New Real Player: What Does This Mean For Participatory Culture?
The new Real Player beta “gives you the power to download Web video instantly.” You can also burn the videos to CD or DVD for a little extra moolah. Essentially, with Real Player 11, you and I can “own” any video content simply by way of downloading it. Ok, sure, Real draws the line at DRM-protected content, but come on, how many people uploading to YouTube or Google Video think about “protecting” their content. How many take that extra step?
On the Camcorder Info website, Michael Perlman contends that this new player is a threat to online video creators, and I’m inclined to agree.
This type of technology is not new,
but the ease of use which Real Player imparts, coupled with its
widespread use, is likely to have a much larger effect than similar
software in the past. Those who post videos on revenue-sharing sites
like Revver may be particularly vulnerable. Real Player users can now
download Revver videos to their computer, never having to access the
site to watch that particular clip again. This, in turn, minimizes the
number of ad clicks and reduces the stream of revenue within the site.
Meta Café is in a tight spot, as well. Users who post videos on the
site are paid a fraction of ad revenue solely based on the amount of
clicks their video receives. Since almost any video clip online is
susceptible to a Real Player download, Revver and Meta Café are not the
only sites that will suffer losses.YouTube, MySpace, and Google Video
users rely on the number of clicks their videos receive in order to
boost popularity, ultimately heightening the chance of being featured
on the front page or favorites page. Instead of throwing someone a link
or saving a clip to a list of favorites in a user profile, users now
have a few alternative options in regards to sharing and playing
videos—none of which will equate to an additional click.
Given the nascence of participatory culture, will this drive us back into a closed and shuttered medium, where content sharing is regulated by policy and law? Or will it force us to evaluate this culture, and the nature of the medium that enables it, tand drive Real Player to revamp the player to accommodate the rules of the game?
Public voice can be a driving force as evidenced by the resurgence of Jericho, a show that was canceled by the network, but revived by its fans. Perhaps it will be public voice that shapes what happens next in this instance. Either way, we live in interesting times, don’t we?
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