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RealVideo 9 Enables Broadcast Quality for Broadband Users and Subscription Quality for Dial-Up Users

Adoption of RealVideo 9 and RealAudio Surround Driven by 65 Leading Media Companies, Content Creation Tools Providers and the RealOne SuperPass Subscription Services

LOS ANGELES, Streaming Media West/Internet World, April 24

``Content owners are embracing RealVideo 9 for two reasons,'' said Martin Plaehn, senior vice president, Media Systems, RealNetworks, Inc. ``First, it reduces video storage and delivery costs by 30%. Second, RealVideo 9 provides a dramatically improved experience for both dialup and broadband consumers. When coupled with premium sports, news and entertainment programming, this new video experience makes video subscription services more compelling for consumers.''

``We have always recognized that RealNetworks is at the forefront of technology, and is a leading innovator for media delivery on the Internet,'' said Bernard Gershon, senior vice president and general manager, ABC News.com. ``RealVideo 9 at both low and high bandwidths is a true breakthrough. I believe that RealVideo 9 will show modem users, for the first time, how good Internet video can be.''

Combined with the interactive, three-pane environment and instant-on capability of the RealOne Player, as well as RealNetworks' subscription management, digital rights management, and media delivery software products and services, RealVideo 9 and RealAudio Surround enable the next generation of revenue-generating audio and video services on the Internet.

Quality Breakthroughs for All Consumers

RealVideo 9 and RealAudio Surround together offer consumers at all connection speeds the best Internet media experience available today.

• Narrowband: Next-generation advancements in video compression technology for dial-up connection speeds make half-screen video at dial-up bit rates a reality.
• Broadband: Consumers can watch VHS quality starting at 160Kbps.
• Home Theatre: With near DVD quality video and surround sound audio now possible at 500 Kbps, RealVideo 9 and RealAudio Surround greatly improve the economics of Internet-movie distribution. Two full-length movies can now be stored on a CD and up to fifteen full-length movies will fit on a DVD. RealVideo 9 also supports all HDTV formats and resolutions at data rates far below traditional HDTV.

A showcase of RealVideo 9 content is available at www.realnetworks.com/info/realvideo.

Rapid Adoption of RealVideo 9

Consumers will start enjoying RealVideo 9 at many of their favorite Web sites today. Twenty-two content providers including FoxSports.com, Maverick Records, and New Line Cinema have RealVideo 9 content available for consumers today, with an additional 15 content partners announcing their intent to deploy RealVideo 9 content in the future. Moreover, adoption of RealVideo 9 throughout the industry will be accelerated through RealVideo 9 content offered in RealNetworks industry leading RealOne SuperPass subscription service.

Content providers with content available now include: Animal Channel.org, Arista Nashville, Atlantic Records, BNA Records, Capitol Records, EMI, Fox Home Video, FoxSports.com, InterScope Records, Island Records, Maverick Records, MCA Records, New Line Cinema, RCA Records, Santuary Records, Universal/Motown Records, V2 Records, Verve Music Group, Virgin Records, and Warner Brothers Records.

Additional content providers supporting RealVideo 9 in the future include: ABC News.com, allFOOD.com, Ansaweb S.p.A, BBC, Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG), Conhem, Court TV, E-Channels Corporation, Energis, iFilm, Inspace (PaseLatino), PBA, Skanova, Telia, Vidzone, and Warner Bros. Online.

Market-Leading Content Creation Tools Support RealVideo 9

Content creators can start creating RealVideo 9 and RealAudio Surround content today using a preview release of the RealSystem Producer 9, available from www.realnetworks.com/info/realvideo. Additionally, both AnyStream and Discreet today announced support for RealVideo 9.

Other technology providers supporting RealVideo 9 include: Accordent, Adobe Systems, Akamai, Arbitron, AT&T Corporation, Avid Technology, Digital Island, Equant, France Telecom, Intel, LearnKey, Loudeye Technologies, MeasureCast, NEC, OPTX International, Pinnacle Systems, Real Broadcast Network, SofTV, Sonic Foundry, Speedera Networks, TechSmith, Viewcast, Williams Communications, and Winnov.

``We are pleased to be working with Real to integrate the new RealVideo 9 codec with Adobe Premiere and After Effects,'' said Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president of Adobe's Graphics business unit. ``Our customers will soon be able to export RealVideo 9 content, making streaming media production even easier.''

``RealVideo 9 and RealAudio Surround decoders optimized for Intel's Pentium 4 processor deliver an enhanced video and audio experience for playing rich media content to both consumers and enterprises alike,'' said Tom Gibbs, director Solutions Market Development Group, Intel Corporation. ``Leading companies like RealNetworks with their RealOne SuperPass subscription service demonstrate the industry's commitment to providing outstanding media experiences on the PC as well as on mobile devices.'' Intel and RealNetworks are working together to ensure that RealVideo 9 is optimized for the Intel Personal Internet Client Architecture (Intel® PCA) Processors for mobile phones, smart phones, PDAs, and in-vehicle systems.

``With RealAudio Surround and one of the millions of Dolby® Pro Logic® enabled consumer receivers, consumers can immediately enjoy multi-channel surround sound streamed directly from the Internet into their living room,'' said Ed Schummer, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Division, Dolby Laboratories Inc.

``RealAudio Surround broadens the advancement of the surround sound industry,'' said Jennifer Drescher, vice president, Marketing of SRS Labs. ``We're very excited to be working with RealNetworks at the dawn of this high quality IP revolution that RealAudio Surround is enabling. We look forward to the expanded business opportunities it provides SRS and our CircleSurround technology as we enable consumers to enjoy streaming surround sound at their desktop or through their home theater system.''

Availability

A showcase of RealVideo 9 content is available at www.realnetworks.com/info/realvideo. RealOne Player and RealPlayer 8 (Windows, Mac) support RealVideo 9 today. RealVideo 9 will be available for the RealOne Player for Unix and RealPlayer for PocketPC within 30 days. A preview of the next RealSystem Producer is available at www.realnetworks.com/info/realvideo. The RealSystem Producer preview runs on Windows 95 and above as well as Linux 2.2 and 2.4 kernels.

About RealNetworks

RealNetworks, Inc. is the global leader in Internet media delivery. It develops and markets software products and services designed to enable users of personal computers and consumer electronic devices to send and receive audio, video and other multimedia services using the Web. Consumers can access and experience audio/video programming and download RealNetworks' consumer software on the Internet at http://www.real.com . RealNetworks' systems and corporate information is located on the Internet at http://www.realnetworks.com .

NOTE: RealNetworks, RealSystem, RealVideo, RealAudio, RealOne, and RealPlayer and are trademarks or registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc. All other companies or products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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SOURCE: RealNetworks, Inc.