RealPlayer 8 Basic

This player that streams audio and video from the Net is for you strictly if you have a broadband connection. For the janta, well, you can listen to a few seconds of music and then twiddle your thumbs for a couple of minutes while the player rebuffers. Most unpleasant and annoying.

But if your bandwidth permits and you’re able to check out its features, you’ll find them promising. RealPlayer comes with some default channels–music, entertainment, news, sports–and you can add or remove channels, too. Or, it starts to stream when you click on a link at a website that offers streaming.

RealPlayer Basic also lets you create streaming content for it. It has a three-band equalizer, but you can get 10 if you upgrade to RealPlayer Plus. RealPlayer Plus also gives you a choice of over 2500 radio stations.

You’ll find quick links to RealPlayer Jukebox and RealPlayer Plus on the interface. You can even register for a RealPlayer GoldPass that gives you access to adult shows and free software.

It is also simple to install. Just download it from www.real.com, follow configuration instructions, and you’ll be ready to roll.

Juhi Bhambal