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Calling All RealPlayers

RealNetworks adds Net2Phone to Windows RealPlayer 7, ships Mac and UNIX updates.

By Cameron Crouch, PCWorld   

On Monday, RealNetworks is shipping Update 1 to RealPlayer 7 for Windows, which adds Net2Phone's voice-over-Internet-protocol software and additional message services from Real.com.

RealNetworks also released a gold edition of RealPlayer 7 for Macintosh and a beta edition of RealPlayer 7 for UNIX. Neither supports voice over IP, and RealNetworks does not say whether that function will be added.

RealPlayer 7 for Windows comes in three free downloadable editions: A minimal edition is available for dial-up connections, the standard edition bundles RealJukebox, and the complete edition includes Net2Phone software. You can pay $29.95 for a Plus package of any edition, which has better audio and video quality, a roster of radio stations, and a graphic equalizer.

The Phone in Your PC

Net2Phone's software lets you make phone calls across the Internet to any phone or Internet-enabled PC, at significant savings compared with most long-distance rates. You incur a charge for local calls. As a promotion, RealPlayer users who download and register for Net2Phone will get a headset and 100 free minutes of domestic calls.

"Many of our 95-million-plus users are international," says Rob Grady, a product manager in RealNetworks' consumer division. Net2Phone "lets our users get access to leading IP telephony software and save money on phone calls."

To get the RealPlayer with Net2Phone, you must update if you already run RealPlayer 7 for Windows, or download the complete edition of RealPlayer 7. The minimal and standard versions don't include Net2Phone but you can always update later, Grady says.

And if you forget to check for updates, RealNetworks will notify you.

RealPlayer 7 also has new functions in the Real.com message service, which notifies you of entertainment or breaking news.

"We've expanded that feature to include top ten movie trailers, new music releases, a video and music download of the day, and breaking news flashes," Grady says. The expanded Real.com service is available for Windows and Macintosh users, he says.

RealPlayer 7 for UNIX

RealPlayer 7 for UNIX is available for download or through the AutoUpdate feature in all versions of RealPlayer G2 or 7.

RealPlayer 7 for UNIX does not include the RealJukebox, Net2Phone, or Real.com message service. It has other RealPlayer 7 features such as Take 5, a service that streams audio and video highlights of the day's news and entertainment.

This edition of RealPlayer 7 runs on Sun Solaris 2.6/2.7 and the Red Hat 6.0 distribution of Linux, but it's not RealPlayer's UNIX debut.

"We've shipped UNIX versions of all our servers and player since we launched," Grady says. A gold release of RealPlayer 7 for UNIX will ship in a few months, he adds. "We want to get it out to as many people as possible and let them pound on it for a while."