REALNETWORKS, WEBGLIDE TEAM UP TO MARKET PRODUCT THAT STREAMS HIGH- QUALITY 'CGV'.

'Utopia' Enables Enhanced Media Experiences At 1/20th The Bandwidth Of Compressed Video 

In a move they predict will bring the benefits of high-quality computer generated video (CGV) to millions of consumers, Web media delivery specialist RealNetworks Inc. has forged a comprehensive marketing, development and distribution partnership with WebGlide, a developer of CGV technology and provider of an enhanced e-shopping solution.

Under the pact announced late last week, WebGlide will integrate its CGV technology into RealNetworks' RealSystem G2 to create a new product, code named "Utopia," that the two firms claim will deliver high quality CGV using less than 1/20th the bit rate required for conventional video. If workable, the result would be computer generated video of unprecedented quality streamed to any Internet user, ranging from dial-up connections to broadband.

"High quality computer generated video has become a mainstay in Hollywood special effects for several years. Now, for the first time, Utopia will bring that same fundamental technology into the Internet mainstream," predicts Rob Glaser, chairman and CEO of RealNetworks. "We are truly excited to be joining forces with WebGlide to integrate their ground-breaking CGV technology into RealSystem G2 and to deliver the results to tens of millions of Internet users around the world."

Adds Tal Kerret, co-founder and CEO of WebGlide, "The combination of our products, featuring patent-pending, award-winning 3D graphics technology, with RealSystem G2 will take WebGlide's CGV technology and e-commerce solutions to the next level and enable us to effectively expand our unique capabilities into exciting new application areas."

Under the deal, RealNetworks will also make a minority investment in WebGlide and Rob Glaser will hold a seat on WebGlide's board of directors.

WebGlide has a three-pronged approach to streaming CGV. First, it enables the use of low-cost synthetic video created using standard authoring tools such as the popular Autodesk 3D Studio MAX in combination with a WebGlide encoder and synchronization tool. Second, it provides high-quality streaming computer generated video with relatively little bandwidth consumption, achieved through WebGlide's compression technology, which the firm says generates results 20-100 times deeper than comparable quality MPEG video streams. Finally, WebGlide delivers a new user interface paradigm -- the Natural User Interface (NUI) which simplifies 3D navigation and playback.

"Interactive animated environments will take the Web to a whole new level and a much broader audience," says Carol Bartz, CEO of Autodesk. "The RealNetworks and WebGlide solution will bring a new and exciting customer experience to the Internet and we are thrilled to provide the most popular 3D web animation tool for this authoring environment."

WebGlide will work with RealNetworks to integrate its computer generated video solution, via a next-generation client/server plug-in (Utopia) for RealSystem G2. WebGlide says its CGV technology will take full advantage of the standards-based RealSystem G2 architecture, including SureStream for more reliable and continuous end-user playback. Customers will also be able to use Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL)-based layout for synchronizing the creation and combination of multiple data types, such as RealAudio, RealVideo, RealText, RealPix and Flash.

RealNetworks and WebGlide plan to make available a beta release of "Utopia" for Windows and Macintosh users in the first half of 2000. The client pieces of Utopia will be available as a free download to all existing RealPlayer G2 and RealPlayer 7 customers. Final naming and pricing will be announced at that time. In the interim, content developers can go to www.webglide.com to experience a browser-based version of WebGlide's CGV technology and to begin developing applications for "Utopia."