Reviewed by: Jasmine France on November 01, 2010
These days, a great number of people are not only finding the majority of their entertainment online but are also conducting a fair amount of their social lives there as well. In such times, it's great to have a quick and simple tool for downloading, editing, sharing, and transferring media. RealPlayer for Windows already had most of that down, offering a sweeping array of features, from one-click video downloading to automatic transcoding to social network sharing. The latest offering focuses mainly on improved device integration and an even smoother user experience.
RealPlayer has been around since 1995, which is practically the dawn of the Web. It started as a basic media player, becoming the preferred embedded app for streaming audio and video as sites started to offer that functionality, and eventually morphing into the easy-to-use, fully functioning beast we have today.
The previous version of RealPlayer already offered an easy, one-click solution for downloading unprotected videos for the Web. Another click transcodes those same videos to your portable device without a bit of extra effort on your part when it comes to fiddling with tricky digital format settings.
The program also incorporates a very simple-to-use video-trimming tool that allows you to select only certain bits of a video to transfer or share, and there are one-click buttons that let you share with a variety of social sites, such as Facebook and YouTube. In addition, you have the option to strip the audio out of the videos and save those as separate files.
The latest version of the software adds even more devices to the ever-expanding list of compatible handsets. Plus, RealPlayer now shows USB-connected smartphones and cameras inside the library in the main app window, allowing users to quickly and easily transfer content to the devices via drag-and-drop. Perhaps more compelling, though, is a new back-end feature that simplifies the process of getting photos and videos off of those devices and organized on your PC. In our testing, content was slow to load, but it's a welcome feature nonetheless.
Best of all, you can do all this for free. RealPlayer only requires a license fee if you want to upgrade to the Plus version in order to access additional features, such as H.264 conversion and DVD burning.
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Publisher's description
From RealNetworks:
The new RealPlayer aims to make it easier than ever before to manage and move media across devices without worrying about file formats or conversion issues, giving users the control and flexibility to enjoy their media on their own terms.
This latest version brings improvements to the free application that lets consumers play, manage, share and move photos, videos and music across a wide range of devices. Adding to existing popular features like one-click video downloading and transferring to mobile devices, the new RealPlayer now allows users to move media off their mobile devices and into their RealPlayer library.
What's new in this version:
Copy favorite videos to an iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry and dozens of other popular devices automatically.
Import photos taken on an Android, BlackBerry, or digital camera to a PC with one click, then easily share favorite photos on Facebook.
Share favorite videos on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace
Read more: RealPlayer - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com http://download.cnet.com/RealPlayer/3000-13632_4-10073040.html#ixzz1Ids7pFBJ
