Looking for a way to play realmedia

I'm looking for a way to play Realmedia files without installing their software. The two options I see are Real Alternative and KMPlayer. Can anyone give me advice?

Thanks,
- Eli

There are also codecs - specifically, the one I use, Shark007's FREE Codec solutions.

You can also use The KMPlayer, it has support for all media formats and uses its own internal codecs, which means you don't have to install ANY.

I highly recommended KMPlayer.

Thanks to both posters. I'm going to try KMPlayer, seems like it's the least 'invasive' of the two options. I've heard of shark007's codecs, and they seem like a pretty good option also, but I'm trying to keep my laptop as lean as possible for work.

using Kmplayer = playback available in that one player only.

Shark007 codecs = playback in any player you choose, including streaming playback in all web browsers.

I think the word 'invasive' is inappropriate when discussing Shark007 codecs.
'comprehensive' would be more suitable terminology.

Shark007 said:

using Kmplayer = playback available in that one player only.

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Precisely. Which is ideal since it plays anything/everything I've ever thrown at it. Why use 3-4 different players? That's invasive.

Shark007 said:

Shark007 codecs = playback in any player you choose, including streaming playback in all web browsers.

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No doubt. All you need, however, is DIVX and KMPlayer to handle it all.

Shark007 said:

I think the word 'invasive' is inappropriate when discussing Shark007 codecs. 'comprehensive' would be more suitable terminology.

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While I'm certain this 'pack' in question has been assembled with care, codec 'packs' of any kind are to be avoided at all costs.

You don't buy an entire farm because you need a carrot, do you?

I disagree. Codec packs from Shark007 undergo extensive testing, and I have yet to find fault with them.

I can play all formats using native Windows programs (both WiMP and WMC) and the codecs are there performing the same functions as the built in codecs that Micro$oft ships with Windows - there are just more of them in this case.

Why buy an ATV when you already have a golf cart for traversing the greens?

Using a third party player is great - until you decide you want to expand upon what you do (like using extenders in WMC) and all of a sudden realize that you can't - b/c KMplayer will play videos that WMC won't. Then you realize that you want to use the Media Center remote - only to realize that it only handles basic operations like forward, rewind, etc, and you still need to power on WMC to watch Live TV....

1 product - WMC - handles it all for me, with the exception of BD, b/c I don't have a BD player right now, and thus have no PowerDVD.

I used to be the same way about codec packs - every one I had tried had hosed Vista left and right - until Shark started making his packs more freely available. After that, I never looked back.

Captain Zero said:

codec 'packs' of any kind are to be avoided at all costs

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Your opinion is invasive and the result of days gone by when there was little else to choose from other than the K-Lite crap which often lead people to a formatted harddrive. If you want to live in the dark ages that is fine but don't try to drag the whole world down there with you.

You are suggesting installing a player you do not need (which is an invasive action) when Windows already supplies player(s) with 10x the capabilities (as described by John) built right into the operating system.

Adding codecs to an Operating System is not invasive. It is what Microsoft intended you to do.
When this is done with care and professionalism, it works very well. I also take extra care to make sure that uninstalling my software will return your system to a pre-installation state.

Captain Zero, you need to crawl out of the past and realize that there are alternatives to adding invasive software such as alternate players when Windows already supplies players that only need supporting software installed (codecs) to make them capable of playing any audio/video format you have. This is exactly why Directshow exists within the Microsoft Operating Systems.

Captain Zero said:

All you need, however, is DIVX and KMPlayer to handle it all.

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Here you go, proof positive that your opinion is invasive. Telling people to install an extra player that they do not need and then telling people to install a codecpack (divx is a codepack) to support that player. Things could not get any more invasive than this. Wake up and smell your own coffee.