RealNetworks Thursday released an update to its RealPlayer G2 that incorporates America Online’s Instant Messenger service and adds new features for broadband users.
The update features an AOL Instant Messenger button and menu items that link users to the service, allowing them to easily sending instant messages and share Real Audio and RealVideo clips in real time.
“With more than 55 million RealPlayer registered users, today’s announcement further expands the AOL Instant Messenger community, enabling more users than ever to easily and instantly communicate with friends and family,” said David Gang, AOL’s senior vice president of strategic development.
Maria Cantwell, an executive in Real’s consumer and e-commerce division, said the goal of the partnership is to make it easy for RealPlayer and Instant Messenger users to share streaming media clips.
The first G2 update also contains new features enabling broadband Internet users to obtain extra features while minimizing G2 content download times for dial-up customers. It also provides users with Internet Explorer 5 instant access to more than 1,700 radio and television stations through one-click access to RealGuide.
All versions of RealPlayer G2 now include scalable multicast support which allows Web content providers to reach large-scale audiences by using router-based stream splitting.
Startup performance for RealChannels has also been enhanced.