SanDisk and RealNetworks Team to Bring Rhapsody DNA Platform

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RealNetworks intros its Rhapsody DNA, a new platform that enables device makers to deliver a seamless Rhapsody experience to consumers via a broad range of portable, mobile, and in-home devices. Real has also announced it is teaming with SanDisk to integrate Rhapsody DNA into Sansa MP3 players this fall in the U.S. The RealNetworks/SanDisk partnership will feature new features embedded in a line of SanDisk's Sansa e200 series of portable players. The collaboration will allow consumers to personalize their device and take full advantage of both Rhapsody's unlimited access model and SanDisk's flash-based MP3 player capabilities and capacity.

The e200s with the special Rhapsody DNA platform will come equipped with nearly 32 hours of pre-loaded music from hundreds of the world's most popular artists, including artists on labels from EMI Recorded Music, SONYBMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group, as well as leading independent labels. The players also include unique capabilities, such as automatically updating with new music based on a consumer's personal tastes and historical music preferences. The Sansa e200 MP3 player line includes the 8GB Sansa e280 that includes the ability to add 2GB of additional music via a microSD card. With a total of 10GB of memory, the e280 is one of the world's largest capacity flash-based MP3 players. Also available in 2, 4 and 6 GB capacity, the e200 includes audio, photo viewing and video clip playback capabilities; digital FM tuner; on-the-fly FM recording; voice recording with a built-in microphone, and a user replaceable and rechargeable Lithium Ion battery for up to 20 hours of battery life.

Rhapsody DNA gives OEMs and device partners like SanDisk a world-class platform they can use to compete on a one-to-one basis with other end-to-end music experiences. Although Rhapsody DNA can operate on devices that are compatible with - and include - Microsoft's PlaysForSure platform, Rhapsody DNA does not depend on Microsoft technology in any way.

The Rhapsody DNA platform is based on Real's Helix digital rights management and includes a number of enabling and optimizing technologies that allow partners to take full advantage of Rhapsody's unlimited access model. With Rhapsody DNA users can access their music across different types of devices. Real and SanDisk cooperated closely to optimize SanDisk's Sansa e200 players to work seamlessly in the new Rhapsody DNA environment. In addition to SanDisk, Real is currently working with several other device manufacturers to integrate support for the Rhapsody DNA platform. One of these partners is Sonos, Inc., which last week released Sonos System Software 2.0, a software update to its digital music system whose revolutionary direct-to-service architecture is powered by the Rhapsody DNA platform and made possible through close technical collaboration between Real and Sonos.

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