In general, a media type (or "format") is a specific kind of file, such as an MP3 music file or a Flash (.flv) video file. If an application such as RealPlayer is registered as the default player for a media type, that application will open when you double-click a file of that media type. Being the default player does not mean that files cannot be played by other products, only that when you do not make a specific choice, the default product will be used automatically.
To view a complete list of file formats currently supported by your RealPlayer, open Media Types Preferences.
The RealPlayer Universal Media capability allows you to manage and play the most popular music and video media types all within one application. We recommend that you enable Universal Media capability within Media Types Preferences.
RealNetworks is constantly working to expand the abilities of RealPlayer. As you add plug-ins to RealPlayer, the list of supported media types will change. When new formats are available, RealPlayer will automatically install them when you attempt to play that type of content. Alternatively, you can manually check for new components using AutoUpdate.
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