Helix DNA is a universal digital media platform, created to accelerate the development and deployment of rich media applications on any device, over any network, on any operating system, created in any development environment. To date, over 430 million Helix DNA enabled devices have been deployed by manufacturers of smartphones, feature phones, portable media players, televisions, and Internet radios. The Helix DNA code is available in binary and source code form and is licensable under various open-source and commercial-source licenses.
Cross-Platform, Multi-Format, and Carrier-Grade
Helix DNA is the leading carrier-grade, cross-platform, multi-format client middleware solution designed to enable world class media applications and services. It provides a consistent set of media capabilities to a variety of devices and operating systems, including Windows Mobile, Linux, Symbian, and Android. Helix DNA is used by over 100 broadband and mobile operators around the world, and is the underlying media engine for millions of mobile devices shipped by manufacturers such as Nokia, Motorola, LG, HTC, Sony Ericsson and Samsung.
The Building Blocks for Digital Media
Helix DNA provides a common set of media capabilities across different sets of devices. Device media applications such as music players, ringtone players, ringback tone players, and video players can take advantage of Helix DNA to provide better performance, better user experience, and easier data sharing and communication between applications. Manufacturers only need to integrate their media applications with the Helix DNA once, thereby saving the time and expense of integrating their applications with device specific hardware and operating system implementations. As a result, manufacturers can focus more on developing innovative applications and bringing products to the market faster, and less on integration and testing for each new device.
Helix DNA provides a dynamic and versatile architecture that enables numerous multimedia use-cases. It contains a complete stack of components that allow for playback of several formats and codecs from local storage, or through industry-standard network streaming protocols such as RTSP/RTP/RDT/HTTP. In addition, it allows for a rich user-experience by providing media management functionality components including a Media Library Manager, Metadata/Thumbnail Engine, and Download Manager.
Helix DNA can also be used for advanced multimedia use-cases such as capture/encoding of audio & video and conversion of media files from one format to another. A large portion of this functionality is completely cross-platform (OS/Architecture independent) while the platform specific functionality is abstracted into documented C++ classes in order to make porting to specific platforms easier. Several ports of Helix DNA including Windows Mobile, Symbian, Linux, and Android are available today from the Helix Community.
Helix DNA is a product of collaborative, open source development in the Helix Community. Started by RealNetworks and with contributions from market leaders like Nokia, Motorola, LG, Sony Ericsson, and Samsung; Helix DNA and the Helix Community continue to evolve to power today's multimedia enabled applications. Helix DNA source code is publicly available and manufacturers are free to modify the functionality to meet their needs. To help with integration, manufacturers can rely on the expertise of the community members or enroll in a premium support program.
With over 150 thousand members, the community offers a consensus-based development process, with an extensive and diverse ecosystem of developers all involved in creating world class multimedia enabled applications. Involvement in the community can be as easy as downloading the latest Helix DNA build and trying it out, reporting a bug, submitting an idea for a new feature, downloading the Helix DNA source code and creating a new module, or simply visiting a project home page and reading the current news.