Latest RealPlayer drops its beta label

These days, a great number of people are not only finding the majority of their entertainment online but are also conducting a fair amount of their social lives there as well. In such times, it's great to have a quick and simple tool for downloading, editing, sharing, and transferring media. With the latest version of RealPlayer, RealNetworks is aiming to provide just that.

Version 14 of the all-in-one multimedia jukebox made its way out of beta this week and has some new functionality under its belt. Since the software already offered a sweeping array of features, from one-click video downloading to automatic transcoding to social network sharing, that latest offering focuses mainly on improved device integration and an even smoother user experience.

Notably, RealPlayer now shows compatible USB-connected smartphones and cameras inside the library in the main app window, allowing users to quickly and easily transfer content to the devices via drag-and-drop. Perhaps more compelling, though, is a new back-end feature that simplifies the process of getting photos and videos off of those devices and organized on your PC. Unsurprisingly, my horrible Samsung Behold II still would not comply, but I did have some luck with the HTC Droid Incredible. Content from the device was slow to load in my initial testing, but this feature is welcome either way.

Additionally, RealNetworks released an updated version of RealPlayer Plus, which purportedly offers accelerated downloading for video that is up to three times faster than the previous version. The software also claims 50 percent faster transferring to mobile devices.