New Real Player is Real Threat to Online Video Creators

June 26, 2007-The latest version of Real Player, announced in beta version today, enables users to download almost any streaming video clip online straight to a hard drive. Uploaded videos on sites like YouTube, MySpace, Revver, and Google Video are vulnerable to Real Player 11’s automatic download recognition, enabling browsers to “own” any video online. In order to appease creators’ individual ownership rights, Real Player draws the line at video content protected by DRM (Digital Rights Management). However, based on the plethora of licensed media that has sifted through the cracks on sites like YouTube and Google Video (including DRM-protected content), the propensity for nearly any video to be owned without rights is exceedingly plausible.

While browsing the internet, most videos that are moused over will display a small rectangular box in the upper right hand corner titled “Download This Video,” accompanied by the Real logo. Clicking the box automatically begins downloading that video in its own small window. Numerous clips can be downloaded simultaneously and the Real downloader application will function unobtrusively in the background during normal computer operation. Users can even record streaming video from within Real Player. Downloaded files appear as .FLVs, a Flash format which can only be played in select players. Despite this format hurdle, users can burn their freshly downloaded videos to CD which will play in most DVD players, and DVDs with the $29.99 Real Player Plus version. The ability to transfer videos directly to portable media devices such as the iPod are just around the corner for future versions of Real Player, in addition to Mac compatibility, according to the press release.

This type of technology is not new, but the ease of use which Real Player imparts, coupled with its widespread use, is likely to have a much larger effect than similar software in the past. Those who post videos on revenue-sharing sites like Revver may be particularly vulnerable. Real Player users can now download Revver videos to their computer, never having to access the site to watch that particular clip again. This, in turn, minimizes the number of ad clicks and reduces the stream of revenue within the site. Meta Café is in a tight spot, as well. Users who post videos on the site are paid a fraction of ad revenue solely based on the amount of clicks their video receives. Since almost any video clip online is susceptible to a Real Player download, Revver and Meta Café are not the only sites that will suffer losses.

YouTube, MySpace, and Google Video users rely on the number of clicks their videos receive in order to boost popularity, ultimately heightening the chance of being featured on the front page or favorites page. Instead of throwing someone a link or saving a clip to a list of favorites in a user profile, users now have a few alternative options in regards to sharing and playing videos—none of which will equate to an additional click.