Last week, RealNetworks , the makers of the Real Media Player, announced the features of the next version of the player due at the end of June. With the proliferation of videos on the Internet, the media player takes the online user experience to the next logical step, the option to download and view clips at ease.

The features packed in the Real Media Player 11 include:

  • One-click download of online videos from thousands of Web sites
  • Support for most formats including Real, Windows Media, Flash, and Quicktime
  • Ability to open multiple instances of Real Player at the same time, letting you save multiple videos at once
  • “Share with a Friend” feature that sends an e-mail link of the video content
  • Video search capability

Except from an article at InternetNews.com:

“Think of it as like Tivo for the Web,” Ben Rotholtz, general manager for Web services and syndication at Real, told internetnews.com. “Unlike others, we’re universal in our approach, supporting content in multiple formats. Consumers shouldn’t have to care or even know what format they’re watching a video in; they just want to experience the content.”

Further links:

Will Real face any lawsuits for new video recorder? (iTwire.com)

RealNetworks pushes the legal limit with the next version of Realplayer ( InformationWeek)

RealPlayer 11 allows easy download (PC World)

This recent news comes in the wake of the inking of a deal between YouTube and EMI ( Variety .com). Also, RealNetworks stated that the Real Media Player makes only DRM-free content downloadable.

However, it’s an open secret that innumerable videos that get uploaded onto these sites do violate copyright laws. As the content creators warm up to the concept of the distribution models, followed by major video delivery Web sites, will the upcoming Real Media Player blaze the trail for a consensus between content deliverers and content creators, or is this another software waiting to be embroiled in lawsuits? Join the discussion.