The new RealVideo streaming video technology introduced by Progressive Networks Inc, and Iterated Systems Inc’s peculiarly- named Clearly compression technology are set to segment the online video market, according to competitors that spoke to our sister publication Multimedia Futures. Progressive announced details of the RealVideo technology for delivering real-time video over the Internet and intranets at Milia in Cannes recently (CI No 3,097), and a strategic alliance with Iterated Systems that will result in Iterated’s Clearly video compression product being distributed with Progressive’s RealVideo Encoders and supported by RealPlayers and RealVideo Servers. Vivo Software Inc, which produces the Vivo Active Producer and Vivo Active Player video production tools, expressed concern that another streamed video product will fragment the market. RealVideo is not compatible with other similar products on the market from VDOnet Corp and Vxtreme Inc, said Peter Zaballos at Vivo Software. It’s then up to us to make our tools work with all the products available on the market. But Iterated and Progressive defended their position. The VDONet and Vxtreme products are video conferencing-based. They are suited to applications such as a talking head with limited movement. RealVideo covers the full spectrum with the possibility of streaming high action video with several scene changes such as music videos, said Philip Burgess, vicepresident for Europe at Iterated. RealVideo delivers video over 28.8Kbps modems as well as full motion and broadcast quality video over 56Kbps, ISDN and local networks at 100Kbps and above. RealAudio Players can be upgraded to RealPlayers that will play both existing RealAudio files and RealVideo files.
