| MPP home | Internet streaming video players for Windows. Comparison chart |
The following chart compares almost all streaming video products available on the market in June 98. We have kept it for reference even though, since then, almost only RealPlayer and NetShow have been able to extend their diffusion to the world.
The others players share a very low percentage of the Internet users, extending the reach of one of the two major producers (e.g. NetToob by Bitcasting, is supporting MPEG for RealSystem), sepcializing themselves (StreamWorks with high quality MPEG streaming; CVideo with e-mail videoclips), or changing strategies (Motorola TrueStream and IBM Bamba).
At the end of 1998, the two leaders RealNetworks and Microsoft, are delivering RealSystem G2 and NetShow 3.0. Both systems have similar features and performances. They have improved a lot compared to the previous versions, at all bandwidths. The NetShow player has been renamed Media Player.
| updated | 26/6/98 | 26/6/98 | 2/5/98 | 2/5/98 | 2/5/98 | 2/5/98 | 2/5/98 | 2/5/98 | 2/5/98 | 2/5/98 | 2/5/98 |
| Player | Real Player |
Net Show |
VIVO Player |
VDO live |
Stream Works |
NET TOOB | Cine Web |
C Video |
Vosaic | True Stream | Bamba |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Version | 5.0 (G2 beta) |
2.1 (3.0 beta) |
2.1 | 3.02 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 1.00.11 | 1.3r2 | 1.05 | 1.2 | 0.99b |
| Company | Real Networks | Microsoft | Vivo Software ACQUIRED BY REAL NETWORKS |
VDOnet | Duplexx Software | Digigami | Cubic Videocomm | Vosaic | Motorola NOT AVAILABLE ANY MORE AS A SINGLE PRODUCT |
IBM | |
| Cost | free1 | free | free9 | free | free2 | free | 29.95$ free to schools |
free | free | free | free |
| Video CODEC | Proprietary, Fractal (ClearVideo) | various4 | H263 | wavelets | MPEG1 | MPEG-1 | MPEG, Active Movie, MOV | wavelets | H263 MPEG1 MPEG2 Active Movie2.0 proprietary Z-PEG | H263 | |
| full screen | yes | yes | no | no | yes | yes | no | no | yes | no | no |
| Audio CODEC | Proprietary | various5 | G723 | wavelets | MPEG1/2 LBR | MPEG | WAV, MID, MP2 | wavelets | GSM G.723 G.729 ACELP VCELP DolbyNetAC3 | G723 | |
| can use HTTP only | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | yes | no | no | no | yes | |
| Video encoder file formats | AVI (also compressed), MOV to RM | AVI,MOV to ASF | AVI to VIV and ASF | AVI to AVI (VDO encoded) | AVI to MPEG, XDM | AVI to MPEG | AVI to MPEG1 - 2 | AVI to CVC | H263, MPEG1, MPEG2, AVI to MPEG, H263 | AVI, MOV to MOT (only with Premiere) | AVI to IBA |
| Video encoder cost | free | free | $4910 | free | $249 | 11 | $495 | $499 with server | free | free | free |
| Need of a streaming server | yes | yes | no | yes | yes | no | no | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Streaming server cost | free for 60 streams | free | none | free for 25 streams | phone | none | none | $499 for 20 streams | 1,800$ unlimited | $495 for 25 streams | none |
| URL flipping (synchronized mulmimedia) | yes | yes | no10 | yes | no | no | no | no | yes | no | |
| Real time broadcasting | not free | free | no10 | yes | $1,995 | no | no | yes | |||
| Notes | the most complete solution | a good alternative to RealVideo | very good quality of image | the best MPEG software encoder | ASF and Real support | quicktime | a video file can have an embedded
self-player so you don't need any software |
Check also the PC Magazine analysis of streaming video solutions published October 7, 1997
Other players:
InterVu EyeQ allows to view different
sources (VIVO, MPEG, Quicktime, AVI, InstaVU). It has an automatic update system and relay
servers that speed up the delivery of streaming video.
Kiwisoft Video Displayer allows to view clips without using any plug-in.
Video encoder: if available, the tool for generating the video file with the capability of converting from the listed formats. Premiere indicates that it is a plug-in for Adobe Premiere 4.2 and it supports the same input and output.
Need of a streaming server: Yes if the server component needs a specific software to deliver the stream.
Streaming server cost: we report only the cheapest solution. There are free evaluation servers (time limited) in many cases.
NetShow Server with RealVideo: The free NetShow Server supports unlimited RealVideo streams, so if you install it instead of the Real Server, you have no stream limits.
Can use HTTP only: it works behind any kind of proxy, using HTTP pseudo-streaming. It is one of the most useful features to allow any one accessing the videos from any type of network. Some players do not admit http proxy, but they work behind a firewall, by opening specific TCP or UDP ports. Read our page about proxy and firewall
URL flipping: the capability of embedding links into the video to automatically activate web pages at definite times. It does not refer to "image maps" or any other system that require a specific action (a clic) on an image by the user.
Quicktime: Note that Digigami has also a streaming solution for Quicktime on Windows. It requires a conversion of the MOV file.
Java No player is needed when you are listening only to audio in Vosaic format.
Real time broadcasting: You can transmit a live event, provided you have the supported video capture board and the server software. We specify whether the software is free or not.
Full screen: It means the capability of showing the video at full screen, if your system supports DirectX or similar drivers. Normally the maximum size for non-full video systems is 352x288.
1 -Free for individual use. The Plus version with additional features costs 49.99 $
3 - Free for personal use and educational
4 - Duck TrueMotion RT, ClearVideo, Microsoft MPEG-4, VDOnet, Vivo H.263, Intel H.263, RealVideo
5 - MPEG Layer-3 Codec, Lernout & Hauspie CELP, VDOwave, Vivo G.723.1 and Vivo Siren, Voxware MetaSound and Voxware MetaVoice.
6 - Microsoft has recently introduced the Full screen video service of Netshow, to deliver high-quality MPEG video across high-bandwidth corporate networks and dedicated video LANs.
7 - Vosaic doesn't need any player because it's a Java application.
8 - For limited concurrent streams, any web server without a Real Server can be used with a little modification to the MIME types.
9 - Power Player version costs $ 12.95 with enhanced features. Version 3.0 beta is free.
10. There are more complete producers at $ 199 and $ 695 (this one creates files for Microsoft NetShow, and is the only version that supports URL filpping and real time
11. e-mail jpmonnin@nettoob.com for price and availabity