Next Real Player downloads Goo Tube

REAL NETWORKS is unlikely to win any popularity contests in the near future but its next version of Real Player is stirring up plenty of interest thanks to its ability to download Goo Tube and other video clips.

Available from next month, the next Real Player will place an icon over Flash, Windows Media and QuickTime videos so users can download them from all good sites, and a few bad ones too.

Why bother? To nix annoying buffering on slow links, to keep clips in a handy offline location, to run files full-screen, or to send on files to others. However, Real Player won't be able to help with files that are DRM-protected/infected (delete as appropriate). Want to see more? Robert Scoble has a blog entry and video interview with Real here.

Of course, as the world+dog knows, Real Networks hasn't endeared itself to the masses. It may have played a senior role in internet media streaming but its addiction to crapware and hard-nosed upselling tactics have earned the ire of many users. µ