Streaming: Real Vs Windows Media

[yangrossman]

I run a website for a company that has lots of video(DV) material and I would like to stream it. Here in Brazil, although we have 7 million people connected to the internet, most of them have a 56kb or less tranfer rate.
Which format should I opt to make the streamings, Real or Windows Media ? Which one should stream better ? Do I have to buy the codecs and server ?
What should I consider ?
Thanks a lot.

 

[Kodiak]

can't help you from the technical side... all I can tell you that as a surfer I hate the real-media sites, for various reasons -- I have to download another plugin (Windows Media comes built-in), it spreads around my machine like the borg, entrenching in my registry, startups, taskbars, etc... the quality used to be inferior, I haven't used it since I got my ADSL so I don't know how it is at higher bandwidth, but apparently that's not an issue for you anyway...
plus, all the adware & spyware that's silently sending my private info to realnetworks, its too much... these days when customers are picky enough that we can decide not to visit a site just because we don't want to get a particular plugin, you should really think of putting BOTH up, and let the surfer decide

 

[Guest]

Can't really help from the tech side either, but as a surfer: without a doubt, go with Windows Media. Regardless of bandwidth Real is untolerable.

 

[Arrow]

The way RealPlayer is made to function completely annoys me. I can't tell you exactly in what sense, but it seems that whenever it needs to be opened, it's a bother. I find the usability of Windows Media Player much more pleasant.

Rob
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[Grizely1]

LOL Same here. Whenever Realplayer opens I'm like "ohhh what the HELL?", then i close it. hehehehheh

 

[Guest]

Kodiak, youre a trekkie, Is The best of both Worlds your fave episode?

 

[Guest]

I usually don't tout windows products, but in this case I will. I went to an IEEE presentation on streaming media where a representative from Microsoft did a side by side comparison of Real format and Win Media format. At the lower bandwidths, Windows blows Real away in terms of quality. They simply have a better codec format. I heard it with my own ears and saw it with my own eyes. In terms of technology, win media is ahead of Real.

I hate that take-over-your-computer-philosphy that Real trys to pull too. I've gone so far as to install it only when I need it and then uninstall it after I'm done using it.


- Every private citizen has a public responsibility

 

[necroscope]

i also say "oh what the hell is this!", when i use realplayer. i've done streaming music videos before, and WMP is much more clear and gets better frames

 

[Kodiak]

it appears to be a concensus here

garf: Why do you think I'm a trekkie? True, I've watched almost all of the ST:TNG (not that many Voyagers, and even fewer DS9s), but I'm not a trekkie in true meaning of the word...

anyhoo, it's been so long since I've seen ST:TNG that I can't remember what my favourite episode is anymore..

however, there is one episode of Voyager which sticks to my mind:
In this episode, the crew just starts, well, melting basically.
Near the end of the episode, you find out that through something or the other (deflector dish and Tachyon beams were surely involved the voyager was actually duplicated years ago, and these guys we've been watching for 50 minutes now are 'fakes'. However, they have real memories and real feelings, and they've had real experiences during those separate years that nobody else has had. They try to heal themselves, when that turns out to be impossible, they try desperately to send a signal or a probe which would spell out what happened to them and knowledge they collected, but in the end they fail miserably, all traces of them dissapear, only floating blobs in space...

it is so *perfectly* depressing, and completely out of tone with usual "we'll solve any problem in 40 minutes + commercials with a deflector dish and some tetrion beams" attitude, that it really, really sticks to my mind... I swear, the feeling of despair, sorrow and pure misery one feels at the end, simply because it is so UNEXPECTED -- you always expect a happy ending in Star Trek... pure genius
easily the most emotional and surprising of all episodes I've seen

 

[Kodiak]

oh, anybody know the name of that episode btw?

 

[necroscope]

sad as it is i think i actually watched it

 

[mpjesse]

Personally I prefer Windows Media because the software interface is SOOO simple. If anyone owns Real Player G2 you'll know what I mean. They cluster [-peep-] their interface with adds, useless buttons, and drop down menus. Windows Media Player (NON WinME version) is very simple. But on image quality, ultimately it's going to depend on bandwidth of your servers and the customers internet connection speed.

-MP Jesse