SEATTLE, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Digital entertainment services company RealNetworks® (Nasdaq: RNWK - News) today announced the consumer availability of its new RealPlayer® after a five-month public beta period. Originally debuting at The Wall Street Journal’s “D: All Things Digital” conference in June 2007 to rave reviews from beta testers and press alike, the new RealPlayer is the first mainstream media player that lets consumers download and record video from thousands of Web sites.
As part of the RealPlayer Plus package, users can now transfer downloaded video content to the Apple iPod Nano, iPod Classic and iPod Video. iPod owners who previously only had access to video content available through Apple iTunes now have access to non-DRM protected videos from thousands of sites on the Web.
Real will extend the popular and simple one-click download feature in the new RealPlayer to a global audience by the end of November with the availability of localized versions for nine additional languages. In addition, a beta version of the new RealPlayer for Mac users is now available and allows the downloading of non-DRM protected Web videos from thousands of sites for playback online or offline.
“Now consumers can use the one-click download functionality to view Web video offline on their PC or transfer video to popular portable media devices like the iPod,” said Harold Zeitz, senior vice president of media software and services at Real. “RealPlayer is one of the most popular applications around the world, and by the end of the month our customers from North America to China will have this one-click video download functionality and the ability to watch videos on the go with their iPods in their own native languages.”
Real will continue development of the new RealPlayer in the coming months, with plans to add video transfer support for the Apple iPhone and iTouch in early 2008. The new RealPlayer is available as a free download from http://www.realplayer.com. Support for the transfer of video to the Apple iPod is available to those customers who upgrade to RealPlayer Plus at a one-time cost of $39.99.
Fast Facts about the new RealPlayer:
-- In addition to the U.S. version, the new RealPlayer and the ability to
download Web video for offline viewing is now localized for the
following languages: French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish,
Japanese, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese
and English language variations serving the United Kingdom, Europe and
the Asia-Pacific region. These localized versions of the new RealPlayer
will be available for PC users (Windows XP SP II and Vista compatible)
before the end of November.
-- The Macintosh compatible beta version of the new RealPlayer is now
available to consumers in the U.S., supporting Mac OS X v10.4 and 10.5
with Firefox for the Mac and Safari.
-- Consumers can download multiple videos simultaneously with RealPlayer,
allowing people to save time and easily multitask. Users can also start
downloading in the middle of watching a video, and the entire video
will be captured. (PC version only)
-- Consumers can send links of their favorite videos to their friends with
a convenient "Share with a Friend" feature. The link that arrives in
their friends' email will direct them to the online source of the video
content. (PC version only)
-- RealPlayer features an improved look and feel, a streamlined
installation process and faster video playback. Media Contact:
Ryan Luckin, RealNetworks, 206-892-6330, rluckin@real.co
About RealNetworks, Inc.
RealNetworks, Inc. delivers digital entertainment services to consumers via PC, portable music player, home entertainment system or mobile phone. Real created the streaming media category in 1995 and has continued to lead the market with pioneering products and services, including: RealPlayer®, the first mainstream media player to enable one-click downloading and recording of Internet video; the award-winning Rhapsody® digital music service, which delivers more than 1 billion songs per year; RealArcade®, one of the largest casual games destinations on the Web; and a variety of mobile entertainment services, such as ringback tones, offered to consumers through leading wireless carriers around the world. RealNetworks’ corporate information is located at http://www.realnetworks.com/company.
RealNetworks, RealPlayer, Rhapsody, and RealArcade are registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc.
Source: RealNetworks, Inc.
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