Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

The following pages contain a list of terms defined specifically for RealPlayer 7 Plus and RealSystem G2. While some of these concepts may have broader meanings and implications, the definitions in this Glossary relate directly to your use of the RealPlayer 7 Plus rather than the world or Internet at large.

Accessory: A part of the RealPlayer Plus that is not necessary to its main function, but that enhances your experience during playback (such as the Equalizer).
Applet: A small application or program with limited ability. Usually this is a helper program or tool such as the Windows Control Panel.
Audio Analyzer: A tool that analyzes the audio coming into RealPlayer and displays it visually on the Display Panel.

background: When a process is set to run "in the background" no visual cue will alert you to the process. During a background process, you can continue to work normally.
Bandwidth: The amount of data that can be sent to your computer over a short time, usually expressed as kilobits per second (Kbps). The higher the bandwidth, the faster you receive data—very much like using a larger garden hose to get more water faster.
Sometimes this is shortened to "band" as in the "16-band bar-graph Equalizer". In this case, the range of sound that is measurable is broken into equal portions, or bands, of sound to be displayed.
Bar: A portion of the RealPlayer Plus interface that can be rearranged vertically and is only a single line tall (such as the Clip Info bar).
Bit(s): A single smallest piece of information. Often used synonymously for packets when talking about the Internet even though they are not actually the same thing. Packets are actually made up of bits, bits being a lower level of structure just as atoms are what make up bricks. (See also packets.)
Browser: A short term for Internet browser (for example, Netscape, Opera, or Internet Explorer).
Buffered: Data that is collected but held back rather than made immediately available. Similar to a translator on the news listening to a whole statement before telling you what the speaker has said, rather than trying to give you a less accurate, halting, word-by-word translation.

Cache: A temporary storage of frequently used files on your computer that allow RealPlayer to load a presentation more quickly since those files will not have to be streamed from the Internet each time you play the clip.
Channel: Represented by an icon in the My Channels tab, it is a quick link to a service (news, sports, etc.). Channels also update headlines from their associated services on a regular basis when connected to the Internet.
Channels tab (My Channels): The portion of the Content Panel that displays Channels.
Clip: Any media that can play within RealPlayer.
Clip Info bar: Portion of RealPlayer Plus that displays Title, Author, Copyright information about the active clip if any is available.
Compiled: Term describing a file when the raw information, or source-code, has been organized into a usable format for your desktop (eg., DLL, EXE, and COM file-types).
Content Panel: Opposite the Display Panel. My Channels, Live Stations and My Favorites tabs are displayed on this panel.
Control bar: The portion of the RealPlayer that contains the controls that act on the active clip (such as Play, Pause, Stop, etc.) as well as the position slider, the Equalizer, and any plug-ins or RealPlayer Add-ins (RPA's).

Datatype: Determined by the program that creates the media you are viewing and usually distinguished by the extension on the end of the file (eg., AVI, WAV, RM, RMA, etc.). See also Extension.
DirectX: A compilation of interpreters created by Microsoft that allow sound and video to work faster in Windows95 or later and Windows NT 4 or later.
Display Panel: Opposite the Content Panel. Used to display visual elements of a clip as well as the Audio Analyzer and controls for Zoom, Video, Mute, and Volume.

Electronic certificates: Electronic certificates are digital fingerprints. Each file carries a special code identifying it as officially sanctioned and approved by RealNetworks to work with your RealPlayer Plus.
Encode: The process of converting media (sound, video, etc.) so it can be streamed to and played by RealPlayer Plus.
Equalizer: See graphic equalizer.
Extension: The letters after the period in a filename. For example, .ram would be the extension of thankyou.ram. While often this is realted to the datatype of the file, this is not always the case. See also Datatype.

Favorite: A quick link to reach conent on the Internet, similar to the station buttons on a car or home stereo.
Firewall: Security devices used to protect companies from unauthorized access to their servers. A firewall ensures that all communication between an organization's network and the Internet conform to the organization's security policies, using either proxy services or packet filtering.

Graphic equalizer: Divides the sound input into smaller ranges of tones. This lets you adjust each range of sound to fit your preferences rather than just the high or low frequencies, as typical treble and bass buttons do.
Grab bar: The double bar on the side of any bar that allows you to drag it, changing the top to bottom order you see in your Player.

HTTP: Hyper Text Transport Protocol. A standard language for pushing information across the Internet and a good fall-back to use, though with reduced quality, when your company employs a firewall that blocks other protocols.

IP: Internet Protocol. Part of the TCP/IP group of information languages (see TCP/IP).
IP address: Internet address of another computer in number format (for example, 172.16.3.221).
ISP: Internet Service Provider. The service you use to connect to the Internet.

Live Stations: The portion of the Content Panel that displays Stations.
Location bar: Portion of RealPlayer Plus that shows the URL, or Internet address, of the currently playing clip and allows navigation between recently played clips.

Media: A general term that includes any visual, audio, or text transmission.
Message bar: Portion of RealPlayer Plus that alerts you that you have received a Flash from the Real.com Message Service. Appears at the bottom of your RealPlayer.
Mode: A specific instance or view of a single tool. For instance, Bar Graph mode Analyzer versus Wave mode.
Multicast: Used for broadcasting large events over the Internet. Allows a single computer to create the content (concert, film, etc.) and many computers to play the same single stream simultaneously.
Multi-clip: Any sequential string of clips RealPlayer Plus plays from a single file.
Multi-instance: Multiple RealPlayers running at the same time as when viewing Real.com Take5 shows.
My Channels tab (Channels tab): The portion of the Content Panel that displays Channels.
My Favorites: The portion of the Content Panel that displays Favorites.

Packet: A single package of data sent to a computer. Similar to a single brick in a building. (See also bits.)
Panel: Any one of the separate areas of RealPlayer Plus. Each is separated by lines on the top and bottom. Bars may be dragged above and below panels to create a different visual order by using the grab bar, the double bar on the side that allows you to change the top to bottom order you see in your Player.
Peak: The highest level for a particular sound at a given point in time. Used when viewing the Wave mode Analyzer.
Playlist bar: Portion of RealPlayer Plus that displays the name of the current clip within a multi-clip (see multi-clip).
Plug-in: A component of the RealPlayer Plus that extends its ability.
PNM or PNA: Progressive Networks Media (Audio). The previous standard protocol for streaming media to your RealPlayer Plus.
Protocol: Language used by computers to talk to each other or to their own hardware. In the case of two computers, they must speak the same language to understand each other. The standard Internet protocol is TCP/IP (see TCP/IP). Synonymous with transport.
Proxy: Used in conjunction with a firewall, a proxy or proxy service is a server that acts as an intermediary to first determine if a requested connection between a computer on the internal network and one on the outside is permitted. If the connection is authorized, the firewall sets up the necessary communication links between the two computers. The firewall can then monitor the communication between the two networks and suppress any unauthorized activity.

RPA: RealPlayer Add-in. Authorized third-party program additions that give you access to other media or functions.
RealMedia: Any media that is specifically created to be streamed from RealServer to your computer.
RTSP: Real Time Streaming Protocol. The newest protocol used to stream media to your RealPlayer Plus over the Internet.

Sampling rate: How many times a sample of sound is taken over a specific period of time.
Search bar: Portion of RealPlayer Plus that is used to search for content on the Web similar to a search engine on the Web.
Server: Any machine or program that is "serving" information to another machine or program.
Status bar: Portion of RealPlayer Plus that displays connection and other information about the current clip.
Streaming: When a large media file (audio, video, etc.) is broken into smaller pieces so it can viewed or heard immediately rather than forcing the audience to have to wait for the whole file to be downloaded first.

TCP: Transmission Control Protocol. Part of the TCP/IP group of information languages. More reliable than UDP, but often slower.
TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. Standard protocol used by the Internet to send information back and forth.
Transport: How data is broken up and sent to your computer over the Internet or your company's intranet or network. Usually used in conjuction with or instead of protocol. Most machines will only recognize a single type of transport, though this is not always the case.
Trough: The lowest level for a particular sound at a given point in time. Used when viewing the Wave mode Analyzer.

UDP: User Datagram Protocol. Part of the TCP/IP group of information languages. Similar to, but less reliable than, TCP, though often faster.
URL: Uniform Resource Locator. This is the complete address that tells your browser and your RealPlayer Plus where to get the information to show or play (for example: HTTP//,
RTSP //, PNM//, etc.).

Video controls: Controls for Contrast, Brightness, Color Level, Tint, and Sharpness for visual presentations. Located beneath the Zoom control on the Display Panel. Not all visual presentations support Video controls. They will only be available if the clip supports the controls.