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Progressive Networks Ships RealAudio Player Plus

August 21, 1996 by Leave a Comment

New Audio Plug-In Brings Push-Button Convenience to Audio Surfing

Seattle, WA. Progressive Networks today (August 19) launched RealAudio Player Plus. Player Plus is an enhanced version of the free RealAudio Player that makes accessing audio on the Internet as simple as tuning a car radio, with pre-set and scan buttons.

Player Plus is a browser helper or “Plug-In,” compatible with Netscape Navigator 2.0 or later, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or later, as well as about a dozen other web browsers. It will carry a Suggest Storyed retail price of $29.99. The product will be available for online purchase immediately at Progressive’s web site. It will also be available on retail shelves by the end of September.

“With thousand of hours of live and pre-recorded programming events broadcast in RealAudio each week on the Internet, the ability to access, organize and personalize usage has become essential,” said Rob Glaser, chairman and CEO of Progressive Networks. “The RealAudio Player Plus provides users with the most efficient way to locate, manage and instantly access RealAudio content worldwide.”

The big news for professionals producing material for RealAudio streaming on the net is the Selective Record feature. This feature allows users to listen to audio programs off-line by saving selected audio content locally to their hard disk, even if they are away from their computer. However, this option is available only if the audio producer designates the material as recordable by selecting a new encryption feature in the latest generation of RealAudio encoders. This is intended to protect the rights of copyright holders. The new encoders are not yet generally available.

Other enhancements of existing RealAudio technology introduced with Player Plus include:

  • Pre-set Buttons: Enables listeners to quickly reach their favorite RealAudio sites with easy one-button access.
  • Scanning: Allows users to surf hundreds of different live radio stations over the Internet without waiting for Web pages to download graphics.
  • Timecast Integration: Allows users to receive customized multimedia news, information and entertainment over the Internet. Individual users’ audio preferences are sent to Progressive Networks’ Timecast Web site, which intelligently selects and delivers live and pre-recorded audio programs tailored to each user.
  • Perfect Play: will allow 14.4 users the ability to listen to higher quality 28.8 RealAudio sound with the next upgrade of RealAudio.

Included with the RealAudio Player Plus package are copies of both Netscape Navigator 2.0 and Internet Explorer 3.0, over $100 of Internet audio essentials and one month of free unlimited connection time through Netcom and SpryNet. Discount offers are included from prominent RealAudio delivery sites including ESPNet SportsZone, SportsLine, CDNow, 1-800 Music Now, Taylor Subscription Talk, and Wired Magazine. There is also an offer for satellite speakers by Altec Lansing.

Retail distribution and sales for the RealAudio Player Plus is being handled by Broderbund as the result of an affiliate label agreement. Broderbund will handle distribution and sales for all RealAudio retail products in North America.

Progressive Networks will continue to offer the basic RealAudio Player for free from their site.

Filed Under: Biz

Weiss Introduces New Digital EQ

August 20, 1996 by Leave a Comment

Weiss Engineering has announced that their new Gambit series digital equalizer, the EQ1, will be available this month. The EQ1 is a seven band, digital audio equalizer priced at less than $4,500 US. It is distributed in the U.S. by G Prime Ltd.

According to Weiss Engineering, this is the first product that brings the power of a professional mastering equalizer to a wide cross section of the audio market.

“We set out to create an affordable, user friendly and, above all, very good sounding digital EQ. We put all of our accumulated engineering experience, together with the insight gained through nearly ten years of customer feedback, into the design of this equalizer. I think we’ve been successful in achieving breakthroughs in both price and sonic performance,” says Daniel Weiss.

Weiss Engineering introduced the world’s first digital audio equalizer in the late 1980’s. The company claims that more pop and classical CD’s are mastered on the Weiss 102 system today than on any other digital system. Weiss introduced the Gambit Series of stand alone products in 1993 to make its digital technology available to a broader market.

The Gambit Series EQ1 is being positioned as an ideal companion for computer-based audio work stations. It is a seven band parametric equalizer with dedicated controls for each band. Each band has boost/cut, frequency and Q/slope knobs. The knobs are touch sensitive. The LCD display shows the overall equalization curve and the detailed parameters of the “touched” band. The digital audio input and output are standard AES 3 format. A serial port allows control from a PC or MIDI device. The EQ1 has its own event list management system which is accessed using the LCD display and function buttons on the front panel.

Filed Under: Biz, Pro Audio

Harrison Goes Online

August 19, 1996 by Leave a Comment

Nashville, Tennessee. Console manufacturer Harrison has developed an online World Wide Web server to address the information needs of its customers.

It contains an informational home page containing the latest developments concerning Harrison consoles, users and new products. Existing clients may receive software updates through the Harrison ftp site located on this server.

You can send email to Harrison via direct response available at the web site. General email should go to sales@glw.com. There are links to other web sites of interest to the professional audio community. And for the media, there is an online Press Release section to keep members of the press updated through cyberspace.

Harrison says the site will be updated on a regular basis to keep net surfers up to date on the company’s latest developments. A check of the site today showed that the most recent update occured on July 22.

Filed Under: Biz

C-Span Selects Wheatstone SP-8 Television Audio Console

August 16, 1996 by Leave a Comment

Syracuse, NY. C-Span recently took delivery of its first Wheatstone console, the SP-8 television audio console. The new console will be used in C-Span’s Studio Control Room #2, which is currently under construction and scheduled to be on-air by October of this year.

The SP-8 offers the mix/minus capability necessary for C-Span programming with multiple live shots, remotes, and call-ins. “The SP-8 is the only console we found within our price range that had all the flexibility, user friendliness and features we were looking for,” said Dave Roycraft, C-Span Manager of Corporate Engineering. “Our operators are anxious to being working with it.

“We needed a console that operators could learn easily, but also a console that had all of the features we need for our live productions,” Roycraft continued. “Other consoles that provided the same flexibility in terms of features were much more complicated than the SP-8 to operate.”

Roycraft said the network was looking for a console as easy to operate as the old console in C-Span’s Studio Control Room #1, but in a newer and more feature-rich model. “The console in Studio Control Room #1 is our daily workhorse,” said Roycraft. “We receive a lot of call-ins through that room. We anticipate that the SP-8 will become our new workhorse.”

Roycraft also stated that another factor in Wheatstone’s favor was the overwhelmingly positive review the company received from other broadcasters. “Everyone that had first-hand experience with Wheatstone consoles said, ‘They work great and never break.’ They have an excellent reputation.”

The SP-8 console incorporates many of the features of Wheatstone’s higher-end audio consoles in a lower cost model. Technology available in Wheatstone’s high-end TV-600 audio control console, such as an eight-input per channel overbridge, a complete switch selectable internal logic structure, mix-minus capability, and group muting are all available on the SP-8.

Filed Under: Pro Audio
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