• by June 1, 2007

In a move that Gartner vice president Michael McGuire termed "transformative" for the online video world, RealNetworks said its new RealPlayer, available in beta this month, will allow consumers to "download Internet video instantly" from YouTube, Yahoo and virtually anywhere else on the Web. Viewers can then build a library for full-screen playback either on PCs, or--after burning to disc--on TV sets.

Real's home page yesterday ran the following statement: "Your nephew's first steps. The speech that moves you. The hilarious clip your co-worker forwarded. With the new RealPlayer, you'll be able to download them all to your personal video playlist. Grab videos from thousands of Web sites with just one click. Watch them any time, create a video playlist or even burn your greatest hits to DVD. Find the Web video you want--and Real it in."

The free software will allow consumers to download or record non DRM-protected videos from multiple formats--including not only Real, but Windows Media, Quicktime and even Flash. The videos can then be burned to disc--to DVDs only with the RealPlayer Plus pay version, but to CDs via the Video CD format via the free version. Transfer to portable devices will be available in future releases, Real said.

"Time-shifting of recorded or downloaded content is a natural next step in the progression of the online video distribution and consumption," Gartner's McGuire said in a statement released by Real. "For online video fans, the ability to capture, store and forward content is going to be transformative."

The new software will float a one-click "download this video" button next to videos as they play. Once the downloading starts, users can continue watching the clip, move on to other tasks or download other videos simultaneously.

Users can also use a "Share With a Friend" feature to recommend videos to others. The emailed link sends friends directly to the online source of the video.

The initial release will work for both Internet Explorer and Firefox on Windows, with a Mac version for Safari and Firefox promised for later this year.