Web Download & Recording Manager

While you download a web video a separate window, the Download & Recording Manager opens. You can use it to monitor, pause, or stop the video's download progress. However, you're also free to ignore the Download & Recording Manager as it downloads the video. Because the Download & Recording Manager is handling the download, you may close the video's web page or move on to other videos or web sites.

Clicking the "Download this Video" button begins the video download and opens the Download & Recording Manager:

Downloading multiple videos simultaneously

The Download & Recording Manager can queue multiple videos simultaneously. So while one video is downloading, you can add more videos from one or more web pages. They can download in the backgroundWhen a process is set to run "in the background" there is often no visual cue to alert you that something is happening. During a background process, you can continue to work normally. while you do other things within RealPlayer or elsewhere on your computer.

Exception to simultaneous downloading

Although the Download & Recording Manager will allow several downloads in the queue simultaneously, transcodingThe process of converting a media file or object from one format to another. Transcoding is often used to convert video formats (e.g., Beta to VHS, VHS to QuickTime, QuickTime to MPEG). When necessary, RealPlayer transcodes files to RealMedia creates an exception. The Download & Recording Manager allows only a single transcode in at any one time. Starting a new download that requires transcoding will cause an existing transcode to stop (if it is a live stream) or pause (if it is on-demand).

More about transcoding

Audio and video media come is a wide variety of file types, as seen in file name extensions such as .WMV, .AVI, and so on. In order to download and record different file types, RealPlayer may transcode a media file — meaning that it digitally converts the file from one type to another. Transcoding is a common means of communicating files in media technology.

For example, RealPlayer transcodes — converts — WMV and QuickTime videos to RealVideo during the recording process.

With live streaming media, RealPlayer always transcodes the live stream in real time. On-demand media files may be transcoded or else maintained in their native format, depending on the file type involved.

Files that are transcoded will appear in My Library with the extension .IVR (Internet Video Recording). This extension is the same for audio or video file types.

You can adjust transcode preferences at Tools > Preferences : Download and Recording. Clicking Advanced Settings opens a dialog where you can:

select the default recording time for live webcasts.

adjust the conversion (transcoding) quality of videos you download.

My Library

RealPlayer saves the videos to My Library under "Downloads & Recordings". (To change this default location, open Preferences: Download and Recording.)

Good to Know

As with any internet activity, download speed depends on a number of factors, such the video clip’s size, the speed of your internet connection, and so on. But typically an entire video will download to My Library faster than the video’s duration.

Control Selections

The Download & Recording Manager also gives you access to a number of control selections:

Function		Description
Options Menu
About...		Opens this Help page.
View My Library...		Opens My Library to "Downloads and Recordings," where you can view the list of your completed video recordings.
Preferences...		Opens Tools > Preferences > Download & Recording.
Minimize to System Tray		Click to minimize Download & Recording Manager to the system tray.
Buttons
View My Library...		Opens My Library to "Downloads and Recordings," where you can view the list of your completed video recordings.
Pause All/Resume		Click to pause all downloads and recordings. Changes to Resume button. Click Resume to resume all downloads and recordings where they left off.
Clear		Clears the Download & Recording Manager. Cancels and removes any downloads in progress.
Rename		Click to rename the clip.
Links
Cancel/Retry		Cancels this video's download and recording. (The video continues to play.) Cancel changes to Retry. Click Retry to start download/record again. Also, Pause link changes to Remove. Click Remove to delete the video from the Download & Recording Manager.
Pause/Resume		Click to pause this specific video's download and recording. Changes to Resume button. Click Resume to resume this download and recording where it left off.
Play		The video has been successfully recorded to your RealPlayer Library. Click Play to watch the video in RealPlayer.
Download Now		When downloading multiple clips, the size of the download queue may force a clip into "Wait" status while the clips ahead of it load. If so, the waiting clip gets the "Download Now" link. Click the link to cancel the Wait status and force the clip to download immediately.