RealAudio©

Contents of this Page

Real Content without a Real Server
How to Set up Content without a Real Server
Real Content with a Real Server
Our Real Server Service
How to Set up Content with Our Real Server Service

Real Content without a Real Server

Real Networks has come out with RealPlayer 5.0, of which one feature is the ability to play files delivered via Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). What this means is that now streaming audio can be delivered in the same manner as a gif or text file without requiring Progressive Network's proprietary PNM protocol.

What does this mean to XyNexT's customers?  Anyone may have RA files served from their pages without using a Real Server. Also, because these files are being served via HTTP, the overall server load should remain about the same, because one RA file is like several web pages; HTTP doesn't care what type of files it is serving - it just knows to push files out!

How to Set up Content without a Real Server

After you have created your .ra file with your Real tools, you would create a text file with the extension .ram. In this text file, you would make a reference to your .ra file so that the server can serve it. The contents of the file would be:

http://yourdomain.com/path_to_file/file.ra

On your web page, you would reference the .ram file, NOT the .ra file (i.e., http://yourdomain.com/path_to_file/file.ram). If you reference the .ra file, it will download completely to the client system before playing. The .ram file is the one that facilitates streaming audio.