RealPlayer video -- No longer free!

[Benjamin Sher]

Dear friends:

Just found out tonight from a good friend that the new RealPlayer called
RealOne no longer broadcasts video for free. To get video, you must
subscribe for $10 a month to Real Player. This is a desperation move by
RealPlayer. I sympathize. Microsoft's appetite knows no bounds, and they
have been doing everything in their power to crush their competitors and
put them out of business, by means fair and foul, leveraging their
monopoly of Windows to do this. It's no surprise, therefore, that their
Windows Media Player is now the preferred media player for the majority
of radio and tv stations, including most Russian stations, whether
broadcasting taped clips or live. The main exception seems to be Radio
Free Europe, which continues to use RealPlayer (audio only, of course).
This applies to all versions of RealOne, including the Basic version.
The only exception as far as the new RealOne is concerned is embedded
RealPlayer, that is, sites that broadcast their RealPlayer content
within an embedded screen as opposed to standalone video. A good example
of what I mean is the NTV Internet-Most site at:

http://internet-most.ru/

This is an example of standalone RealPlayer. If you click on the "video"
link with RealOne, you will get the audio, but not the video. If you do
the same with the earlier RealPlayer 8, it will play both the video and
the audio.

Bottom line for users: If you want your video FREE on RealPlayer, do NOT
upgrade from RealPlayer 8 to RealONE. You will be constantly goaded into
upgrading. Resist the temptation unless you are willing to "listen" to
video or else pay the $10 per month subscription fee.

If you have already upgraded to RealOne, you can restore your video by
1) UNinstalling RealOne (Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove
Programs). Then go to C:\Program Files\Real\ and delete the "Real"
folder (ONLY the "REAL" folder, nothing else!). Reboot. Now, if you
still have somewhere a copy of RealPlayer 8, install it. If you don't,
install a "complete" copy of Netscape Communicator (latest version 4.79
or earlier versions). Netscape Communicator comes with RealPlayer 8
Basic, which is what we want.). If you have already installed
Communicator, just install it over itself. No problem. It will install
RealPlayer 8 Basic along with Netscape Communciator 4.79.

If you no longer have Netscape Communicator, no need to despair. You can
get it for free by downloading it from the Netscape's ftp site at:

ftp://ftp.netscape.com

Now just navigate to the right section (see below) and download the file
   called: cc32d479.exe (23,057 kb or around 22 meg).

Here is the direct address:

ftp://ftp.netscape.com/pub/communicator/english/4.79/windows/windows95_or_nt/complete_install/

After you install it, you will be asked to download a small file of
around 200k. Say yes. Apparently, this file is necessary for the
operation of RealPlayer 8. But you will need to be on your guard for the
endless requests to upgrade RealPlayer 8 itself to RealOne. That is up
to you, of course, but I wanted to let you know about this so that you
and students can make an informed decision about this situation.

NOTE: You need the full version of Netscape 4.79 (or earlier versions)
to get Real Player 8 Basic). If you try to download Netscape from the
Netscape site using the special 400k installer for Netscape 6, you will
get the new RealOne instead of Real Player 8 Basic.

Now try it on the Internet-Most address above and you will be able to
both view and hear the broadcast.

RealPlayer seems to have shot itself in the foot with this. Of course,
there may be a compelling reason at some point in the future for
upgrading to RealOne (i.e if RealPlayer survives, which now seems
doubtful) and paying the monthly fee, but for the time being the FREE
Real Player 8 Basic is more than good enough.

Benjamin


--
Sher's Russian Web
http://www.websher.net
Benjamin and Anna Sher
sher07 at mindspring.com

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