RealNetworks issues first fruit of Helix

By Matt Whipp

Posted on 30 Oct 2002 at 12:39

RealNetworks has made its Helix DNA Client code available to the Helix Community

Hoping to stimulate new uses and applications for its multimedia solutions, RealNetworks has today offered up the code to the core engine behind RealOne Player to developers.

With the Helix DNA Client, developers can create applications on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux platforms, and support a wide range of media formats, including MPEG-4, MP3, H.263 and 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project).

The Server and encoder code will be released to the Helix community later on this year.

Rob Glaser, founder and CEO of RealNetworks, said that the Client 'will enable thousands of developers to standardize on a single open media player architecture and bring that architecture to millions of digital consumer appliances from dozens of different manufacturers around the world.'

The client is already in use by a number of companies including the likes of Nokia, which employs the RealOne Player on its Symbian OS-based 7650 and 3650 handsets, and NEC, on its MobilePro P300 Pocket PC PDAs.

The Helix DNA Client is offered under two licences. The Public Source Licence is free if the subsequent products produced are also open-source. The Community Source Licence is free only for research and development applications but ensures products remain compatible and allows the licensees to retain IP control over their products.

Distribution of the Client without RealAudio or RealVideo costs $0.10 per unit after the first million which are free. Including the Real formats pushes it to $0.25 per unit for Windows-based platforms, although a $1m annual maximum is set for non-Windows-based platforms.

For more information visit helixcommunity.org.