Progressive Networks announces RealAudio 3.0
RealAudio 3.0 substantially improved Internet audio quality, including stereo playback over ordinary 28.8-kbps modem connections and higher-quality modes for faster networks.
Historical context
Most Internet users in 1996 still connected through dial-up modems, so audio quality was constrained by very small data rates and unreliable connections. Streaming companies were competing to make Internet listening acceptable for music rather than merely speech.
What happened
Progressive Networks announced the third generation of RealAudio with a new codec developed with Dolby Laboratories, support for stereo audio at consumer modem speeds and improved delivery mechanisms including Robust UDP. The release targeted both live broadcasting and on-demand media.
Consequences
RealAudio 3.0 made narrowband Internet audio considerably more useful for music, radio and entertainment. Improvements in quality and reliability strengthened RealAudio's position as one of the dominant streaming-media ecosystems of the late 1990s.
Related people
Sources
- 米Progressive NetworksがRealAudio3.0を発表PC Watch / Impress
- ПО RealAudio фирмы Progressive Networks настраивается для работы в InternetPC Week / IT Week