RealPlayer
Windows users have two choices for playing RealMedia: the official Real Player or the ad-free Real Alternative. Both will work in Firefox and Mozilla Suite, but Real Alternative version 1.32 or later has the advantage of including a "modified plugin" that overcomes a problem with incorrect coding on certain webpages containing embedded Real media, as explained here.
Installation
- Remove any older versions which may be on your system.
- Download the Real Player or Real Alternative installer.
- Close all instances of Firefox or Mozilla Suite and any other unnecessary programs.
- Run the setup program.
- If installing Real Alternative, make sure that the "Firefox/Mozilla/Netscape/Opera Plugin" is checked when selecting which components to install.
Testing
After the Player installation is complete, start Firefox/Mozilla Suite and enter about:plugins into the Location Bar. "RealPlayer(tm) G2 LiveConnect-Enabled Plug-In (32-bit)" and should be listed. You can test your player here.
Windows Plugin issues
Plugin not recognized
If you install Firefox or Mozilla Suite after having installed RealPlayer and the Real Player plugin is not recognized, you will need to copy these two files:
- Copy "nppl3260.xpt" from
C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer\Netscape6\nppl3260.xptto the Mozilla Firefox or Mozilla Suite installation directory "components" folder - Copy "nppl3260.dll" from
C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer\Netscape6\nppl3260.dllto the Mozilla Firefox or Mozilla Suite installation directory "plugins" folder.
An alternative would be to uninstall and reinstall RealPlayer.
Vanishing Controls
The Windows Plugin for Firefox had a problem whereby after using a control button it would vanish. If you are still experiencing this you should install the latest version of RealPlayer. You may also then need to follow the manual steps described above to apply the fix.
