RealPlayer 11: A Viable Media Player for Mac?

Apparently for the last couple years, we were completely unaware that the RealPlayer format was still considered a viable streaming solution, in the wake of Quicktime and Windows Media Player’s growing popularity.

After trying out their previously adware/spyware ridden Window’s version a few years back I completely swore off the company altogether. So, will this latest edition change our minds about how we view RealPlayer?

What about all these new features that will cater to every iPod owner’s quest for RealMedia content? Sarcastic as that may sound we give RealPlayer 11 a look over and see what we like and dislike. RealPlayer 11 has now been introduced as a beta version for the Mac following the Windows previous beta. As promised users can now copy their downloaded RealMedia video content to their iPods.

Of course this is provided the file is free of any digital rights management. Also this feature doesn’t come for free, you’ll need to purchase RealPlayer Plus for a hefty price of $39.99. The Plus edition also includes DVD burning features, as well as crossfade audio controls. We’re not really sure why crossfade audio carries such a high cost, but the DVD burning and iPod exporting could perhaps make up for it?

Acquiring the Beta is as simple as going to RealPlayer and downloading the file. During the installation process, RealPlayer, as usual, attempts to become the default player for virtually any and all media files you would open, so be sure not to get too clicky while installing. The software does allow you to select the files you wish to associate so with some prudence and patience, you can save yourself the hassle of resetting those associations, should you end up not liking the RealPlayer experience.

RealPlayer was able to play most of our media files right out of the box, however we ran into some problems playing video files encoded with AC3 audio. The files played well; however, while skipping ahead or going back during the video, it was a little more choppy then we normally like. RealPlayer 11 does include a nice equalizer system complete with customizable room sizes for achieving the best possible sound from your speakers or headphones.

While we weren’t able to demo the RealMedia to iPod export, we imagine this would be a straight forward process like the rest of 11’s functions. But with a price tag of nearly $40 it seems that few people will be willing to invest in this media player. In RealNetworks’ favor we do applaud them for a much cleaner release, relatively free of adware for RealGuide content. When viewing content from RealGuide you do get an advertisement much larger then the content you’re trying to watch. We find that it degrades the overall viewing satisfaction.

Our final thoughts? RealPlayer 11 is a good straightforward player for viewing your RealMedia encoded files. We don’t think anyone will be ditching iTunes, Quicktime, VLC, or mPlayer anytime soon unless they want to play RealPlayer’s proprietary formats. If you decide to give it a whirl, download RealPlayer 11 and tell us how you rate it. Do you like it? Hate it? Let us know.