***************************************************************
	         RealAudio Player 2.0 Release to Microsoft
			from Progressive Networks
                         http://www.RealAudio.com
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			Release Notes

	For the latest information see http://www.RealAudio.com

This document describes Progressive Networks' RealAudio Player.
Our web site is http://www.RealAudio.com. Please check it
for the latest information.  For technical information and 
answers to frequently asked questions, see 
http://www.realaudio.com/help.html.  The software and documentation
is provided to you in accordance with your license agreement.

On-line help is available for the RealAudio player in a Windows
help file called RAPLAYER.HLP
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Installation

The RealAudio Player for Windows 95 and Windows NT
consists of the following files:

RAPLAYER.EXE, RAPLAYER.HLP, README.TXT,
RALICENS.TXT, RA32.DLL, RA3228_8.DLL, 
RAGUI32.DLL, RAOCX32.DLL, NPRA32.DLL


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System Requirements

To play RealAudio files, your system must meet
the following requirements:

   * 486/33 SX or better PC running Microsoft 
     Windows NT or Windows 95

   * 8 MB RAM.

   * 2 MB free disk space.

   * A sound card with a Windows Sound driver.
     (The RealAudio Player is not compatible with the
     PC Speaker program or other software programs which
     simulate a sound card.)

   * An Internet Connection. Either a direct connection
     or a 14.4 Kbps or better modem with a SLIP or PPP
     connection to an Internet Service Provider.

   * A 32-bit winsock.

RealAudio now offers 28.8 content.  To listen to
RealAudio 28.8, you need:

   * 486/66 DX or better running Microsoft 
     Windows 95 or Windows NT.  

   * An Internet Connection.  Either a direct connection
     or a 28.8 Kbps or better modem with a SLIP or PPP
     connection to an Internet Service Provider.

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New Features

  * RealAudio 28.8 - RealAudio 28.8 is a new algorithm that provides
    enhanced sound quality to all users who have a 28.8 Kbps modem
    or better connection to the Internet. This near-FM (monophonic) 
    sound quality greatly enhances the clarity of music and voice 
    delivered in real-time over the Internet.  

  * Plug-in - The new RealAudio Plug-in allows content creators to 
    seamlessly integrate RealAudio directly into their Web page 
    layouts. 

  * Firewall Proxy Support - RealAudio supports the RealAudio
    Proxy allowing safe access to RealAudio content through firewalls.
    See our Firewall information page at

       http://www.realaudio.com/firewall.html

    for more details.

  * TCP-only Audio Delivery - RealAudio supports receiving audio
    via TCP-only.  If your site blocks UDP delivery, please select
    the TCP-only option from the Network Preferences, available under
    the option menu.  Do not use TCP-only mode when you are using a 
    dial-up connection.


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Reporting Feedback

We are very interested in your experiences with our products. 
Please use the multipurpose reporting form located at

http://www.realaudio.com/problem.html 

to report problems, if you have comments, or to offer suggestions. 

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Sound Quality
If you are experiencing poor sound quality there are several simple 
steps you can take to determine the cause.  First, use the Connection 
Statistics box to determine if there is packet loss.  Packet loss 
during transmission over the Internet is the main cause of poor 
sound quality.

If packet loss does not seem to be causing poor sound quality, you can
try adjusting the way the RealAudio Player delivers sound to your 
computer's sound card. Choose Preferences from the View menu and then
select the Advanced tab.  You will see check boxes for "Use 8-bit Only" 
and "Use 11 kHz only":

Use 8-bit Only
------------------
Use this option only if there is evidence of compatibility problems 
with your soundcard.  The Player normally delivers 16-bit audio to the
sound card.  If the sound card only supports 8-bit audio, the Player 
delivers 8-bit audio.  If your sound card fails to inform the RealAudio 
Player that it only supports 8-bit audio, you may hear only random or 
garbled sound when playing clips.  Check this option to override the 
16-bit default and play 8-bit sound.

Use 11 kHz Only
---------------------
Use this option only if there is evidence of compatibility problems 
with your sound card.  The Player normally delivers 8 kHz audio to the
sound card.  If your sound card does not support the 8 kHz sampling 
rate, the audio may sound high-pitched or too fast.  Check this 
option to instruct the Player to convert audio to 11 kHz before 
delivering it to the sound card. This option increases CPU usage 
slightly.

If you continue to receive poor quality audio, please see our 
FAQ entry on audio quality at:  

http://www.realaudio.com/help.html

Select FAQ and from there choose the "Audio Quality" entry.

Please note that to receive RealAudio 28.8 you should have at least
a 19.2 Kbps connection to your Internet Service Provider.  In a
19.2 Kbps connection you may hear slight gaps in the audio.

Dial-up users should be sure to keep the network connection preference
as UDP (the default).  In TCP mode, no audio packets are lost,
but their arrival may be late enough to cause gapping in the audio.
TCP mode is useful when you are directly connected (via a
local area network) to the internet.

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Known Problems

   * Starting or quitting large applications while playing
     RealAudio can cause some brief disruption of the playback.

   * Playback on some 486/25 SX computers does not work properly.

   * The user interface during playback of 28.8 content on slower
     systems may have slow response time.  Performance of other
     applications may suffer during playback.  To improve system 
     performance select the General tab from the View|Preferences menu
     and adjust the Best Audio Quality/Lowest CPU Usage slider.

   
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Browser Upgrade

After you upgrade your browser, you may lose the configuration 
information for the RealAudio player. The easiest way to 
re-configure your browser is to re-install the player.
Alternatively, you can manually configure your browser:

   * Viewer name: c:\RAPLAYER\RAPLAYER.EXE
   * Mime Type: audio
   * Mime Subtype: x-pn-realaudio
   * File Extensions: .ra, .ram
   * Homepage URL: http://www.realaudio.com/

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              Copyright 1995, 1996 Progressive Networks, Inc.
