Real to Offer Open Source Windows Media for Linux 228
cpugeniusmv writes to tell us News.com is reporting that RealNetworks plans to release an open source method to allow Linux users to play Windows Media files. Currently Linux users are able to play the two main Windows Media formats (wmv and wma) but only if they install closed-source modules. The ability to launch this initiative comes from a recent licensing deal between RealNetworks and Microsoft and the antitrust settlement against Microsoft.
Too little, too late... (Score:2, Interesting)
Bastards... I don't want their crap anyway
...err (Score:3, Interesting)
alternative (Score:2, Interesting)
That'll be great (Score:5, Interesting)
(You need 4 years of engineering graduate school to acquire this level of cynicism folks.)
I've been very impressed with Real's approach of late (ever since Helix, really, although they did some good things before then). They are showing a very cooperative attitude - enough to overcome any ill will I might have felt towards them - and I hope that they get a warm reception for this contribution that encourages them to embrace the open source/free software community further.
I do wonder though if any of this open source love is being pushed by the BBC? They are after all proabbly one of the biggest single drivers of Real installations and have demonstrated in the past their ability to push Real to change their stance.
I'm thinking particuarly of the fact that the BBC cancelled it's Ogg testing aboiut the same time that the whole Helix thing started - could Real opening up a bit in return for no migration to open source or free software codecs have been the price?
Re:Satan: (Score:1, Interesting)
On a file format??? And I thought the patent on "method of swinging on a swing" was bad.
Presumably they feel that the anti-trust settlement gives them all the rights they need, including patent licensing if applicable.
What about the streaming protocol (Score:3, Interesting)
Being able to play windows media streams is just as usefull as being able to play windows media files on a disk or web url or etc.
Re:Satan: (Score:3, Interesting)
It is obvious that they don't control the downstream propagation of MS's patten rights. Or do they?
Re:That'll be great (Score:4, Interesting)
This certainly used to be a massive problem (the easiest way was in fact to use the link provided by the BBC which went directly too it) but these days their download page [real.com] (the one you get to by clicking real player on the front page) outlines your options pretty clearly.
2) Try to install it without it inserting stuff into Windows startup - I use Startup Control Panel but not everyone is so lucky.
Not really a problem when installing on Linux, so I can't help you there. Windows users should be used to it by now from WMParasite anyway. Maybe someone who has installed a more recent version than you have can provide some insight.
3) Try to remove the messages/popups etc. from a standard installation - again, not for the novice.
Last time I ran Real Player on Windows that just involved changing the settings in the options tab. Now, i'll not overestimate the technical ability of most users, but unless things have changed it wasn't a lot harder than grasping the principle of how to turn your computer on.
Re:already there? (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:False Summary (Score:3, Interesting)
Thus your beef is with Apple and not Microsoft.
What I really lack is a way / program to move a video stream from one container format to another without transcoding the video stream. For example, the Ogg format hosts MPEG4 steams fairly well, so why can't I simply "lift" Microsoft MPEG4 or Apple MPEG4 videos from their respective proprietary containers to the open Ogg container?
wmv9 in changelog (Score:3, Interesting)
http://ffmpeg.mplayerhq.hu/changelog.html [mplayerhq.hu]
Re:That'll be great (Score:3, Interesting)
> worry about the quality of the code if their primary app
> is in this much of a mess.
Maybe they assume that most Windows users are idiots... Real Player for Linux if in fact quite neat application - GNOME style I would say. Real Player for Mac is a bit slow sometimes but again it works and is a little neat application. Only on Windows Real Player is real bloatware changing your settings (associations, putting shit in autostart etc).
On Windows boxes I tend to install Real Alternative which is basically stripped set of Real codecs and browser plugin. But I don't really know if it is legal to use it.
Great for those novice users of yours:
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Real_Alternat
Re:already there? (Score:3, Interesting)
I asumme that you mean "download Windows Media Player" from Microsoft, and extract the CoDec DLLs from it. Would you please list which DLLs you get from this download, and where you put them on your GNU/Linux machine for your media plyaer to use? Thanks.
Use ffmpeg (Score:3, Interesting)
Untested, but something like that should work. See the friendly man page for more info.
Helix Player? (Score:3, Interesting)
Please open up your own format first before going and opening up other peoples' formats.
They have, AFAIK.
Helix Community [helixcommunity.org] offers the open source Helix Player which supports encoding and transcoding of RM along with a bunch of other formats [helixcommunity.org].
Re:Satan: (Score:2, Interesting)