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Prevent G2 RealPlayer problems by installing WMP first
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July 29, 1998 Web posted at: 3:30 PM EDT by Jeff Senna |
From...
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(IDG) -- Does the installation of the new Microsoft Windows Media Player (WMP) purposefully disable RealNetworks' upcoming G2 RealPlayer while running within Netscape Navigator?
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According to RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser, this is exactly the case. During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, he further stated that the new all-purpose multimedia and streaming media player must have been designed specifically to operate in this fashion.
However, Microsoft claims the problem lies in the fact that the G2 player fails to correctly register itself with the Netscape Navigator registry tree.
Regardless of the apparent problems, the solution is quite simple: Install WMP first, then install the G2 RealPlayer.
To arrive at this conclusion, I ran through the steps posted on RealNetworks' site to verify the problem. After performing the steps as documented, attempting to open a stream developed for playback using the G2 RealPlayer resulted in failure.
Out of curiosity, I also installed Apple's QuickTime 3.0 Pro and visited sites containing streamed QuickTime movies. Since WMP supports QuickTime, I expected that I might run into similar problems. This was not the case.
Although I was able to repeat the steps that prevented Netscape Navigator from playing streamed content using the G2 player, I simply uninstalled the beta, then reinstalled it again. This time, the player worked as expected.
Since an installation of QuickTime 3.0, coupled with an installation of the WMP, did not result in any problems, it would appear that the G2 RealPlayer beta might investigate Apple's method of installation. This would, perhaps, prevent the need to uninstall then reinstall the G2 player for correct operation.
Jeff Senna is a technology analyst for InfoWorld.