RealNetworks Inc. will bring out a newfangled partnership with a cable operator and an expand relationship with a PC maker to elevate its Rhapsody euphony avail at the International Consumer Electronics Show ( CES ) in Las Vegas on Thursday .
RealNetworks , found in Seattle , has strike a deal with Cox Communications Inc. to supply Cox high - hurrying Internet endorser with accession to Rhapsody ’s euphony , streaming radio and other media contentedness service , the company will denote at CES . The companionship also is work with Hewlett - Packard Co. to provide light access to the Rhapsody help on more microcomputer .
Customers of Cox ’s gamey - speed Internet service can sign up for Rhapsody and get charged for the online subscription service in their Cox cable invoice , consort to RealNetworks . Under the terms of the deal , customers also can access Rhapsody from Microsoft Corp. Windows , Apple Macintosh or Linux computers without download guest software , the troupe enounce .
RealNetworks already has a similar raft with Comcast Corp. , enounce RealNetworks spokeswoman Ronda Scott in an e - mail message . The new deal with Cox imply RealNetworks now is working with two of the top three transmission line provider in the U.S. to provide Rhapsody to more mellow - upper Internet customer , she said .
Through an expanded family relationship with HP , the Rhapsody avail now will be useable through the RealPlayer jukebox software package on the HP Pavilion , Compaq Presario and HP Pavilion Media Center TV microcomputer line of merchandise , grant to the company . The RealNetworks RealPlayer has ship on these lines before , Scott said , but for the first time it will be the nonremittal role player on these PCs for major audio formats , including RealAudio , Windows Media Audio , AAC ( Advanced Audio Coding ) and MP3 .
RealNetworks is idle it out with competitors such as Microsoft Corp. , with its Windows Media Player , and Apple , with its iTunes music help , to leave software and help for playing and purchasing digital music .
During Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates ’ keynote address Wednesday even at CES , the software troupe was to unveil a new tidy sum with MTV Networks to provide its Urge music service on Windows Media Player . The wad will give Windows Media Player 11 user access to 2 million Song and undivided substance . That software will be available on the next version of the Windows customer oxygen , Windows Vista , which is expected to ship before the end of the twelvemonth .
