The VideoLAN Forums

Hi,
I just wanted to ask if where is any possibility of vlc getting able to play any Real media File.
I know what in the moment VLC is not able to play most o the Real Media Files cause to the lack of an open source decoder.
But if I understood this page corrctly (https://player.helixcommunity.org/2004/downloads/) where is a Open Source Version of Real Player for Linux.

Does this development maybe make it possible for VLC to play such files?
with best regards
p90

Hi,
I just wanted to ask if where is any possibility of vlc getting able to play any Real media File.
I know what in the moment VLC is not able to play most o the Real Media Files cause to the lack of an open source decoder.

Actually, its more that RealPlaything is supremely jealous of its code, and prosecutes anyone who steps on it. back in '97-'98, Real took WinAmp to task for loading .rm, .ram, and .rma codecs in one of their plugins.

But if I understood this page corrctly (https://player.helixcommunity.org/2004/downloads/) where is a Open Source Version of Real Player for Linux.

Nope. Actually, Helix is RealPlaything's development crew. If you open any RealPlaything, you'll see a spalsh screen saying "Made with HELIX technology." That's what they are...

Does this development maybe make it possible for VLC to play such files?

If VLC wants to stay "clean," they won't do it without RealPlaything's license. However, if you really insist on playing .rm and the like with out benefit of the Plaything, please cosider googling the K-Lite Mega-Codec Pack, and loading it's RealPlaything alternative (I believe it'll be BS Player...)

Cheers...

The real player alternative uses Gabest's MPC
Search Gabest on the web or Media Player Classic

I hate codec packs. I've never seen one yet that is some way didn't screw up a machine.

The real player alternative uses Gabest's MPC
Search Gabest on the web or Media Player Classic

Hmm. Isn't that for WMP classic, and not RP6 and below?

I hate codec packs. I've never seen one yet that is some way didn't screw up a machine.

Hmm, again... Never had a problem with them -- altho I stopped using them when I discovered VLC... I still have continuing updates to both K-Lite's regular- and mega- codec packs about once a month tho -- just in case I need a codec or two...

I just use Media Player Classic for the files VLC won't play, which is generally just Real Media and Windows Media. On a side note, I hate both of those formats for essentially the same reason that VLC doesn't support them. Boo proprietary DRM-supporting video formats! (And other things for that matter.)

The look is similar but thats where it ends. Gabest supports internally MPEG 2, ac3, subtitles and lots of other things Microsoft doesn't. He also supports Direct Show and if you don't like his filters you can shut them down and use your own. Under Direct Show I have tried to support everything VLC supports. It's nice to have a second opinion.

MPlayer and Mencoder are also interesting and is a stand alone system, that (so I'm told) can be supplemented with Direct Show filters. I will admit I haven't gotten that far. This one has been a slow go for me because the program is command line driven and I have not found a GUI that really provides the power of the program. Plus, like VLC at times the command line Syntax drives me nuts. So when I find one that works (for what I wanted) I quickly save it and label it.

As far as codec packs go you must lead a very sheltered or charmed life. I have run across people that love ffdshow, but personally I hate it. Perhaps it's all in what you are trying to do and how well it fits in with being the proper tool for the job. Simple example: DivX supports XviD but if you use DivX for XviD you quickly realize there are problems that you think are encoding problems and aren't.

As far as codec packs go you must lead a very sheltered or charmed life. I have run across people that love ffdshow, but personally I hate it. Perhaps it's all in what you are trying to do and how well it fits in with being the proper tool for the job. Simple example: DivX supports XviD but if you use DivX for XviD you quickly realize there are problems that you think are encoding problems and aren't.

I don't like ffdshow either, and I uncomment it on install. Haven't really seen the need for it.

As for XviD and DivX distinctions, there's also a marvelous tool out there called GSpot, which can render any video you name (but prefers variations on .avi), and shows you what codecs are available to play it. You can accept the default, or select from other workable options/combinations. It'll add your codec preferences to the file's junk vault, and play on your preference. I've only had it screw-up once, and it was a bad file to begin with. I replaced the file -- no more trouble...