Real Brings Windows Media to Linux

Real said it would offer Windows Media support in its open source Linux software Tuesday, made possible through the licensing deal and settlement it signed with Microsoft in October of last year. Previously, support for Microsoft's audio and video formats was only available through closed-source modules.

The capabilities would be made part of Real's Helix player, which the company created to begin porting its software to the Linux platform. While the player would be able to play standard Windows Media files, those with copy protection would not be playable, the company said. Real is looking into providing support for other formats, such as AAC used in iTunes, although those moves would require additional licensing agreements.