RealPlayer 16 Review

RealPlayer was one of the first media players with support for streaming media over the web. 18 years have passed since its inception, and the utility has reached its 16th version, bringing a redesigned interface and new features, such as video bookmarking.

Installation, interface and format support

In most aspects, RealPlayer's installer does not differ from common programs. Notable is the possibility to activate a browser download button that permits direct download of web-based video from apps like Firefox and Chrome.

Since the previous Softpedia review, RealPlayer has redesigned the interface, making it cleaner and more accessible. All main features are broken down into four areas dedicated to the library, currently playing video, CD burning, and viewing clips on the web.

Supported media formats include proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo (e.g. RA, RM, RV, RMVB), MP3 (e.g. MP3, PLS, M3U), MPEG (e.g. MPG, MPEG, MP4, M4V), AVI, Windows Media (WMA, WMV, ASF) and Flash video (FLV), to name but a few.

Library Populating the library with files helps with quickly accessing favorite media. RealPlayer is able to automatically locate user-defined audio and video file types in a selected area, such as all drives, Music, Video, desktop, and add them to the list with or without subfolders, system directories or network files.

Library contents are grouped together by type ("Music," "Videos," "Pictures," "Downloads and Recordings," "Playlists") and can be sorted by date, name or source, while two viewing modes are available – thumbnail and list. Clip details include artist, album, category, genre, length, file type, quality and rights. A search function is provided throughout this database.

It is possible to copy selected media to a DVD or removable device, add it to a favorites list, as well as share it via email, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or MySpace.

RealPlayer puts several editing tools for audio/video at users’ disposal. For instance, you can prepare files for viewing on iPad, iPod, iPhone, Zune and BlackBerry, or just convert them to custom-defined audio and video profiles (e.g 3GP, WMV, H.264). The list of possible output types is quite extensive.

In addition, you can open a file's location in the default file manager, change file names in batch mode, view and edit clip information (e.g. artist, album), give ratings for personal use, mark files as private, as well as trim media and capture frames.

Playing media

Apart from standard controls that usually come bundled with media players (e.g. full screen, window resize, stretch mode, volume adjustment), RealPlayer offers several visualization methods while listening to music, along with video control over the color and sharpness levels.

Burning audio and video to disc

RealPlayer has a built-in burner to ready files for media devices. It is capable of burning an audio or data CD (any format playable by the application), along with a video CD. Tracks can be imported from the library (all media, music, videos, downloads and recordings, playlists, auto-playlists, CD history, purchased music).

Web videos

The feature that sets RealPlayer apart from most media players out there is represented by the "Web Videos" area. Frequent visitors of YouTube and other video-sharing websites may seamlessly view featured clips by day, popularity or channel (e.g. "Animals and Pets," "Comedy," "Entertainment," "Gaming, "Music").

Program options

The media player implements a myriad of options intended for customization, dedicated to advanced users. For example, it can load on startup the last view or any of the four main areas, as well as clear the history list in the File menu.

The library locations can be easily altered, and you have the possibility of specifying the types of missing or incorrect song information to repair. Moreover, you can remove installed plugins, set the default recording time limit for live webcasts, configure CD burner settings, and edit message center properties, among many others.

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The Good

RealPlayer is cross-platform, multilingual and offers support for both 32-bit and 64-bit architecture types. CPU and RAM consumption is generally low when playing media. Thorough user documentation is available.

Back and forward buttons allow quick navigation and retracing steps. Accessible from the upper right part of the screen, private mode puts emphasis on user privacy. It requires a PIN code for activation, in order to place downloaded videos in a hidden folders, permit videos to be hidden in the library, and clear clip history.

The Bad

Third-party components are necessary to load certain features or play video, such as Flash ActiveX control for album art visualization, QuickTime for MOV files, and video burning support software for burning DVDs and VCDs.

Many features are just eye-candy, as they become unlocked in the premium edition of RealPlayer (e.g. additional CD burning tasks, volume equalization across all tracks when burning, music cleaner). Most of them are not marked as unavailable options, which makes the user prone to spend a lot of time discovering usable features.

Keyboard shortcuts cannot be reassigned. RealPlayer crashed out of the blue during Softpedia evaluation. On top of that, the tool failed to play a web video.

The Truth

Although RealPlayer has made progress along the years, it still depends on third parties to release its full power. Nevertheless, the utility brings forth handy and intuitive media player functions and extra features that equal in usefulness, catering to novices and advanced users alike.