RealNetworks have let loose the G2 goose for all a ya'll. The new G2 codec is the "first open, extensible standards-based streaming media system, which delivers new rich media experiences to users through the synchronization and playback of multiple media types." RealNetworks also announced today that more than 50 leading media "pals" are providing programming through branded RealChannels, and more than 20 leading media companies are providing exclusive, next generation SMIL-based programming for RealPlayer G2 users.

Without going into all the back patting which takes up 70% of the press release - the three most important new features of this software are:

* G2 includes a powerful new music Codec which increases the frequency response of audio by 80% for both 28.8Kbpbs and 56Kbps modem connections, and new video post-filtering capabilities create smoother images for end-users.

* New Stream Smart transport technology delivers reliable and continuous end-user playback under real-world network conditions. The addition of two new media types, RealText(TM) and RealPix(TM), combined with support for Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL), enable rich multi- stream programming to be delivered over typical modem connections.

* Standards-Based System - RealSystem G2 is the first system built on industry standards, implementing RTSP, the Real Time Streaming Protocol, as the standard client/server protocol for streaming media, and SMIL, an internet standard recently approved by the W3C. SMIL enables Web authors to easily create synchronized multimedia presentations using a wide range of multimedia elements including voice, music, visual effects, text and graphics. RealSystem G2 also includes native support for most existing media file formats on the Web today including ASF, AVI, JPEG, MPEG, VIV, and WAV.

http://www.real.com/

(? Ninfomania)