🚀 go-pugleaf

Does anyone know if there is an open source program that does the
same as RealPlayer? Especially if it can read RealPlayer datastreams?

The reason I ask is that one annoying thing about RealPlayer is that
it will only play a datastream as it is being connected to the stream 
via the Internet; it will not allow the stream to be saved and played 
back later. This can be problematic when one has a slow or intermittent
connection (i.e. most times).

Also, saving it would allow it to be replayed again later, without 
having to connect to the net each time. No doubt RealPlayer see it
as a feature of their system that you can't save files; but to users
it is a bug. (One could possibly patch the Linux kernel so it would
intercept the stream of IP packets from the source to the RealPlayer
application to "fool" it into believing it was a real Internet 
connection -- or do RealPlayer get round that by having a 2-way
conversation and encrypting it differently each time?)


I suspect also there might be legal issues relating to an open source
version, at least in some jurisdictions; i.e. corporate bullying a la 
DVD-CCA.

-- 
***** Phil Hunt ***** send email to phil@comuno.com *****
Moore's Law: hardware speed doubles every 18 months
Gates' Law: software speed halves every 18 months