• Windows 2000 NT Plans Only

• RealPlayer7 and RealProducer 7 Software

• File Formats

• Getting Started with Audio and Video Files

• Converting Existing Files into RealMedia Files

• Updating and creating .ram files

• Uploading RealMedia Files

• Streaming Media

• Web Page Features

• Additional Support for RealSystem G2

Windows 2000 NT Plans Only

Real System G2 is not supported on Windows 2000 NT plans. We are running Windows Media Services. Windows 2000 NT supports the streaming of Windows media files such as .asf files.

Modifying Files

You will need to modify your .asx and .asf files as follows:

mms://www.domainname.com/userid/filename.asf

.asf files

.ASF files can be streamed from the users website by linking them inside of an .asx or .wax metafile. When a browser downloads a file with one of these extensions from a website, it opens Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player then locates and plays the content specified in the file.

A Windows Media metafile contains a type of Extensible Markup Language (XML) scripting that can only be interpreted by Windows Media Player. A metafile script can be as simple or complex as you need it to be. The most basic metafile contains simply the URL of some multimedia content on a server.

.asx files

.asx files can be created in notepad and the saved with a .asx extension. For example, a simple .asx file would be as follows:

<ASX version="3.0">
    <Entry>
        <ref HREF="mms://www.DomainName.com/userid/Path/FileName.asf">
    </Entry>
</ASX>

Users must insert their userid in the URL of the .asf file, if the file resides on our servers. If the User ID is not entered in the URL the MMS format will rollover to HTTP streaming format.

Streaming with Real Audio and Real Video Files

Real Audio/Video streaming
rstp://www.domainname.com/userid/subdirectory/filename.rm is not supported under the Windows 2000 platform. However, .rm files may still be played using standard HTTP streaming methods. For example:

http://www.DomainName.com/subdirectory/filename.rm

Additional Information

For More information on Windows Media Metafiles:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/imedia/windowsmedia/crcontent/asx.asp

Content Creation:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/imedia/windowsmedia/contcreation.asp

Converting other media types:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/imedia/windowsmedia/tools/encoder_for_avis.asp

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How do I acquire RealPlayer 7 and RealProducer 7 software?

In order to listen to RealMedia files, you will need to download and install a version of RealPlayer 7 software. You have the option of downloading and purchasing the full version of RealPlayer 7 Plus or downloading the free player RealPlayer 7 Basic.

In order to create and manage RealMedia files, you will need to download and install RealProducer 7software. You have the option of downloading and purchasing the full version of RealProducer Plus 7 Beta or downloading the free version of Basic RealProducer 7.

For more information about products and services, see http://www.service.real.com.

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What audio and video formats can be converted into RealMedia clips using RealProducer 7?

• Audio (.au)
• Waveform audio (.wav)
• Video for Windows (.avi)
• QuickTime for Windows (.mov) requires DirectX 6.0
• Moving Pictures Expert Group (.mpg, .mpeg, .mpa, .mp2, .mp3) requires DirectX 6.0

Please note that currently, you cannot convert MPEG-2 files with RealProducer 7.

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How do I start creating audio and video files, if I am a beginner?

We recommend reading the RealProducer G2 Authoring Kit to learn the basics for creating audio and video files. To download the kit, go to http://www.realnetworks.com/products/authkit/.

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How do I convert my existing audio file into a RealMedia file?

In order to convert your audio file into a RealMedia file, you will need to use RealProducer 7 program. If you are familiar with converting files in RealProducer 7, enter in the appropriate data in the fields provided.

If you have never converted sound files into .rm files,we suggest using the recording wizard as follows:

1. Open the RealProducer 7 program.
2. Click on File and then select Recording Wizards, next choose Record from File.
3. You will enter the Recording Wizard and be asked to find your file, you can either search with the Browse function or enter in the filename. Once you have completed this task, click on Next.
4. You will be asked to fill out a form concerning the clip and specific information. You may fill the form out or leave it blank, click Next to proceed.
5. You will have the option to select the type of file either Multi-Rate SureStream for RealServer G2 or sigle rate for web servers. Once you have completed this task, click on Next.
6. You will be asked to choose a target audience, we recommend selecting 56K Modem as this will accommodate most users. If users are running 28.8 modems, by selecting the 56K Modem option the clip may briefly timeout and resume. Once completed with your selection, click Next.
7. Choose the format of your file and click Next.
8. You will be asked to name your file, use the format "filename.rm". It is important to know when naming a Real Media file not to use the underscore ("_") character, it will not be interpreted correctly by the .ram file. Once you have completed this task, click on Next.
9. A screen with all of the information concerning your file will appear, click Finish to close the wizard and return to the RealProducer 7 main window.

Once you have completed the wizard, you have successfully converted your sound file into a RealMedia file.

How do I convert my video file into a RealMedia File?

In order to convert your video file into a RealMedia file, you will need to use RealProducer 7 program. If you are familiar with converting files in RealProducer 7, enter in the appropriate data in the fields provided.

If you have never converted video files into .rm files, we suggest using the recording wizard as follows:

1. Open the RealProducer 7 program.
2. Click on File and then select Recording Wizards, next choose Record from Media Device.
3. Select the Input Sources either audio, video or both and click Next.
4. You will be asked to fill out a form concerning the clip and specific information. You may fill the form out or leave it blank, click Next to proceed.
5. You will have the option to select the type of file either Multi-Rate SureStream for RealServer G2 or Single rate for web servers. Once you have completed this task, click Next.
6. You will be asked to choose a target audience, we recommend selecting 56K Modem as this will accommodate most users. If users are running 28.8 modems, by selecting the 56K Modem option the clip may briefly timeout and resume. Once completed with your selection, click Next.
7. You will be asked to select an video device if your file has video capabilities. These options are based on the content of your video, most users choose Normal Motion. Once you have completed this task click Next . If your file does not include video features, proceed to the next step by clicking Next.
8. You will be asked to name your file, use the format "filename.rm". It is important to know that when naming a RealMedia file not to use the underscore ("_") character, it will not be interpreted correctly by the .ram file. Once you have completed this task, click Next.
9. A screen with all of the information concerning your file will appear, click Finish to close the wizard and return to the RealProducer 7 main window.
10. You do have the option of changing the recording. To do so click on Start to begin recording, once completed click Stop. A dialog box will appear asking you to confirm ending the recording, but the session will continue to record. You must click Yes to stop recording.
11. After the recording has stopped a dialog box will appear with three options. First, you may Add Your Clip to Janus Now! To place your file on a public listing of clips hosted by RealNetworks. Second, you may View Statistics to view complete information about your recording session. Or you may Close the dialog box and return to the RealProducer 7 main window.

Once you have completed the wizard, you have successfully converted your video file into a RealMedia file.

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Do I need to update my existing Real Audio/Video 5.0 .ram files to work with RealSystem G2?

Yes, to take advantage of the new features that RealSystem G2 offers, you will need to modify your existing .ram files as follows:

Old Format as supported by RealAudio/Video 5.O:

• UNIX: pnm://<yourdomainname>/~userid/filename.rm
• NT: pnm://<yourdomainname>/userid/filename.rm

New Format as supported by RealSystem G2:

• UNIX: rtsp://<yourdomainname>/userid/filename.rm
• NT: rtsp://<yourdomainname>/userid/filename.rm

*Your existing RealAudio/Video 5.O .ram files will continue to work with the upgraded RealSystem G2 server. However, effective May 1, 2000 we will discontinue support of the RealServer 5.0.

I am currently using RealAudio/Video 5.O on Unix and the "~userid" format in the .ram file, will this work with RealSystem G2?

No, you will need to upgrade your .ram files to the RealSystem G2 format. It is important to delete the "~userid" and replace it with "userid".

How do I create a .ram file?

For each .rm file that you create, you will need to create a .ram file. First, use a text editor such as Notepad to create a text file with a .ram file extension. You should consider using the same file naming convention for example the "test.ram" file will launch the "test.rm" file. The .ram file should contain one line in the following format for both Unix and NT users:

rtsp://<yourdomainname>/userid/filename.rm

Substitute your domain name, userid and the complete filename including the ".rm" extension. This file can reside in the root directory of your account.

Once the .ram text file is created, you should save it and upload it to your web site using ASCII as the transfer mode.

Now that you have completed creating and uploading your .ram file, you should have both the .rm and the .ram files in your root directory.

How do I create the HTML code for a .ram file on my website?

The following HTML code can be inserting into your website's HTML source: