RealPlayer Aims For Mobile Devices

RealNetworks is trying to make it easier for consumers to watch Web video on mobile devices, and its latest version of RealPlayer enables downloading and transferring of videos files with a few clicks.

The latest version is called RealPlayer SP, which the company said stands for "social" and "portable." The company believes many smartphones are capable of strong multimedia playback, but getting content on them can be cumbersome and clunky.

RealPlayer SP attempts to solve these issues by automatically encoding videos for mobile devices with a few clicks. Now users can click on an unprotected Web video to download it, and the program will encode it for the type of device on which the user wishes to watch it.

In a statement, Rob Glaser, the company's CEO, explained that "RealPlayer SP makes it easy for anyone to get online video onto their mobile phones and other favorite portable devices. Since 1995," he said, "the RealPlayer has been at the center of people's online audio and video experience. RealPlayer SP now untethers that video experience so people can enjoy video on the go."

The multimedia software includes support for BlackBerry smartphones, multiple Nokia S60 devices, and the Palm Pre. RealPlayer SP also can be used to convert videos for an Apple iPod or iPhone, but consumers will still have to use iTunes to sync and transfer the content.

RealPlayer SP also attempts to make it easier for users to share content around the Web. After downloading a video, users may share its location on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites by clicking an icon.

A free beta version can be downloaded now from RealNetworks' Web site. A $39.99 premium version is available; it supports h.264 video conversion and DVD burning.

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