RealNetworks plans to hit the CES trade show floor
Thursday with a new Helix DRM digital rights management technology
touting support for the popular (and competing) MP3 and MPEG-4 formats,
among others.
Helix DRM replaces the company’s Media Commerce Suite (MCS), which provided
DRM only for RealAudio and RealVideo formats, and is part of RealNetworks’ ambitious
open-source push for adoption among content producers and consumer
electronics manufacturers.
RealNetworks VP of media systems Dan Sheeran told internetnews.com
the decision to support competing formats with a DRM product would let
content owners, for the first time, deliver secure content to any PC or
non-PC device using a single DRM and a single engine to support all
formats.
As with many undertakings by Real, the latest strategy shift puts the
company nose-to-nose with Microsoft , which has its own
DRM product for its proprietary Windows Media format. Sheeran described
Microsoft’s DRM suite as “a distasteful offering” because it forced media
and consumer electronic companies into using only the Windows Media
format.
“Helix DRM is compelling because once you get beyond the PC, neither the
Real or Windows media formats are dominant. On music players, the dominant
ones are MP3 and on DVD players, it’s MPEG. With Helix DRM, content
producers can still protect the products, even in standards-based,
non-proprietary formats,” Sheeran said.
Available Thursday as a beta release Helix DRM will still support RealAudio, RealVideo in addition to
MPEG-4, MP3, H.263 video, and AAC and Narrowband AMR audio, Sheeran
explained. It won’t support Windows Media “because that technology is
already available” but Sheeran hinted Windows support could be added down
the road.
“We could add support for Windows Media it in the future but, right now,
the greatest source of demand in the market is not in providing DRM for
Windows because that’s already available.”
The folks at Apple are sure to be watching Real’s
announcement with interest. Apple has bet the future of its Quicktime
software on the MPEG-4
tool for MPEG-4 has badly hurt Quicktime adoption for content delivery.
RealNetworks said Helix DRM would also enable a range of consumer
electronic devices to support multiple secure formats by offering two models
for integration: native support or transfer to secure memory.
“CE manufacturers can add native support by integrating the Helix DRM
Client and Helix DNA Client on the device. A device with native support can
access secure media directly from a Helix DRM license server, such as one
operated by an Internet movie or music service,” the company said.
Consumer electronics manufacturers can use the Real-sponsored open-source
Helix Community to get
specifications for developing their own versions of the Helix DRM Client.
Real will license binary versions of the Helix DRM Client to the consumer
electronics manufacturers.
Sheeran said the plan is to further expand interoperability with mobile
devices by supporting relevant standards that emerge from the Open Mobile
Alliance within the Helix DRM platform.
So far, Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, Starz on Demand, Movielink,
Kevin Spacey’s Triggerstreet.com and EMI Recorded Music are among a slew of
big-name firms that have declared their support for the Helix DRM
product.
Sheeran said pricing for Helix DRM is consistent with those for the old
Media Commerce Suite and varies depending on field of use and scale.
Earlier this week, rival Microsoft announced new licensing
terms for its flagship Windows Media 9 Series platform, which also
offers DRM technology.
