Glaser Highlights Digital Advances In CES Keynote

Rob Glaser, Chairman and CEO of RealNetworks Inc., a pioneer in providing streaming media delivery on the Internet, demonstrated digital technologies that will give consumers greater access to Internet audio and video technologies. Glaser presented the Technology Keynote Address at the 2000 International CES ñ Your Source for Workstyle and Lifestyle Technology.""The Internet is changing the way we work and live, and RealNetworks is delivering some of the most exciting Internet applications,"" said Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the sponsor, producer and manager of CES. ""Glaser and other keynote visionaries at CES have helped to educate CES attendees on the new possibilities the Internet holds for all of us. CES has clearly become the leading source for information on the continuing digital and Internet audio and video revolution happening in todayís consumer electronics industry.""Glaser said the computer will soon become the primary source for home entertainment, beginning with audio. He noted that the companyís RealPlayer, a PC media player, has more than 74 million registered users with more than 175,000 downloads per day. Beyond accessing content on the Internet, RealJukebox, which was released last May, allows consumers to play, record, organize and search for music from a single user interface.Glaser said 21 million registered users had stored more than 50 million CDs on RealJukebox. The next step in the technology allows consumers to download and securely transfer music to portable audio players. The latest audio players ñ some as small as a fountain pen ñ are being demonstrated in CES audio exhibit areas. Consumers also can download music on removable storage media and move it from one computer to another, and create custom playlists. They can record their own customized audio CDs that can be used for music playback on any standard audio CD player.During his presentation, Glaser announced that his company had completed four new agreements to expand computer-based home entertainment services. Glaserís announcements included:An agreement with Adaptec Inc. to integrate CD recording capabilities into RealJukebox. An agreement to integrate support for Iomega drives into RealJukebox, enabling consumers to download digital music collections on to Iomega storage media and transport the collections from one computer to another. A strategic alliance with Sony to integrate support for Sony music technologies into RealJukebox to enable consumers to easily download and securely transfer music to Sonyís portable audio players. A strategic alliance that will enable digital music from the Universal Music Groupís vast collection of artists to be played on RealJukebox.Digital and Internet audio and video technologies were some of the main highlights of this yearís CES. The latest audio advancements, including Internet audio, the emerging Digital Audio Radio (DAR) standard, MP3, MS Audio, A2B and other advances - complimented by traditional mainstays of specialty audio, home audio and mobile audio - were shown by exhibitors throughout the CES show floor.In addition, conference sessions explored the various types of audio technology and examined how this content will be distributed and delivered, in the home and on the road.