Burn, Baby, Burn Internet Video: BoomTown Has 50 New RealPlayer Beta Accounts to Hand Out
by Kara Swisher
Posted on June 6, 2007 at 2:23 AM PT
In the rush of D5, I neglected to make those interested an offer I am sure you will not refuse–RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser has given me 50 beta accounts to hand out to AllThingsD.com visitors to test out the new RealPlayer 11, which now allows users one-click downloading of nonprotected video from the Web.
Glaser debuted the new version of his flagship product at the conference last week, which you can read about here. It only allows you to download and save non-DRM-protected material, but there is plenty of that out there. The download feature, which pops up automatically while hovering over available videos, also keeps ads embedded in content that has them.
You can also bookmark videos and organize them. And once saved, you can then rip those videos onto any CD, DVD or, eventually, any other storage device like an iPod.
I was pretty impressed with its ease of use and usefulness.
No one can get these accounts until later in June, as this is an early version (meaning it will likely have some glitches, which RealNetworks would welcome feedback about). And they only work on Windows machines, though a Mac version is promised soon.
So if you want to be a guinea pig, write me an engaging and informative email about why you want the RealPlayer11 and how you will use it. Keep it short and sweet, please, and send it to kara@allthingsd.com.
But to make it even more interesting, you need to send me a link to a great video you want to download and if I like it, you get the account. I will also post all the video I receive, if it can be embedded, in this column.
Some rules:
No copyrighted material that has been somehow “unprotected” and slapped onto YouTube–I know, I know, information needs to be free, but some of it costs people money to make and I am not stealing it.
Keep it clean–I don’t judge, but I won’t post porn material here and so sending me such links, while amusing, is pointless.
A plus: I love funny. I love music. I love a good mash-up.
A minus: I am not a fan of kittens falling into pools, kids and their tricycle mishaps and stoners smashing into walls while riding skateboards.
Don’t butter me up and send me clips from the D conference–I was there.
Best bet: Surprise me and the account will be yours!
And see the video of Glaser’s demo last week below (and you can also read his recent post in our Voices section here):
