HISTORY:

History of Streaming Media (timeline found at http://web.ptc.org/library/proceedings/ptc2000/sessions/monday/m35/m352/)

Following the development of MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 and the invention of multicasting by Steve Deering in early 90s, streaming media entered the Internet in 1995 with its first delivery system by Xing Technology. Major historical events that highlight RealNetworks are outlined as follows:

1995

• Xing Technology Corporation (acquired by RealNetworks on August 10, 1999) developed StreamWorks, the first live and on-demand audio/video delivery system over the Internet, also known as "streaming" digital video.

1996

• Progressive Networks (renamed to RealNetworks in late 1997) announced the RealMedia architecture
• First cross-platform streaming media platform on the Internet

1997

• Progressive Networks (RealNetworks) announced RealVideo
  • First feature-complete, cross-platform video broadcast solution for the Web
  • More than 10 Million RealAudio users upgraded to RealVideo

1998

• RealNetworks announced RealSystem G2
• SureStream multiple bit rate encoding available
• More than 20 internet industry companies announced support for "Ask, Tell, & Help: Fair Practices and Convention for Handling File Formats on the Internet"
• Xing Technology Corporation released the first true high quality push multicast video servers
• Virage, Inc. released the first streaming video search engine

1999

• RealNetworks launched RealJukebox and announced the Gold release of RealJukebox and RealJukebox Plus
• Turning Internet PC's into the best way to experience music
• First complete digital music system provides users with everything needed to acquire, play, and manage their personal music collections
• RealNetworks introduced RealServer 7.0 and RealProducer 7.0, the latest advancement to RealSystem G2
• RealServer 7.0 delivers up to 250% improvement in server capacity
• RealProducer 7.0 delivers the quality of MPEG-1 video at half the data rate and delivers true VHS video experience at 800 Kbps