Progressive Networks Inc is today expected to announce support for the HTTP internet protocol in the latest beta of its RealAudio streaming software after it received flak for its lack of support by competitor Macromedia Inc. The move comes just days after San Francisco, California-based Macromedia – which sells rival product Shockwave – charged that RealAudio’s lack of support for HTTP requires special firewall configuration and maintenance. The accusation was part of a home page-to-home page propaganda war over which product is superior (CI No 2,999). In response, Seattle, Washington-based Progressive Networks has included support for the protocol, as well as updated support for its existing protocol, called RealAudio Robust user data protocol/internet protocol (UDP/IP), in the RealAudio 3.0 beta available today. HTTP uses TCP/IP protocols and allows encoding from any web server. The firm’s press information says HTTP will help individuals who need light streaming of small audio files, but the company last week told Computergram it added the protocol to get Macromedia off its back. HTTP is actually a red herring issue. We’re just going it to do it, and it only took one of our developers a week to complete it. The latest RealAudio beta also includes new DolbyNet technology, jointly developed with and licensed from Dolby Laboratories, which enables audio providers to encode the sound differently depending upon the type of music, such as classical or pop.
