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Thread: RealPlayer v10.5 win32 taking filetypes and privacy issue




RealPlayer v10.5 win32 taking filetypes and privacy issue
user name
2006-10-02 13:33:20
Hello,

I installed the BBC provided version of RealPlayer v10.5
win32.  Now I
noticed it has broken my MS-Windows file-type associations
and taken
types such as *.M2V etc.

I was surprised it took the file type associations without
asking my
permission.

Also I was surprised when I ran it just now, there was a
popup saying
something like "Continuing connection..." and then
I could see it was
trying to connect to RealNetworks Inc. Website,
207.188.7.81:80,
although fortunately my firewall blocked it.  Why is
RealPlayer calling
home in this way? Shouldn't it ask permission before doing
this?

Please include my email address in any replies.

Kind regards
Jon
-- 
WWW: http://jguk.org/
IM: now3djabber.org
ICQ: 11122941

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ayer-users
RealPlayer v10.5 win32 taking filetypes and privacy issue
user name
2006-10-03 04:52:25
Hi Jon -

Just so you know, the Helix Player mailing lists are
targeted to the Linux 
Real and Helix Players.  Windows isn't really our specialty.
 To talk to 
Windows specialists, I'd suggest contacting customer support
through this 
page. 
http://service.real.com/contact/help.html?product=rp

That said, I have a couple of guesses about what you are
seeing.  Answered 
inline.

At 02:33 PM 10/2/2006 +0100, Jon Grant wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I installed the BBC provided version of RealPlayer v10.5
win32.  Now I
>noticed it has broken my MS-Windows file-type
associations and taken
>types such as *.M2V etc.

When you run a full RealPlayer installation, it asks you
which file-types 
you would like to associate.  My guess is that because the
BBC version is a 
stripped-down RealPlayer, it doesn't run through the initial
setup 
helper.  While this means that the installation time is much
shorter (which 
is what the BBC probably likes), the user doesn't get to
make any choices 
during install.

I don't have a BBC version installed here, but my guess is
that if you go 
to Tools / Preferences / Content / Media Types and choose to
Manually 
configure the media types, it will let you choose which
filetypes to 
associate with your player.

>Also I was surprised when I ran it just now, there was a
popup saying
>something like "Continuing connection..." and
then I could see it was
>trying to connect to RealNetworks Inc. Website,
207.188.7.81:80,
>although fortunately my firewall blocked it.  Why is
RealPlayer calling
>home in this way? Shouldn't it ask permission before
doing this?

There are several reasons the RealPlayer calls home that I
can think of off 
the top of my head.  Again, these are all guesses.  1)  The
RealPlayer has 
a web browser embedded in it and could be bringing up the
home 
page.  2)  It runs an automatic bandwidth detection test
where it downloads 
a small file and gauges your bandwidth by how long the
download 
took.  3)  It's logging you into your account if you have
Superpass, 
etc.  4)  It's checking for software updates.  I'd bet it's
doing either 2 
or 4 in this case.

Thanks,
- Donya Shirzad
Program Manager
RealPlayer for Linux

>Please include my email address in any replies.
>
>Kind regards
>Jon
>--
>WWW: http://jguk.org/
>IM: now3djabber.org
>ICQ: 11122941
>
>_______________________________________________
>Player-users mailing list
>Player-usershelixcommunity.org
>http://lists.helixcommunity.org/mailman/listinfo/pl
ayer-users


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ayer-users
RealPlayer v10.5 win32 taking filetypes and privacy issue
user name
2006-11-14 02:17:29
Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

Donya Shirzad elucidated on 03/10/06 05:52:
> Hi Jon -
> 
> Just so you know, the Helix Player mailing lists are
targeted to the
> Linux Real and Helix Players.  Windows isn't really our
specialty.  To
> talk to Windows specialists, I'd suggest contacting
customer support
> through this page. 
http://service.real.com/contact/help.html?product=rp

Ok, I've filed it there. Unfortunately the replies so far
indicate they
think the automatic connection to the net, with no way for
me to disable
is acceptable. I'm trying to see if I can explain it should
not be like
that.

> That said, I have a couple of guesses about what you
are seeing. 
> Answered inline.
> 
> At 02:33 PM 10/2/2006 +0100, Jon Grant wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> I installed the BBC provided version of RealPlayer
v10.5 win32.  Now I
>> noticed it has broken my MS-Windows file-type
associations and taken
>> types such as *.M2V etc.
> 
> When you run a full RealPlayer installation, it asks
you which
> file-types you would like to associate.  My guess is
that because the
> BBC version is a stripped-down RealPlayer, it doesn't
run through the
> initial setup helper.  While this means that the
installation time is
> much shorter (which is what the BBC probably likes),
the user doesn't
> get to make any choices during install.
> 
> I don't have a BBC version installed here, but my guess
is that if you
> go to Tools / Preferences / Content / Media Types and
choose to Manually
> configure the media types, it will let you choose which
filetypes to
> associate with your player.

Ok, thanks, I've had a look at the options there.

>> Also I was surprised when I ran it just now, there
was a popup saying
>> something like "Continuing connection..."
and then I could see it was
>> trying to connect to RealNetworks Inc. Website,
207.188.7.81:80,
>> although fortunately my firewall blocked it.  Why
is RealPlayer calling
>> home in this way? Shouldn't it ask permission
before doing this?
> 
> There are several reasons the RealPlayer calls home
that I can think of
> off the top of my head.  Again, these are all guesses. 
1)  The
> RealPlayer has a web browser embedded in it and could
be bringing up the
> home page.  2)  It runs an automatic bandwidth
detection test where it
> downloads a small file and gauges your bandwidth by how
long the
> download took.  3)  It's logging you into your account
if you have
> Superpass, etc.  4)  It's checking for software
updates.  I'd bet it's
> doing either 2 or 4 in this case.

Ah ok, I think it must have been doing (2), because I don't
have a
Supperpass.  would be nice if it asked for permission before
doing a
speed test.. it just says "continuing the
installation" or so as I recall.

Please include my email address in any replies.

Kind regards
Jon

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ayer-users
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