The concept of browser "plug-ins" is, of itself, abhorrent to the hoi poloi. Generations raised on switch-on-and-watch television generally grouse when they stumble upon a Web site requiring that additional software be downloaded.

"They don't know what to do with that," says Matt Thomas, product manager for GEO Interactive, an Israeli company out to change things. "They're instructed to go through all these steps to see the site. By the time they're done, the whole idea about getting this new piece of information has been lost.

"People want it to be more like TV."

TV-like graphics and streaming media are on the way from the Web development world. Current speed limits for Web transmissions will be broken. Meanwhile, companies such as GEO are creating tools that make plug-ins unnecessary. For now, though, most of us are stuck jumping through computer hoops to receive dynamic graphics or sound on our home units from the Web.

Netscape and Microsoft, the big Internet browser companies, have made the process easier in recent months. They've included many "helper" programs in the 4.0 versions of Navigator and Internet Explorer. Also, "smart updating" features allow automated installation of others.

But impatient novices may not find any plug-ins worth the effort. These free downloads often demand more time than a film clip takes to play using the plug-in. Installing some of the most popular plug- ins - Shockwave from Macromedia, for instance - even requires restarting the computer.

These frustrating interruptions can be averted. By updating to a 4.0 version browser or better, users can take advantage of many preinstalled plug-ins. Netscape 4.5, for example, comes with QuickTime, Beatnik and Shockwave. For older browsers, experts recommend a quick tour of the major download sites for plug-ins. The idea is to get the browser ready for most special effects before setting out on the first cruise.

Most of today's effects can be viewed with the following plug- ins on Windows or Macintosh computers that have 4.0 browsers equipped for the Java programming language: RealPlayer for streaming radio or television images - media sent in a nonstop "stream" that is heard or seen as it arrives; Shockwave for games and special effects; Quicktime for movies; Crescendo and Beatnik for soundtracks; and Vivo or VDOLive for other breeds of streaming video with sound.

Pitfalls remain. Currently, 137 plug-ins are available for Netscape browsers alone. Mac users may find that plug-ins aren't even made for their machines, blinding their browsers to some of the most inventive sites on the Internet.

And chances are good that adventuresome users will encounter nasty conflicts between plug-in versions. Installation of one may provoke a fight with another over which will play what. They'll demand to be made "plug-in of choice" for certain files, then refuse to play nicely with other plug-ins.

Here's a warning encountered on a recent sojourn through the Web:

"URGENT NOTE: This site employs Shockwave and Quicktime plug-ins to allow for compressed video and audio information. Back in the spring, everything worked together. This summer, everything has gotten out of sync. The latest version of Quicktime insists on running in Netscape 3, and will no longer run in Netscape 2. At the same time, Shockwave continues to support Netscape 2, but does not yet support Netscape 3. When the Shockwave plug-in for Director finally makes it out of beta, it will support Netscape 3, Internet Explorer 3 and compressed audio (allowing the audio information to be captured in the movie, rather than requiring a secondary Quicktime file to carry the sound). For the moment, however, if you want to run the Shockwave movies on this site, you must continue to use Netscape 2. Expect the new plug- in sometime this summer. Sorry about this. "

Sites such as Versions (www.versions.com) try valiantly to keep track of such incongruities. And the directories by Bloke (www.plug- ins.com) and Browser Watch (browserwatch.internet.

com) can quell some of the anarchy.

If quirky special effects plug-ins can be tough on the user, pity the poor Web designer. An attractive and spirited effect on one browser can turn to mush on another.

Matt Thomas and GEO are trying to go another route. Using Java capabilities inherent in most 4.0 browsers, GEO has developed Emblaze VideoPro (www.

emblaze.com).

This product is sold to Web developers, who use it to make clear, smooth audio-visual presentations instantaneously visible on any Mac or Windows computer withusing a 4.0 browser with Java switched on.

"More and more, the Net is becoming entertainment that involves all your senses," Mr. Thomas says. "You go to a plain site, one that' s just text, and you'll get bored.

"With audio and visuals, the whole experience becomes enriched. And our studies show visitors stay longer, interact with the site more and are more active in an e-commerce situation."

Mr. Thomas means they buy more. And if that's the case, GEO's technology may give market leaders RealNetworks, which produces the plug-ins RealAudio and RealPlayer, and Microsoft, maker of NetShow, a run for their money.

It's bound to be tough going for GEO, regardless of its technology. Several audio and video software vendors - from Vivo to VDO Live - have found it difficult to overcome the technology and marketing muscle of RealNetworks and Microsoft. Those two giants have created, then semi-dissolved, an alliance designed to dominate technology for streaming media.

While corporate gamesmanship and code incompatibilities have left consumers more confused than ever, some plug-ins cannot be ignored by those with the patience and the determination to plunge ahead.

In November, RealNetworks unleashed its G2 line. These new programs reduce the herky-jerky, stop-start appearance of televisionlike moving pictures that have plagued this medium.

RealNetworks also announced an agreement with the search engine company Excite under which Audio/Video Search will become a component on RealNetworks' MediaPlayer G2 program. Using Excite Audio/Video Search, customers can search the Web for multimedia content from the RealPlayer online site as they listen to or watch multimedia clips.

On the Macintosh, Quicktime is by far the most versatile plug- in for video. The 3.0 version issued recently for Windows operating systems also provides an opportunity for users to experiment with their own 3-D imaging tools.

QuickTime lets Web users experience animation, video, music, other audio and virtual reality panoramas and objects directly in a Web page. Content can be viewed while being downloaded, thus saving time.

Music video clips with sound are regularly offered in RealPlayer or Quicktime formats. Examples can be found at Jeffrey Zeldman's site (www.zeldman.

com). Try the Beatles' offering Find Out What Messed Up Your Parents" - a tease for the group's CD anthology.

Vivo and VDO plug-ins have been refined greatly over the last several months. Much of the impetus for continued development of these video programs has come from the thriving online adult movie industry, where sales depend on fast and efficient delivery of images.

The Beatnik player, co-developed by Thomas Dolby Robertson, can extract a deep richness from small computer speakers, whether sampling rock, rap or jazz.

And Macromedia's Shockwave family of plug-ins and tools continues to impress users and the industry alike. Of particular appeal to gamers and those interested in the artsy edge of Web design are the dynamic graphics efforts inside the Shockrave Gallery (www.shockrave.com).

In November, PC Magazine awarded the Macromedia suite of products - Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash and Generator - the prestigious Technical Excellence Award in Software.

With more than 40 million downloads in the last year, Flash is the most widely adopted vector animation and graphics technology on the Internet. The Olympic Committee, Sony Camcorders Europe, Suzuki and the TV shows South Park and The X Files are all using it to jazz up their sites.

CHART(S): (DMN) Tapping The Web's Technologies.

© 1998 The Dallas Morning News All Rights Reserved in

Though software is farfrom trouble-free, new tools, updated browsers reduce downloads needed to fully enjoy mutimedia Web sites., 12-22-1998, pp 1F.

©1998 The Dallas Morning News

 
 

Back to Top
Send a letter to the Editor about this story
Discuss this story in our technology forum