Real Networks Runaround

I spoke about my lost trust in Real Networks after a bad customer service experience. I am on my 2nd email exchange after 3 calls to tech support. Here are the 62 steps they told me to take to remedy the problem that the iPod won't play their proprietary format (as advertised):

"If you are getting an 'Unsupported Media Type' error while transferring music to your iPod, you may need to first perform a clean install of RealPlayer:

1) From the Desktop, double click on the the "My Computer" icon
2) Double click on the "C drive" icon
3) Double click on the "Program Files" folder
4) Double click on the "Real" folder
5) Double click on the "RealPlayer" folder
6) Double click on the "Setup" folder
7) Double click on the ".R1PClean.exe" file
8) Once you initialize this it will ask if you are sure? Click Yes

When this is complete you will also want to delete two folders on your system.

1) From the Desktop, double click on the the "My Computer" icon
2) Double click on the "C drive" icon
3) Double click on the "Program Files" folder
4) Double click on the "Common Files" folder
5) Right click on the "Real" folder and choose delete
6) Click the "Back" button at the top of window
7) Double click on the "Real" folder
8) Right click on the "RealPlayer" folder and select delete.

When this is complete please visit http://forms.real.com/service/download_player/ to re-download your player.

When you reinstall RealPlayer, you may need to import your media files. To do this, follow the directions below

1) Open RealPlayer
2) Click on the "File" menu then "Scan Disk for Media"
3) Select the location where your media is located, then click Next
4) Select the file types you wish to search for (MusicStore files are under RealAudio and RealVideo files)
5) After the scan is complete, click Finish

When you reinstall RealPlayer, you may need to reinstall the Digital Rights Manager (DRM) to enable your PC to play, burn, and tranfer MusicStore files. To do this:

1) Open RealPlayer, click on the "Music and My Library" tab
2) From the View menu on the left hand side, click "Purchased Music"
3) Double click on any MusicStore file to play. You will be prompted to download the DRM
4) After the DRM is downloaded and installed, you will now be able to play the music files

If you recieve a message after installing the DRM that you do not have sufficient rights to play the file, do the following:

1) From the My library view, click on the Music Store icon from the left hand side
2) From the MusicStore home page, click on the "Manage Account" link, then sign in with your email address and password
3) From your Account screen and under the "My Music Computer" section, click on "Add Computer"
4) Name the computer, then click Ok, you will now be able to play your music files


If you can transfer music to the iPod, but the music skips to the next track during playback, then do the following.

Delete and disable optimized files:

1. Open RealPlayer
2. Click Tools > Preferences
3. Click 'Devices' from the left panel
4. On the right panel, click 'Advanced Settings'
5. Click 'Delete Optimized Files'
6. Click OK on the prompt stating the files have been removed
7. Click Ok again
8. Uncheck the option "Create Ready-to-Transfer files when downloading..." and Cache Ready-to-Transfer files when transferring..."
9. Click OK

To set the transfer preferences to 'Overwrite clips', do the following:

1. Connect iPod to PC
2. Open RealPlayer
3. Click Burn/Transfer
4. Select iPod from device drop down
5. In lower left, click "Change Options" (only available when iPod is connected)
6. Click the Transfer tab
7. At the bottom, select "Overwrite clip"
8. Click OK
9. Try Transfer again

If the tracks still skip:

1. Connect the iPod to the PC
2. From your Desktop, double click on My Computer
3. Click the Tools menu
4. Click Folder Options
5. Click the View tab
6. Under Advanced Settings, Select "Show Hidden Files and Folders", then click OK
7. Double click on the iPod as listed in My Computer
8. Double click on the iPod_Control folder
9. Double click on the iTunes folder
10. Right click on the file named iEkinfo, ScInfo, or ScInfo2 and select Delete (your iPod will only have one of the 3 files listed)
11. Close that window and open RealPlayer
12. Click Burn/Transfer, select the iPod
13. On the right panel, locate one of the tracks that skip and delete it from the iPod
14. Retransfer that same track that you deleted
15. Disconnect the iPod

Now see if the songs that previous skipped still skip.

If they still do, Restore the iPod:

WARNING: When you restore the iPod database, this deletes ALL music on the iPod.

In RealPlayer:

1. With the iPod connected, click the Burn/Transfer tab, select iPod
2. Click 'Change Options' in the lower left corner
3. Click the Restore button
4. Try the transfer again


Please let us know if this does not solve your issue. "

Seem reasonable? Not so much. Real is not supported on the iPod. Period. And they are not being upfront about it.

Comments

[Alison Byrne Fields]

1) Put your right foot in.
2) Take your right foot out.
3) Put your right foot in and . . .
4) Shake it all about.
5) Do the hokey pokey and . . .
6) Turn yourself around.

That's what it's all about.

Welcome to the land of the iPod. It's lovely here.

(Read the article in the Post today about how Apple -- after thirty years in the biz -- has moved from being a cult brand to being the man.)

[Andrew]

you think you've got iPod issues! ha! Check out my issues here:

http://alafleur.blogspot.com/2006/02/apples-1-10-06-updater-broke-my-ipod.html

and my solution here:

http://alafleur.blogspot.com/2006/03/free-ipods-for-everyone-affected-by-1.html#links

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