Talk:RealPlayer

Spyware

I've heard from reliable sources that RealPlayer contains spyware which reports information about each video/whatever you view back to RealNetworks. Can anyone find a link to a page

RealNetworks has shown a pattern of completely and totally ignoring privacy concerns by spying on their users, changing registry entries, serving up advertising, transmitting CD playlists, and more. Unscrupulous RealNetwork employees sometimes come on here and remove this information but people have a right to be informed about how RealNetworks consistently and continually and constantly violates user privacy with some of the most underhanded and infamous marketing tactics in the industry. --Valwen 22:37, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

Back in the late nineties (probably '98), I used Realplayer, and I noticed data being sent, but I didn't have anything called RealJukebox installed. Also, RealNetworks' use of spyware in other software is not just rumors. [1] Gronky 18:56, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

RealNetworks purchased the company NetZip; NetZip's DownloadDemon software did communicate with servers during downloads. The program was renamed RealDownload but was abandoned; it is not relevant to RealPlayer. Grobbins 04:41, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

I haven't time to search for references, but I had a feeling that spyware of some kind was one of the "features" objected to when the BBC started streaming radio content in RealAudio format. But maybe it was just the "nagware", where RealPlayer insists on running in the background and popping up to tell you about new upgrades and offers from Real, that people didn't like. What I do know is that as a result of the criticisms, they managed to negotiate a special distribution deal with RealNetworks to offer a cut-down "BBC Player" for direct download. - IMSoP 12:20, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Just think about it - if there was any spyware, why no anti-spyware catches it?!? I use realplayer 10 and I've tried million anti-spyware rograms. None of them threated RealPlayer as "Spyware"

As of today, RealPlayer Version 10 does utilize an executable named TkBellExe. This is a "scheduler" that periodically checks to see if an update to the Player is available. Of course this requires communicating with Real, but whether it's "spyware" per se or not probably depends on one's definition. rphunt 12:35, 24 January 2006 (UTC)

Everytime i run RealPlayer or I visit RealNetworks webpage, Ad-Aware detects a tracking cooki in real.com. Isn't this spyware?(click Sign your name:)

In the narrowest sense, yes. They're different cookies. See the Realplayer privacy preferences. You can turn off the browser cookie in the browser's privacy preferences tab. --Lexein 07:06, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

Is there a bug-free RealVideo solution for the Mac OS?

I am using Real Alternative on my Windows laptop. Is there a bug-free solution for the Mac OS? -- Toytoy 13:46, 31 March 2006 (UTC)

Probably this isnt the best place to ask. VLC Plays them I think its multiplatform for Mac As well as Linux. Mike Beckham 13:50, 31 March 2006 (UTC)

Seems like VLC does not support RealVideo[2]. And I think Helix Project does not support Mac OS. -- Toytoy 14:21, 31 March 2006 (UTC)

I see I could of sworn I use it, oh well not a Mac user right now so I dont know. Try posting on a tech help forum like my favourite Leoville Townsquare in the tech section. Mike Beckham 15:50, 31 March 2006 (UTC)

NPOV

This whole article reads like a warning about Real Player. I hate it as much as everyone else but the article needs more technical information at the very least, at the moment the entire article comes across as negative. (Real PR Department) — Preceding unsigned comment added by User:Pbeesley1989 (talk • contribs)

It all contains factual information and sources. I have not seen anything NPOV about it. If you have something to add, then add it. However the current information is backed up with sources and factual. - Mike Beckham 20:24, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

I agree with the original post. The article contains a disproportionate number of criticisms, many of which are standard practices in software. The bullet point about RealPlayer slowing down the processor with a background process is absurd. ITunes has a similar background service in Windows and it's not mentioned anywhere in that article. Many other programs also add background services, so I don't see why this article has to air that criticism. Also, receiving marketing email from a software vendor is not unusual. The wording on some of the criticisms section is biased. "Annoying" alets. "Bombarded" with "endless" emails. Some of the criticisms also mock the names of features by putting them in quotation marks. The article also claims to know what people prefer without citing any sources. The first criticism states that Real did not make it clear that a free version existed "for some users' taste." I think that the trivia section is out of place in this article and the contents of it should be removed. (Real PR Department) --67.168.0.155 04:21, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Okay, that's all funny. At some point the article was spammed with Real PR, and the article has been straining under the load since then. I've slashed the most egregious blather in the Features and Formats sections. Be gratefulthe whole thing hasn't been deleted, and locked. --Lexein 06:36, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

Merging Realsched.exe

I don't think that Realsched.exe merits its own article given that it's such a narrow topic. However, I think it'd be pretty useful in the RealPlayer article. --Wafulz 15:57, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

• Hi. Because of multiple spam attacs by Urod, that RealPlayer slows down the computerand that it's bloated or something,I have created a special article about the scheduler. If you want to move the article here, it will be also good. --Flash --date? --Lexein 16:15, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

• The brief neutral mention of Realsched.exe in this article here is good, but how about a heading of User Servicable Parts, or some such? --Lexein 16:15, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

• I support the inclusion of Realsched.exe resource usage, and notes on removal. --Lexein 12:36, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

Wrong Critisms

• I've noticed that an user called Urod tries to lame the software. He has put some POV like "Worst product at PCWorld" at the top and a LOT of link to blogs full with spam. Also - realsched.exe will cause a system overflow and buttons "see also: MPlayer (has nothing to do with real) and Real Alternative (illegal). I think this user shall be blocked from editing this article. --Flash
  • Real Alternative is legal; even if it would be illegal, it is ok to write article about it; I wrote that PCWorld called it the second worst product of all times, which is true. --Urod 02:49, 4 September 2006 (UTC)
    • You know what? Create your own wikipedia and spread spam there. I recommend you the Yahoo Geocities. As about the PCWorld link, it is already in the article, don't put it on the top. Real Alternative is NOT legal, and these links you give about the spyware are from 2000. And what the heck is this "buffer overflow" about RealSched.exe??? Just stop editing this article.!!! --Flash
      • First, sign with date. Second, you already had been banned once. Third, I am going to complain about you to administrators. I tired from your insults. --Urod 03:02, 10 October 2006 (UTC)
• You don't own this article. You yourself cannot decide to ban an editor from an article. Only the ArbCom has the authority to do so. Hbdragon88 04:05, 10 October 2006 (UTC)

RealDownload Criticism Removed

I removed this criticism because it has nothing to do with RealPlayer. RealDownload is outdated, this link is really inneeded. Joanna

What is RealDownload, then, and where should it go? There's no RealDownload article on Wikipedia. Hbdragon88 03:31, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Actual criticism?

Some of the itms in the newly-renamed Controversy section sound like personal pet peeves. I'd really like to get a source on some of these criticisms. Hbdragon88 19:05, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

• Should the controversy on not being able to install RealPlayer 10.5 on machine running a x64-based OS be added? I've did some googling, and found many claimed that early 10.5 builds would install[3]. Yeah, I know it's due to my own peeve and I could otherwise just use one of my 32-bit machines, but this is the only machine I have that has a surround sound kit. And I'm not willing to put up with the poorer performance that comes with downgrading to 32-bit. Not very happy that I can't use the PalmOS edition on my Sony Clié (which some claim would otherwise work fine) either. RAM 16:51, 12 November 2006 (UTC)
• Pet peeves maybe, by why is there a "citation needed" after the paragraph about the sound? Anyone with Real Player running on a Windows operating system can easily adjust the volume on Real Player and see for themselves that it adjusts the volume for the entire computer. BamPowThoom 19:48, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

1. Correction: "it adjusts the volume for the entire computer" should be "it adjusts the volume for all Wave sound sources" (like system sounds like low battery alarms, VOIP apps, screen readers, Avast! virus update alerts, but not analog-mixed sources like CD,TV,modem speaker).

2. I think citations are always necessary for encyclopedic entries. I found some tech support forum citations, and am still seeking magazine or journal ones.

3. Question: does this mis-design exist on Mac or Linux Realplayers?

--Lexein 16:29, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

Broken link

The last external link is broken (RealPlayer Enterprise Download). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 82.81.95.106 (talk) 10:13, 17 December 2006 (UTC).

• Seems to be working now --Lexein 16:17, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

Query Professionalism of Article

This Article sounds mostly like it was copied and pasted by marketing. For example: It begins with a huge feature list including e.g. "Also a feature to Stay on top while playing is available." (!!!!?) Then it goes on to list nearly every media file extension conceived. None of these things are unique: Windows Media Player, Nero and WinAmp all have similar functions. This goes on for far too long and smacks of copy-and-pasting a spec sheet. That's not what Wiki is for.

Controversy is a small paragraph at the end. <Above> complained it seems more pet peeves, and is unreferenced. I think its a bit thin personally: Real has come in for a lot of criticism because it hijacks all associations, keeps asserting them, pumps down adware the user wasn't aware of when they signed up for, etc. Here are some references: This guy has done a lot of research into Real and corresponded to people within the country. It sheds a lot of light on the problems, both with the player and within the company. He also claims that the rumored "BBC RealPlayer" is a myth, based on correspondence from someone within Real. (Has anyone asked the BBC?) Use Google cache if necessary:

http://jogin.com/weblog/archives/000513 http://jogin.com/weblog/archives/000504 http://jogin.com/weblog/archives/000515 Toru-chan 12:57, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

• Sorry, those weblog links all redirect to the main site now. Useless. Do you have better links? --Lexein 16:36, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

• I've updated Controversy with citations and reformatting, in agreement with your point about it. I think the section should not be a history of all issues, perhaps just the "best" with good citations, and some current unresolved ones. --Lexein 16:09, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

• I've found these archive.org substitutes for the above Jogin blog entries. The Jogin blog is dead. http://web.archive.org/web/20040304215918/www.jogin.com/weblog/archives/000504/   http://web.archive.org/web/20040812002151/jogin.com/weblog/archives/2004/03/06/real_reply   http://web.archive.org/web/20040612081802/jogin.com/weblog/archives/2004/03/07/real_proof --Lexein 22:02, 17 February 2007 (UTC)

Tech support forum citations okay?

I could not find (yet) any published references to the RealPlayer system volume control issue. So I added citations from tech support forums about it. These aren't blogs or wikis, and they tend, for large companies, to be permanent. If these do not belong here then just userfy or talkify them, or tell me to, and I will. --Lexein 16:09, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

page semi protection?

Does anyone mind if I request page protection against anonymous or newly reg. users? Wikipedia semi-protection --Lexein 07:21, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

CD-Text

The CD-Text article says that "Realplayer 10 supports Reading and Writing of CD-Text". Can anyone add that to this article, thereby confirming it ? TIA.

Jerome Potts 19:08, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

RealPlayer for Windows98SE?

I have an old windows98se laptop with no network card (i move files with USB) that I use to play sound files. Some of my sound files are in that accursed Real proprietary format. Is there a player I can get that will run in windows98se? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.243.255.130 (talk) 14:05, 21 April 2007 (UTC).

• 1. this is not a forum for discussion of the player, just the article. 2. Real.com has an archive of older versions, http://forms.real.com/real/player/blackjack.html . 3. How in the world did I find it in 14 seconds? http://www.google.com/search?q=real+player+older+versions --Lexein 15:54, 21 April 2007 (UTC)

Version Release

The full version number for the latest release, May 2007, is 6.0.12.1714.

The most recent version before this was 6.0.12.1578.

There is some discussion on here - http://real.lithium.com/real/board/message?board.id=realplayer&message.id=15150

--rjcuk 11:33, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

RealPlayer 10.6

Actually, Real Player has released v10.6, targeted to China.

http://cn.real.com

check this out.

Stand-alone or portable version?

It would be helpful if the article stated clearly whether no-install stand-alone/portable versions exist, official or not. Without this, when a person goes to use a library computer, if Real Player has not been already installed, media available only in Real cannot be accessed. It seem like there must be a way around this?-69.87.204.120 20:59, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

Additional File format

I notice the .rax FF is not in the list; mp3.com states it is the "Real" version of the tunes they pimp, as seen at [4] (click "View tracks" then "Download"). _> MonstaPro:^{Talk:Contrib.} 09:50, 30 August 2007 (UTC)