| REAL AUDIO/VIDEO INFORMATION |
| What is RealServer/Media/Audio? RealServer is the software that streams media (RealAudio and RealVideo) over a network. The client receives the media in real-time, and does not have to wait for the clip to download. RealMedia is any media that is specifically created to be streamed from RealServer. RealAudio is an audio only streaming format. RealVideo is a video streaming format that includes both audio and video.
The RealPlayer client for viewing RealAudio and RealVideo is available as a free download at: http://www.real.com/player/. |
| How can I create Real Audio/Video files? You can create RealAudio and RealVideo files with RealNetworks RealProducer. More information on obtaining and using RealProducer can be found at: http://www.realnetworks.com/products/. |
| What protocols does RealServer support? The RealServer supports two protocols. RTSP: The Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) is a client-server multimedia presentation control protocol, designed to address the needs for efficient delivery of streamed multimedia over IP networks. RTSP is an open protocol that supports many file formats including SureStream, SMIL, RealText, RealPix, ASF (Microsoft's Active Streaming Format), Apple QuickTime, MPEG Audio/Video, RealAudio, RealVideo, and H.263 files.
PNA: The Progressive Networks Audio (PNA) protocol is designed and used with RealSystem version 5.0 and earlier. RealServer supports PNA for compatibility with older versions of RealPlayer. PNA is a proprietary protocol. |
| What protocol should I use? The protocol is determined by the type of media you are streaming and to some extent on the client's network configuration. Using the correct protocol ensures that the media will be streamed as fast as possible. Using the wrong protocol can result in poor streaming quality. RTSP is the best protocol for media created with RealSystem G2+ tools. It supports many media styles and is open standard. Older (legacy) media developed with RealSystems 5.0 and earlier should use the PNA protocol. |
| Where can I find more information? Real.com main download and information site: Real.com's support page:
http://service.real.com RealNetworks start-up demos: http://www.realnetworks.com/getstarted/ |