RealPlayer will identify any new music, video, or image files on your connected phone or audio player, and allows you to transfer them right to your PC. While this is true, I had hoped to see the app identify my phone by name, much the way iTunes does with my iPhone. Real says this is likely the name used by the Windows shell, and notes that you can rename it easily enough. I was disappointed to see that the app didn’t identify it by name instead of calling it a Droid X (as I’d expected), it simply identified my phone as J. When your mobile device is connected, RealPlayer adds it to your library, where you can view its information in a panel that runs down the left side of the player’s window. You’re asked to identify your mobile device in case you’d like to convert any of your PC files for viewing on the handset, so by selecting the similar Droid X, I was able to convert files without a problem. Since the Droid 2 wasn’t an available option, I selected its Motorola sibling, theĭroid X. RealNetworks says they update the list every six to eight weeks, and notes that the Droid 2 should be available as an option by the time the new RealPlayer is out of beta at the end of October. Motorola Droid 2 smartphone to my PC, and was disappointed to see that this relatively new phone wasn’t yet available as an option on Real’s list. When you connect your mobile device to your computer, RealPlayer recognizes it as an additional source of content, and asks you to identify the make and model.

In my tests of a beta version, this feature worked as promised. While the previous version of the app let you transfer files to your mobile device, the new RealPlayer works in the opposite direction too, adding the ability to transfer media files off of your mobile device and into your RealPlayer library. Where the new RealPlayer differentiates itself is through its ability to help you manage your mobile devices.

The Now Playing tab works just as you’d expect, as it lets you view the content that’s currently playing. You can use the Burn tab to create CDs or DVDs, and can print jewel cases for your discs, if desired. Once your media files have been added to your library, you can play them back, edit their info, create playlists, and so forth. All of the tasks you’d expect from a multimedia manager app are available in RealPlayer.

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