Chapter 3: Installation

This chapter describes the hardware and software requirements for RealProducer, and explains how to install the product. Instructions are given for Windows and Linux operating systems.

Audio and Video Input Formats

You can use the following file formats as input sources on any operating system that runs RealProducer. Using these formats does not require installing other audio and video software:

• Uncompressed AVI
• Uncompressed QuickTime 3, 4, and 5
• WAVE audio files

Note: It is better to work with uncompressed formats. Otherwise, you compress the source once when you digitize it and again when you encode it as RealVideo. This double compression can decrease the image quality. Use a compressed source format only if RealProducer supports the file as input. You can use compressed AVI files as long as the RealProducer computer has the same Video for Windows driver used to compress the AVI file.

Tip: Always keep copies of the video source files. You cannot convert RealVideo clips back to their original source formats or any other streaming formats.

Formats Requiring DirectX

You can use the following file formats as inputs on Windows if you have DirectX 6 or higher installed. Some formats require DirectX 8:

• Compressed AVI (.avi)
• AIFF (.aif, .aifc, .aiff)
• Moving Pictures Experts Group (.mpg, .mpeg, .m1v, .mp2, .mp3, .mpa, .mpe, .mpv2, .m3u)
• Audio for Windows (.wav)
• QuickTime 2 Content (.mov, .qt)

For More Information: For the latest version of DirectX, go to http://www.microsoft.com.

Formats Requiring QuickTime

The following file formats can be used as sources on Windows if the latest version of QuickTime is installed:

• AU ("ULAW") (.au, .snd, .ulw)
• Sound Designer II ("Sd2f," "SD2") (.sd2)
• DV ("dvc!") (.dif, .dv)
• QuickTime Flattened Movie ("MooV") (.mov, .qt)
• MPEG-4

Input Color Formats

The following color formats are supported for video captures:

• YUV12. This format is also known as I420. It is the native color format used by RealVideo codecs. Using I420 as input improves performance by removing the need to convert the color format before encoding.
• RGB 15, 16, 24, 322.
• BGR 15, 16, 24, 32. This is the Macintosh version of RGB.)
• The following Windows YUV Formats: YUY2, YV12, YVU9, YVYU, CYUV, IYUV, UYNV, UYVY, V422, YUNV.
• The following Macintosh YUV Formats: 2VUY, YUVS, YVYU, YUVU, YVU9, YUV2, V210.

Windows Requirements and Installation

This section outlines the basic hardware and software requirements needed to run RealProducer in a Windows environment. This section also gives you step- by-step instructions for installing the product onto a Windows machine.

Windows System Requirements

The following table lists the minimum and the recommended requirements for using RealProducer 10 on Windows.

Installing RealProducer on Windows

Follow this procedure to install the product onto a computer running Windows.

To install RealProducer onto Windows:

1. Download the installation program or insert the CD-ROM into your drive.
2. Close any other applications that may be open and double-click on the installation program icon. The installer unpacks the required files and opens the License Agreement.
3. Read the terms and conditions carefully, and select I accept the terms in the licence agreement if you agree. You can click Cancel at any time to abort the installation.
4. Click Next to continue. The Serialization page opens.
5. Enter your name, company name, and serial number you received when you purchased RealProducer.
6. Click Next to continue. The Install Options page opens.
7. The default install directory that RealProducer will install to your computer is listed. You can change this default install directory by clicking the Browse button and selecting the new path.
8. You also have the options to select whether a shortcut to RealProducer will be created on the desktop and/or on the Quick Launch toolbar, and whether command line tools will be added to your PATH.

Warning! You must have enough disk space and write access to the location where you intend to install RealProducer. If not, you will not be able to continue the installation.

9. Click Next to continue. The install program installs all necessary files and opens the Finishing Up page.
10. Choose whether you want to launch RealProducer and/or the Readme file when you exit the install program.
11. Click Finish to exit.

Linux Requirements and Installation

This section outlines the basic hardware and software requirements needed to run RealProducer in a Linux environment. This section also gives you step-by- step instructions for installing the product onto a Linux machine.

Linux System Requirements

The following table lists the minimum and the recommended requirements for using RealProducer on Linux.

RealProducer should install and run properly ony any Linux distribution that meets the requirements in the preceding table. The following distributions are tested and supported:

• Mandrake 7.2 and higher
• Redhat 6.0 and higher
• Slackware 7.0 and higher
• SUSE 6.2 and higher
• Debian 2.2r3 and higher

Installing RealProducer on Linux

Follow this procedure to install the product onto a computer running Linux.

To install RealProducer onto Linux:

1. Download the installation program, or insert the CD-ROM into your drive.
2. Make sure your CD drive is mounted properly, if installing from a CD.
3. Copy the installer to your hard drive if you are getting it from a CD.
4. Start RealProducer installer by entering one of the following, depending on whether you have RealProducer Plus or RealProducer Basic:

sh realproducer_plus_10_linux_setup.bin

sh realproducer_basic_10_linux_setup.bin

The installer extracts the necessary files to the directory where the installer is located. It then installs all necessary programs and files. When complete, the installer shows the Software License agreement.

5. With RealProducer Plus, enter the serial number when prompted.

Other Basic Requirements

In addition to normal hardware and software requirements, RealNetworks recommends that you have the following products:

• RealPlayer 10
• speakers or headphones connected to your sound card

For recording from a media device, you should have any of the following connected to your computer:

• video capture card, if encoding live video
• S-VHS, Digi-Beta, or Beta-SP video player
• video camera
• microphone

To send audio and video directly to your computer, you will need the following:

• A media device such as a VCR, video camera, or microphone.
• For capturing live audio, a sound card.
• For capturing live video, a video capture card, unless you can connect a video device directly to your computer by IEEE -1394 (Firewire, iLink), or a USB port.

©2004 RealNetworks, Inc. For more information, visit RealNetworks Click here if the Table of Contents frame is not visible at the left side of your screen.