStone.com, and MSN. Specific implementations include:
* Comcast became the first service provider to launch a new Web-based Rhapsody radio service. The Comcast Rhapsody Web Radio service is currently available to Comcast's 8.1M broadband customers. The service further complements Comcast's online music offering, which also includes: Rhapsody Radio PLUS, Rhapsody Unlimited, and Rhapsody To Go. Comcast Rhapsody Radio provides 50 commercial-free, genre-based stations (www.comcast.net/music).
* RollingStone.com, the official online presence for pop culture icon Rolling Stone, has integrated Rhapsody web services technology throughout its site. The new site, http://www.rollingstone.com/ enables visitors to sample full length free tracks in Rhapsody and view music videos along with the magazine's archive of groundbreaking music news coverage, feature articles, interviews, photos, movie/album reviews and in-depth political reporting.
* In the coming weeks, Rhapsody.com will be available within Microsoft's WiMP 10, and in the coming months, MSN will be using Rhapsody Web Services to integrate Rhapsody into its MSN Search, MSN Messenger and MSN Music services.
Good clarification. The FAQ refers to version 1.0 of the Helix Player, which is the open source media player that powered the no-cost RealPlayer 10.
The Helix Player 2.0, adds "support" for many more codecs and formats. Note, that in many cases a legal commercial use license will need to be obtained by the Distro in order to ship this "supported" format. So to be clear, the Helix Player is 100% GPL open source.
Version 1.0.5 is gold and we are working on version 2.0. The Helix Player powers the no-cost RealPlayer which is a superset and adds the ability to play MP3, RealAudio, RealVideo, Flash, etc.
Sorry for the confusion and I look forward to seeing you on the Helix User forums and mailing lists.
Kevin
I agree with your assessment. Multimedia on Linux is behind other platforms. Real, Linspire, Red Hat, Novell and others aggressively working to change this landscape. Specifically, we are now working on the Helix Player 2.0 https://player.helixcommunity.org/ which provides for support of Windows Media, MP3, RealVideo, RealAudio, Flash, etc as well as other great features like Ad-free radio and Automatic Bandwidth Detection.
I urge all interested to join us by joining the project mailing lists and letting us know if you encounter and bugs in the product.
Yes, with now 84% of Real's record revenues coming consumer SERVICES, not products, like RealRhapsody, and RadioPass, Real can be much more open about our direction.
Today the free Helix-powered RealPlayer 10 plays MP3, Flash, Ogg Vorbis, Ogg Theora, RealAudio 10, RealVideo 10, so users can enjoy the web's best FREE content. Our goal of the NEXT version is to allow users to start to enjoy PREMIUM content, including dozens of commercial-free radio stations.
For those of you interested in following our process or lendign your insight, join the free dev mailing list right here: https://helixcommunity.org/mail/?group_id=154
Thanks for the post. We completely agree with you that credibility is earned, not claimed.
To the heart of your question, What has changed? Why would the company change? What motiviation does the company have to change?
First and foremost, our business model has changed. Today over 80% of our revenue comes from Consumer SERVICES. Services that our customers rave about to their family/friends. For example, RealRhapsody, our all you can eat music subscription service, is the number 1 rated music serice. Why buy songs when you can access over 700,000 for $9.95/mo. Another example is our STARZ! Ticket on Real Movies, which allows you to downloads as many feature films as you for $12.95/mo.
Second, our product development process has changed. Today, we build the heart of the RealPlayer nightly within the Helix Community. this process has allows us to have a tigher communication process with our users and developers. When we develop our products publicly, there is little room for non-essential features.
Third, actions must speak louder than words. As other posters have attested to. Check out he latest free RealPlayer 10 for Windows, Mac or Linux. If you don't think we have lived up to your rightfully high expectations, uninstall it. You can unstall everything. Its just that simple.
Finally change is hard. But I think you will find that we have changed on numerous fronts, for the better.
Guys, there are two important messages/audiences here: developers and users.
1) Developers are looking for a standard GPL'd AV framework to built their applications. By adding the GPL to our Helix Player and with Red Hat, Novell, Sun and Turbolinux's support, we hope to catalyze the linux desktop industry to bring our better and faster time to market AV-based applications. We want to avoid a KDE/GNOME fracturing of the industry.
2) Users get the best of both worlds. Besides the 100% GPL'd Helix Player (which plays Vorbis and Theora), the distros will ship a no-cost upgrade the RealPlayer 10 for Linux. The RealPlayer includes the non-open sourced component of MP3, Flash, RealAudio 10 and RealVideo 10.
So, yes the codecs aren't open sourced (We don't own al the IP of RealAudio and RealVideo, and therefore can't even consider GPLing them), develoers and users still getthe best of both worlds.
First, the Helix Player plays only 100% open source codecs, like Ogg Verbix and Theora.
Second, the RealPlayer 10 for Linux adds to the Helix Player the non-open source components such as RealAudio/RealVideo, MP3 and Flash.
Third, you are perpetuating an urban myth. Our Windows player contains no spyware and never has. Yes, someone filed suit on us, and it was thrown out of court for being a false accusation.
Fourth, our business model is to sell back end webcast transmission software and consumer services like SuperPass and STARZ! on Real Movies.
Fifth, over 50 semiconductor companies have licensed RealAudio and RealVideo SOURCE CODE for optimizing their nect gen chip sets. I would hope you agree that Intel, TI, Motorola, etc. engineers would not tolerate this nonsense.
Yes, Red Hat will ship the GPL'ed Helix Player and then offer users a no-cost upgrade to RealPlayer 10 for Linux, which adds to the Helix Player the non-open source components such as RealAudio/RealVideo, MP3 and Flash.
We want to extend our 400 million unique registered users base to include every Linux, Windows and Mac desktop, and every mobile and living-room device. By doing so, we can sell system software, like the Helix Universal Server, to enterprises who want to reach their employees, customers, and partners as well as setting the landscape for selling added value services, like RealOne SuperPass and STARZ! Ticket on Real Movies.
Having Red Hat and Novell qualify and distribute the RealPlayer for Linux as part of the their Linux Desktop increases the Helix / RealPlayer distribution and guarantees the best of breed solution for Red Hat, Novell and Real users.
Our business model is changed. We make our money on consumer services like Rhapsody, SuperPass and STARZ! on Real Movies and therefore don't need to pay our staff with software add-ons or advertising.
Download the binary or source and take it for a spin.
Guys, we are Real now have both a universal format approach and an open source approach. That's right.
Yes, our RealPlayer 8 for Linux is old, but we are working hard on a 100% open source player, the Helix Player (which we welcome Dirac integration) and the next generation RealPlayer 10, that builts on top the Helix Player the proprietary pieces of MP3, MPEG4, Flash and RealAudio and RealVideo 10.
Guys, you might not know that the open source community is building the next generation completely 100% open source player, the Helix Player, WITH the help of RealNetworks, at https://player.helixcommunity.org.
Check it out.
Besides Vorbis and Theora support, we welcome all other open source codecs and formats.
Guys, as you may know we are busy building the world best 100% open source media player, called the Helix Player (https://player.helixcommunity.org). We welcome all open source codecs and formats, including Dirac.
Secondly, this summer we will be releasing the RealPlayer 10 for Linux, which is built on top the Helix Player and includes the non-open source components of MP3, MPEG4, Flash, and RealAudio and RealVideo.
Both the Helix Player and RealPlayer 10 have a Mozilla plug-in and are going to be a major no cost update for your current RealPlayer 8.
First we are building a kick-butt 100% open source media player called the Helix Player that today supports both Ogg Vorbis and Theora. Check it out at https://player.helixcommunity.org. That's right zero proprietary components. It won best open source porject at the last LinuxWorld.
Second, on top of the Helix Player, this summer we will bring out the new RealPlayer 10 for Linux. It will add the non-open source components of MP3, MPEG4, Flash and RealAudio and RealVideo (which we can't opensource since we don't own all the IP for these codecs).
Both the Helix Player and the RealPlayer 10 will have a Mozilla plug-in and will hopefully meet your demanding expectations.
Helix Player is 100% open source, inc. Vorbis and Theora. RealPlayer 10, built on top of Helix Player will add non-open source formats like RealAudio/RealVideo, MP3, Flash and MPEG-4 (for fee) when it goes alpha on May 10th.
Kevin Foreman
GM, Helix
RealNetworks, Inc.
The spyware issue is a misunderstanding of the workings of our player that we fixed years ago. RealPlayer was not and is not spyware. The term implies that information about what an individual is doing is being recorded somewhere and correlated to personal information. This was not and is not happening. Way back in 1999 when this CD-ROM lookup database charge first arose, we changed how the RealPlayer communicated with the server (which as a client it has to do) in order to make it crystal clear that we were not recording any information that could track an individual. Today, there are virtually no background communications other than those chosen by the user when they install the player. Check out the new Windows RealPlayer to see the new install process yourself. Obviously our Linux Player is open source and not an issue. We heard the feedback and we think most will be pleased.
Kevin Foreman
GM, Helix
RealNetworks, Inc.
Motown, well put. Thanks for your support.
Our plan is to bring out the 100% open source Helix Player (inc Vorbis anfd Theora support) and it superset cousin, the RealPlayer 10 for Linux (inc. non-open source components like RA/RV, MP3, Flash, etc. on top of the Helix Player) this summer. Alpha for both is scheduled for May 10th....
Kevin Foreman
GM, Helix
RealNetworks, Inc.
Slashdot Mirror
Great news for Linux and open source developers. Today Real announced it has added a fundamental patent for certain streaming media technology to its portfolio of patented innovations in digital media AND is automatically licensing the patented technology via its OSI-certified open source license for Helix DNA software, as Real has done with its other digital media patents embodied within Helix DNA Software. The recently-issued "Click-to-Stream" patent (U.S. Patent No. 6,985,932) covers the core methods used when a user selects a link to stream audio-visual content. The patent covers Real's groundbreaking technology innovations dating back to November 1994, four months before the introduction of RealAudio, which forever changed the Web by bringing streaming audio to the Internet for the first time. Real is indeed serious about open source software.
s
Click-to-Stream joins the portfolio of over 35 patents related to digital media, many that are available to Helix DNA Software licensees. As many of you know, over 50 commercial and open source companies, including Nokia, Linspire, Motorola, Novell, Real, Red Hat, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Sun Microsystems, Trolltech and Xandros, have licensed Helix DNA software and its patented technology to build media-enabled products.
So what about the GPL license you ask? Yes, the Helix DNA Client (the FOSS media framework which supports any format and any operating system) is licensed under the GPL license. And what about patents under the GPL? As you may know, the proposed draft 3.0 of GPL contains an express patent license, whereas the current version of GPL being used by Real (version 2.0) does not contain a patent license. There is broad and public discussion about whether and to what extent an implicit patent license is or is not granted under the GPL, and if so, what the scope of such a license would be. Real's concerns regarding the uncertain nature of such an implied license has led Real to expressly disclaim any implied patent license under its GPL license grant, and to encourage Open Source developers who desire an express patent license from Real to take a license from Real under the RealNetworks Public Source License. For those who nevertheless prefer to use the code under the GPL, we assure you that Real has no plans to pursue any abiding GPL licensee of the Helix DNA Client software - We fully encourage open source software innovation and the collaboration among our licensees.
Here is the actual announcement: http://www.realnetworks.com/company/press/release
Here is the licensing FAQ https://helixcommunity.org/content/faq-licenses
Kevin Foreman,
GM, Real
http://www.rhapsody.com/
If you are seeing the honda civic ad, then your browser has the old site cached. Refresh and enjoy free and legal music.
There is currently a known issue restricting the functionality of the Rhapsody Player Engine Plug-in on Linux with version 1.5 of Firefox. Version 1.0.7 should work fine.
This problem was introduced when Firefox v1.5 went gold leaving Real little time to fix the issue prior to beta release. Real is currently investigating a fix and hopes to have a new plug-in available soon.
Kevin
Yes, Real today launched the beta Helix-powered www.Rhapsody.com, a Web version of the music service that offers consumers a free and legal way to play full length songs from all the major music labels. Any US-based consumer can freely access up to 25 songs/mo, via the new www.Rhapsody.com site and for the first time Linux and Mac users can experience Rhapsody.
The music service enables your favorite browser (IE, Firefox, or Safari) to instantly find, listen, and share, for free, up to 25 full tracks (from 1.4M+ songs) per month. Consumers also get free, unlimited access to 25 commercial-free radio stations.
There is NO credit card registration required to begin using the service and the music industry is compensated for each song played via Rhapsody.com
Real also introduced its new Rhapsody Web Services initiative, which will enable Web sites to access Rhapsody music services. Web portals, community sites, music sites, and other web sites wanting to integrate music services into their web experience can now access services such as song playback and editorial content.
The new Rhapsody Web Services initiative will enable websites to integrate Rhapsody music services. Tools for Web sites to create links, called "Rhaplinks," to individual music tracks, full albums, and radio stations that can be integrated into their Web sites and that enable immediate playback from Rhapsody.com;
* XML feeds, including RSS, of Rhapsody editorial information about music, which third party Web sites can integrate directly into their sites -- such as new releases, top 10 tracks, and top 10 albums.
* A blog for developers to participate in the future roadmap and development of the Rhapsody Web Services initiative.
More information can be found at http://www.rhapsody.com/webservices.
Initial companies supporting Rhapsody.com and the Rhapsody Web Services initiative include Comcast, RollingStone.com, and MSN. Specific implementations include:
* Comcast became the first service provider to launch a new Web-based Rhapsody radio service. The Comcast Rhapsody Web Radio service is currently available to Comcast's 8.1M broadband customers. The service further complements Comcast's online music offering, which also includes: Rhapsody Radio PLUS, Rhapsody Unlimited, and Rhapsody To Go. Comcast Rhapsody Radio provides 50 commercial-free, genre-based stations (www.comcast.net/music).
* RollingStone.com, the official online presence for pop culture icon Rolling Stone, has integrated Rhapsody web services technology throughout its site. The new site, http://www.rollingstone.com/ enables visitors to sample full length free tracks in Rhapsody and view music videos along with the magazine's archive of groundbreaking music news coverage, feature articles, interviews, photos, movie/album reviews and in-depth political reporting.
* In the coming weeks, Rhapsody.com will be available within Microsoft's WiMP 10, and in the coming months, MSN will be using Rhapsody Web Services to integrate Rhapsody into its MSN Search, MSN Messenger and MSN Music services.
For more information, visit http://www.rhapsody.com./
Absolutely. Linux is important to Real for 3 reasons - desktop, mobile devices and livingroom devices.
Kevin Foreman
GM Helix
RealNetworks
Good clarification. The FAQ refers to version 1.0 of the Helix Player, which is the open source media player that powered the no-cost RealPlayer 10. The Helix Player 2.0, adds "support" for many more codecs and formats. Note, that in many cases a legal commercial use license will need to be obtained by the Distro in order to ship this "supported" format. So to be clear, the Helix Player is 100% GPL open source. Version 1.0.5 is gold and we are working on version 2.0. The Helix Player powers the no-cost RealPlayer which is a superset and adds the ability to play MP3, RealAudio, RealVideo, Flash, etc. Sorry for the confusion and I look forward to seeing you on the Helix User forums and mailing lists. Kevin
I agree with your assessment. Multimedia on Linux is behind other platforms. Real, Linspire, Red Hat, Novell and others aggressively working to change this landscape. Specifically, we are now working on the Helix Player 2.0 https://player.helixcommunity.org/ which provides for support of Windows Media, MP3, RealVideo, RealAudio, Flash, etc as well as other great features like Ad-free radio and Automatic Bandwidth Detection.
I urge all interested to join us by joining the project mailing lists and letting us know if you encounter and bugs in the product.
Kevin Foreman,
GM, Helix
Great note taking.
Yes, with now 84% of Real's record revenues coming consumer SERVICES, not products, like RealRhapsody, and RadioPass, Real can be much more open about our direction.
Today the free Helix-powered RealPlayer 10 plays MP3, Flash, Ogg Vorbis, Ogg Theora, RealAudio 10, RealVideo 10, so users can enjoy the web's best FREE content. Our goal of the NEXT version is to allow users to start to enjoy PREMIUM content, including dozens of commercial-free radio stations.
For those of you interested in following our process or lendign your insight, join the free dev mailing list right here: https://helixcommunity.org/mail/?group_id=154
Kevin
Thanks for the post. We completely agree with you that credibility is earned, not claimed.
To the heart of your question, What has changed? Why would the company change? What motiviation does the company have to change?
First and foremost, our business model has changed. Today over 80% of our revenue comes from Consumer SERVICES. Services that our customers rave about to their family/friends. For example, RealRhapsody, our all you can eat music subscription service, is the number 1 rated music serice. Why buy songs when you can access over 700,000 for $9.95/mo. Another example is our STARZ! Ticket on Real Movies, which allows you to downloads as many feature films as you for $12.95/mo.
Second, our product development process has changed. Today, we build the heart of the RealPlayer nightly within the Helix Community. this process has allows us to have a tigher communication process with our users and developers. When we develop our products publicly, there is little room for non-essential features.
Third, actions must speak louder than words. As other posters have attested to. Check out he latest free RealPlayer 10 for Windows, Mac or Linux. If you don't think we have lived up to your rightfully high expectations, uninstall it. You can unstall everything. Its just that simple.
Finally change is hard. But I think you will find that we have changed on numerous fronts, for the better.
Kevin
As soon as we possibly can. This is our business model.
If I could give you access to subscritpion services today, I would.
Join the Helix project https://player.helixcommunity.org/2004/unix/ and let the product team hear your feedback directly.
Guys, there are two important messages/audiences here: developers and users.
1) Developers are looking for a standard GPL'd AV framework to built their applications. By adding the GPL to our Helix Player and with Red Hat, Novell, Sun and Turbolinux's support, we hope to catalyze the linux desktop industry to bring our better and faster time to market AV-based applications. We want to avoid a KDE/GNOME fracturing of the industry.
2) Users get the best of both worlds. Besides the 100% GPL'd Helix Player (which plays Vorbis and Theora), the distros will ship a no-cost upgrade the RealPlayer 10 for Linux. The RealPlayer includes the non-open sourced component of MP3, Flash, RealAudio 10 and RealVideo 10.
So, yes the codecs aren't open sourced (We don't own al the IP of RealAudio and RealVideo, and therefore can't even consider GPLing them), develoers and users still getthe best of both worlds.
Enjoy the new players.
First, the Helix Player plays only 100% open source codecs, like Ogg Verbix and Theora.
Second, the RealPlayer 10 for Linux adds to the Helix Player the non-open source components such as RealAudio/RealVideo, MP3 and Flash.
Third, you are perpetuating an urban myth. Our Windows player contains no spyware and never has. Yes, someone filed suit on us, and it was thrown out of court for being a false accusation.
Fourth, our business model is to sell back end webcast transmission software and consumer services like SuperPass and STARZ! on Real Movies.
Fifth, over 50 semiconductor companies have licensed RealAudio and RealVideo SOURCE CODE for optimizing their nect gen chip sets. I would hope you agree that Intel, TI, Motorola, etc. engineers would not tolerate this nonsense.
Rest easy and enjoy you free player on us.
Yes, Red Hat will ship the GPL'ed Helix Player and then offer users a no-cost upgrade to RealPlayer 10 for Linux, which adds to the Helix Player the non-open source components such as RealAudio/RealVideo, MP3 and Flash.
We want to extend our 400 million unique registered users base to include every Linux, Windows and Mac desktop, and every mobile and living-room device. By doing so, we can sell system software, like the Helix Universal Server, to enterprises who want to reach their employees, customers, and partners as well as setting the landscape for selling added value services, like RealOne SuperPass and STARZ! Ticket on Real Movies.
Having Red Hat and Novell qualify and distribute the RealPlayer for Linux as part of the their Linux Desktop increases the Helix / RealPlayer distribution and guarantees the best of breed solution for Red Hat, Novell and Real users.
Our business model is changed. We make our money on consumer services like Rhapsody, SuperPass and STARZ! on Real Movies and therefore don't need to pay our staff with software add-ons or advertising.
Download the binary or source and take it for a spin.
Kevin Foreman,
GM, Helix
RealNetworks, Inc.
Guys, we are Real now have both a universal format approach and an open source approach. That's right.
Yes, our RealPlayer 8 for Linux is old, but we are working hard on a 100% open source player, the Helix Player (which we welcome Dirac integration) and the next generation RealPlayer 10, that builts on top the Helix Player the proprietary pieces of MP3, MPEG4, Flash and RealAudio and RealVideo 10.
Check it out: https://player.helixcommunity.org
Guys, you might not know that the open source community is building the next generation completely 100% open source player, the Helix Player, WITH the help of RealNetworks, at https://player.helixcommunity.org.
Check it out.
Besides Vorbis and Theora support, we welcome all other open source codecs and formats.
Guys, as you may know we are busy building the world best 100% open source media player, called the Helix Player (https://player.helixcommunity.org). We welcome all open source codecs and formats, including Dirac.
Secondly, this summer we will be releasing the RealPlayer 10 for Linux, which is built on top the Helix Player and includes the non-open source components of MP3, MPEG4, Flash, and RealAudio and RealVideo.
Both the Helix Player and RealPlayer 10 have a Mozilla plug-in and are going to be a major no cost update for your current RealPlayer 8.
Hi guys, great news.
Two things:
First we are building a kick-butt 100% open source media player called the Helix Player that today supports both Ogg Vorbis and Theora. Check it out at https://player.helixcommunity.org. That's right zero proprietary components. It won best open source porject at the last LinuxWorld.
Second, on top of the Helix Player, this summer we will bring out the new RealPlayer 10 for Linux. It will add the non-open source components of MP3, MPEG4, Flash and RealAudio and RealVideo (which we can't opensource since we don't own all the IP for these codecs).
Both the Helix Player and the RealPlayer 10 will have a Mozilla plug-in and will hopefully meet your demanding expectations.
Sure - two fold.
1) every alligation was thrown out
2) check the readily availble source code for yourself.
This issue is an urban legend that I've decided to not let stew any longer....
Kevin Foreman
GM Helix
RealNetworks
Helix Player will play Ogg Vorbis and Theora - both open source. Check it out at https://player.helixcommunity.org/ Kevin Foreman
Helix Player is 100% open source, inc. Vorbis and Theora. RealPlayer 10, built on top of Helix Player will add non-open source formats like RealAudio/RealVideo, MP3, Flash and MPEG-4 (for fee) when it goes alpha on May 10th. Kevin Foreman GM, Helix RealNetworks, Inc.
The spyware issue is a misunderstanding of the workings of our player that we fixed years ago. RealPlayer was not and is not spyware. The term implies that information about what an individual is doing is being recorded somewhere and correlated to personal information. This was not and is not happening. Way back in 1999 when this CD-ROM lookup database charge first arose, we changed how the RealPlayer communicated with the server (which as a client it has to do) in order to make it crystal clear that we were not recording any information that could track an individual. Today, there are virtually no background communications other than those chosen by the user when they install the player. Check out the new Windows RealPlayer to see the new install process yourself. Obviously our Linux Player is open source and not an issue. We heard the feedback and we think most will be pleased. Kevin Foreman GM, Helix RealNetworks, Inc.
Check out the Helix Player project. https://player.helixcommunity.org/ Support both Vorbis and Theora. Kevin Foreman GM Helix RealNetworks, Inc.
Motown, well put. Thanks for your support. Our plan is to bring out the 100% open source Helix Player (inc Vorbis anfd Theora support) and it superset cousin, the RealPlayer 10 for Linux (inc. non-open source components like RA/RV, MP3, Flash, etc. on top of the Helix Player) this summer. Alpha for both is scheduled for May 10th.... Kevin Foreman GM, Helix RealNetworks, Inc.