# RealPlayer is a pile of shit **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 26, 2002, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951 "2002-11-26T20:27:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/1 "2002-11-26T20:27:21Z")
It never works. NEVER. It always just freezes up, and I know it does it JUST to piss me off. It works ok on my laptop, but that is the only place I’ve EVER seen it work. I can’t listen to song clips on Amazon. I can’t watch all sorts of stuff online. I HATE IT. Man, I suck at rants. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/2 "2002-11-26T20:34:15Z")
Water is wet! Film at 11! ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/3 "2002-11-26T21:04:23Z")
I feel your pain. Why do they feel it necessary to upgrade that shit every couple months, rendering the software currently on your computer useless? “Windows cannot play the selected file because you have to download the latest version of the software with a ton of crap you don’t need”. How about considering the 99% of us who AREN’T geeks running out to Fry’s every week to get the latest version of everything? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/4 "2002-11-26T21:06:38Z")
Oh yeah baby. It sucks. It takes about 2 minutes to load on my quite-fast computer at work; the ‘favorites’ menu is hidden; it gives me popups when I shut the fucker down; it hijacks filetypes from WinAmp and won’t give them back. If only there were something else that could play streaming RA files. Bollocks to it. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/5 "2002-11-26T21:12:50Z")
With its numerous file type hijacks, numerous sleazy attempts to get you to sign up for the craptasic pay service, pointless revisions ect, Real is one tech company that does the nearly impossible-- make Microsoft look better as a company in comparison. Go Media Player go! ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/6 "2002-11-26T21:18:42Z")
Funny, I like it - then again I’m for pretty much anything not MSFT. As far as bad software goes it is not even in the top 10. MSFT is just as bad at hijacking file types, probably worse but because most everyone’s OS is MSFT I think people don’t seem to notice as much. RealPlayer Rules! ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/7 "2002-11-26T21:25:17Z")
I wouldn’t mind RealPlayer so much if it actually played. It doesn’t. It launches, freezes, eats 99% of my system, locks everything up, and I have to CTRL ALT DEL to get out of it. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/8 "2002-11-26T21:25:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Opengrave \* > RealPlayer Rules! Oh, no. Now we have to follow their rules?🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dumbguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dumbguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dumbguy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/9 "2002-11-26T21:26:10Z")
The thing that really twists me about RealPlayer is when it hijacks file types that it then tells you it can’t play. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@The\_Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tim)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/10 "2002-11-26T21:27:52Z")
**Opengrave** what follows is as serious question and not an insult: Do you sniff glue? That is the only reason I can think of for someone thinking RealPlayer rules. RealPlayer wasn’t coded it was summoned through unholy rituals from the depths of hell. Using the RA file format is a sign of corruption and those who do should be subjected to exorcism. Likewise computers tainted with RealPlayer must be purified as soon as possible. By fire if need be. ---
**Author:** ![apotheosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@apotheosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apotheosis)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/11 "2002-11-26T21:40:53Z")
I resent subject line of this post. It’s a tragic mis-characterization of the product. Make no mistake: RealPlayer is an organized, dedicated, fanatical **ARMY** of shit. RealPlayer is a shit crusade, a shit jihad, shitageddon. A giant, fetid fecal funnel cloud screaming through the Valley of Lost Colon Cable. Basically, everything **The Tim** said, and then some. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/12 "2002-11-26T21:54:11Z")
> [@](#): > > A giant, fetid fecal funnel cloud screaming through the Valley of Lost Colon Cable. Beautiful. Just beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![dietrologia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@dietrologia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dietrologia)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/13 "2002-11-26T22:18:58Z")
Real Player is _okay_ as a program, but it’s true lame-i-tude shows up behind the scenes. Windows users can perform this experiment which shows the insidious nature of Real Player: 1. Start–\>Run–\> type “msconfig” --\> uncheck all instances of Real Player loading upon pc start-up. 2. Play a file using Real Player 3. Start–\>Run–\> type “msconfig” --\> observe how Real Player has gone ahead and re-checked the boxes to allow it to load upon start-up. Short of never using Real Player, there is no way to prevent it from loading itself in the background when you boot your computer. And I’m not even gonna start in with the constant “phoning home” it tries to do over the net. Thank god for Zone Alarm! ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/14 "2002-11-26T22:26:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Make no mistake: RealPlayer is an organized, dedicated, fanatical ARMY of shit. RealPlayer is a shit crusade, a shit jihad, shitageddon. A giant, fetid fecal funnel cloud screaming through the Valley of Lost Colon Cable. I just wanted to see that again. Poetry, man, pure poetry. Oh, yeah, and I got fed up with RP’s intrusiveness and deleted the whole mess a couple of days ago. It has been banished to the nether regions, never to return. ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/15 "2002-11-26T22:27:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Tim \* > **Opengrave what follows is as serious question and not an insult: Do you sniff glue?** \Only in the late, late evening. Well, sometimes in the late evening, ok sometimes in the early evening…\ > [@](#): > > **RealPlayer wasn’t coded it was summoned through unholy rituals from the depths of hell.** I listen to Heavy Metal, now you telling me it was written by [Venom](http://www.blackmetal.com/venom.html)? Cool! What most folks don’t realize it that the reason it hangs is because they have the ‘reclaim file types’ option set on more than one player software. Musicmatch and a variety of others all do it as well. If you turn ‘reclaim file types’ off on ALL players the lockups go away - at least in all of my experiences. Real isin’t the only one doing this. When I installed MSFT Frontpage (a web publishing tool for html pages) it changed all of my file asssociations to Win Media Player WITHOUT ASKING. What does a HTML editing tool have to do with MP3s? As part of the Real install you can _at least_ set the option. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/16 "2002-11-26T22:39:30Z")
I really loved the RealJukeBox from a version or two back. Then they ‘upgraded’, ha ha, at the same time as they installed a new OS on our computers here at the office - and in the process, they had us delete all non-work-related software. I wasn’t worried, I figured I’d reinstall RealJukeBox afterwards. Only when I tried, RealPlayer had ‘upgraded’ to this stinky version of RealJukeBox that I can’t make do the things that were easy on the earlier version, and I couldn’t find the old version on their site. Grrrr. ---
**Author:** ![apotheosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@apotheosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apotheosis)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/17 "2002-11-26T22:45:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Opengrave \* > **When I installed MSFT Frontpage (a web publishing tool for html pages) it changed all of my file asssociations to Win Media Player WITHOUT ASKING. What does a HTML editing tool have to do with MP3s?** Nothing. It’s a safety feature: anyone who voluntarily uses Frontpage for editing HTML can’t be trusted to make rational decisions about anything else, either. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/18 "2002-11-26T22:47:15Z")
[Previous versions of Real products.](http://forms.real.com/real/player/blackjack.html) ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/19 "2002-11-26T22:50:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by apotheosis \* > \*\*Nothing. It’s a safety feature: anyone who voluntarily uses Frontpage for editing HTML can’t be trusted to make rational decisions about anything else, either.😛 \*\* True! Unfortunately it was “the standard we use - here’s your copy”. My standard was notepad. Interdev, IIS, and VSS don’t exactly play nice all the time either. ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951/20 "2002-11-26T23:58:12Z")
It’s actually worse than you think. Steve Gibson at Gibson Research paints a pretty revealing portrait of the folks at REAL on his site: [http://grc.com/downloaders.htm](http://grc.com/downloaders.htm) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realplayer-is-a-pile-of-shit/138951.md?page=2)