Author: JT Smith
the release of the RealAudio[TM] plugin for X MultiMedia System.
The RealAudio plugin will allow XMMS users to playback audio on Linux and
other UNIX operating systems and will enable users to add effects such as
QSound iQTM or Spatializer StreamFX[TM] to the RealAudio stream. Currently
QSound iQ is only available in the Windows version of RealPlayer8. With the
ability to add effects and view graphical visualization of the RealAudio stream,
XMMS now provides a more enhanced RealAudio player than the standard UNIX
player that Real Networks distributes.
The plugin is released with source code under GPL. However, it requires the
RealAudio SDK and the RealPlayer8 to be downloaded and installed from Real
Network’s website. The binary distributions only require the RealPlayer to be
downloaded and installed from Real Networks’s website at http://www.real.com.
The RealAudio Plugin currently only provides audio playback via XMMS. The
plugin plays the RealAudio streams via XMMS’s output plugins and hence it will
be able to playback audio via any of the output plugins like OSS, ESD or aRTs.
The RealAudio streams can also be mixed with other formats such as wav, mp3.
The following is a list of RealAudio formats supported by the plugin:
o RealAudio8 Audio
o MP3 audio
o RealAudio G2 audio
o Wav audio
o RealAudio 3.0 audio
o Live streams
o RealAudio 2.0 audio
“With the release of the RealAudio playback support, XMMS can now be called a
true media player”, said Dev Mazumdar, President of 4Front Technologies which
develops XMMS under an Open Source model.
“We will continue to develop the RealAudio plugin to support RealVideo playback
and other formats such as SMIL that RealPlayer supports. The most interesting
feature of this plugin is the ability to add 3D audio effects such as OSS/3D,
QSound, Spatializer and others that make XMMS a media player on par with Real
Network’s RealPlayer8 for Windows and MacOS. Having the plugin released under
GPL will ensure that other developers will be able to contribute and enhance
XMMS’s RealAudio support”, added Mr. Mazumdar.
The RealAudio plugin for XMMS can be accessed via CVS at
http://cvs.xmms.org/index.cgi/rmxmms/
ABOUT X MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM:
The X Multimedia System (XMMS) is developed by 4Front Technologies under the
GNU Public License (GPL) and has a large world-wide developer base that
contributes plugins and enahancements. XMMS is a cross platform multimedia
player that support MP3, Ogg, Wave, CD, MOD, MIDI, and digital audio and Mpeg1,
AVI, Mpeg2 video formats. The XMMS plugin API is published under a BSD license
that permits proprietary binary-only plugins or plugins that are GPL/LGPL/Open
Source compliant.
XMMS is distributed with all the major Linux and FreeBSD distributions. It has
become the de-facto media player and has won world-wide acclaim as being one of
the best media players for UNIX and Linux. XMMS has won numerous awards from
Slashdot, Linux Magazine, Linux Journal and others. More information on XMMS
is available at http://www.xmms.org.
ABOUT 4FRONT TECHNOLOGIES:
4Front is a privately held company with development facilities in California,
Finland and Sweden. 4Front’s main focus is on developing audio solutions for
the UNIX, Linux and embedded Systems marketplace. 4Front is the developer of
Open Sound System and is released under a BSD like license. Open Sound System
has become the “de-facto” audio API that is now distributed with Linux and
FreeBSD kernel sources and licensed by companies like SCO, Wind River Systems,
Hewlett Packard and endorsed by SUN Microsystems.
Open Sound System provides a cross-platform audio API with device drivers for
over 250 brand name sound cards from vendors like Creative Labs, Yamaha, Cirrus
Logic, MIDIMan, ESS Technologies, CMedia and others. More information on Open
Sound System and 4Front Technologies is available at http://www.opensound.com.
–XX–
Copyright (C) 2001, 4Front Technologies. All rights reserved.
Open Sound System is a trade mark of 4Front Technologies.
XMMS and X MultiMedia System are trade marks of 4Front Technologies
Linux is a registered trade mark of Linus Torvalds
UNIX is a registered trade mark of X/Open Company Ltd.
RealAudio is a trade mark of Real Networks, Inc.
All other trade marks that appear in this document are acknowledged
and owned by their respective owners.
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