Windows 7/XP and RealPlayer versus IDM and VLC

[choro]

Downloaded a video with RealPlayer Plus which had cost me a lot of money
to say nothing about the extra extortion for a fast downloader add-on
which worked ONLY on some sites, NOT all sites.

Anyway, couldn't play the downloaded video and was advised by a pop-up
that I should upgrade to the latest version. And guess what RealPlayer
wanted £20 less a penny for the Upgrade OR otherwise I would revert back
to the basic free edition which I did because I don't believe in paying
a ransom!

And with the Upgrade my IDM would no longer be there to download stuff.
RealPlayer had seen to that! Shit, I thought!

So I downgraded back to my old RealPlayer but still no IDM there waiting
for me to click it and download the video.

But to crown it all, the same video I had earlier downloaded with
RealPlayer would NOT play either in RealPlayer or any of the other
players. The image was there in one or two of the other players but *NO
SOUND*!

Good old Revo Uninstaller came to the rescue and I uninstalled both
RealPlayer and anything that had to do with RealPlayer. And, you've
guessed it, up popped a Window offering me a $5 voucher to use towards
the ransom they demanded.

*GOOD RIDDANCE!*



Anybody else out there who went through the same experience?

Your comments please.

I certainly like both IDM (Internet Download Manager) which charges a
very reasonable small sum as well as with VLC which is free. In fact I
am so pleased with VLC that I have recommended it to some of my personal
friends and am seriously considering making a donation to them. Well
done VLC!

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Downloaded a video with RealPlayer Plus which had cost me a lot of money
to say nothing about the extra extortion for a fast downloader add-on
which worked ONLY on some sites, NOT all sites.

Anyway, couldn't play the downloaded video and was advised by a pop-up
that I should upgrade to the latest version. And guess what RealPlayer
wanted £20 less a penny for the Upgrade OR otherwise I would revert back
to the basic free edition which I did because I don't believe in paying
a ransom!

And with the Upgrade my IDM would no longer be there to download stuff.
RealPlayer had seen to that! Shit, I thought!

So I downgraded back to my old RealPlayer but still no IDM there waiting
for me to click it and download the video.

But to crown it all, the same video I had earlier downloaded with
RealPlayer would NOT play either in RealPlayer or any of the other
players. The image was there in one or two of the other players but *NO
SOUND*!

Good old Revo Uninstaller came to the rescue and I uninstalled both
RealPlayer and anything that had to do with RealPlayer. And, you've
guessed it, up popped a Window offering me a $5 voucher to use towards
the ransom they demanded.

*GOOD RIDDANCE!*

Anybody else out there who went through the same experience?

Your comments please.

I certainly like both IDM (Internet Download Manager) which charges a
very reasonable small sum as well as with VLC which is free. In fact I
am so pleased with VLC that I have recommended it to some of my personal
friends and am seriously considering making a donation to them. Well
done VLC!

Details are lost in the mists of time, but I stopped using Real Player a
*long* time ago. IIRC, the program was quite intrusive.

Back in that day (mid to late 90s), there was a program called something
like RealPlayer Alternative that played RP videos while remaining
relatively kind to the user, but I even stopped using that.

This was in the USA (I live here, after all). I have no idea what went
on then, or goes on now, elsewhere.

 

[Char Jackson]

Pretty much, but LONG ago, and NEVER again.
Went to RealAlternative for a while, and now VLC.

+1, but Media Player Classic rather than VLC in my case.

I use Free Download Manager (FDM) which is free (of course)

+1

 

[SC Tom]

Downloaded a video with RealPlayer Plus which had cost me a lot of money
to say nothing about the extra extortion for a fast downloader add-on
which worked ONLY on some sites, NOT all sites.

Anyway, couldn't play the downloaded video and was advised by a pop-up
that I should upgrade to the latest version. And guess what RealPlayer
wanted £20 less a penny for the Upgrade OR otherwise I would revert back
to the basic free edition which I did because I don't believe in paying a
ransom!

And with the Upgrade my IDM would no longer be there to download stuff.
RealPlayer had seen to that! Shit, I thought!

So I downgraded back to my old RealPlayer but still no IDM there waiting
for me to click it and download the video.

But to crown it all, the same video I had earlier downloaded with
RealPlayer would NOT play either in RealPlayer or any of the other
players. The image was there in one or two of the other players but *NO
SOUND*!

Good old Revo Uninstaller came to the rescue and I uninstalled both
RealPlayer and anything that had to do with RealPlayer. And, you've
guessed it, up popped a Window offering me a $5 voucher to use towards the
ransom they demanded.

*GOOD RIDDANCE!*



Anybody else out there who went through the same experience?

Your comments please.

I certainly like both IDM (Internet Download Manager) which charges a very
reasonable small sum as well as with VLC which is free. In fact I am so
pleased with VLC that I have recommended it to some of my personal friends
and am seriously considering making a donation to them. Well done VLC!

I have had VLC player for a few years now since Windows Media Player wanted
its customers to buy an add-on for DIVX(?) and other formats. And since the
Windows Media Center "Upgrade" on Win8 is a joke (on me, anyhow), I have it
installed on my Win8 Pro and did away with the WMC fiasco. I can't say
enough good things about VLC. I even have the portable version installed on
my Android tablet.

I'm with Gene on Real Player; I haven't had it installed since my WinXP PC,
instead opting for the RP Alternative, and then VLC. There were (are?) some
RP files that VLC won't play, but they were so rare that it wasn't a big
deal.

I have a relatively trouble-free internet connection so I haven't found a
need for a download manager. But, back in the early cable days in this area
(South Carolina), it wasn't as reliable as it is now (and nowhere near as
fast), so I used FDM as mentioned by The Other Guy. Worked well enough for
me

I'm glad you like VLC. It definitely is a worthwhile project.

 

[Michael Swift]

Back in that day (mid to late 90s), there was a program called something like
RealPlayer Alternative that played RP videos while remaining relatively kind
to the user, but I even stopped using that

I'm still using Media Player Classic for the odd sites I visit which
demands Real Player for sound and video, gave up on RP years ago because
it wanted to control everything.

Mike

 

[choro]

+1, but Media Player Classic rather than VLC in my case.

Same here but my favorite is VLC for its simplicity and usability. It's
got everything I could wish in such a useful and unobtrusive layout. One
thing I noticed though is that on a W7 machine it will show the Playlist
in a separate pane while on my XP laptop it shows it in the same pane
but reduces the size of the video image. I also like the ability to
select whole folders to play through. It is *so* simple to use.

+1

That's interesting. But I can tell you that IDM downloads everything @
lightning speed. And it can download several items simultaneously. How's
FDM in that respect?