CONFIGURATION MEDIA PLAYERS AND PRIVACY

Information gathered by Windows Media Player

(source)
During playback of streaming media, Windows Media Player will send the streaming media server a
log. Other uses include advertisement tracking.
The logs can be shared with 3rd parties.
The log includes details as: IP address, player indentification number (Player ID) and more.
When playing CDs and DVDs the Player sends an identifier for the CD or DVD to a service
operated by WindowsMedia.com. This option also applies to Audio files that have been copied
from CDs using the Player, as well as to digital music files (MP3 files)
Windows Media Player will "automatically and periodically check a Microsoft Web site for updates".
Unless you disabled cookies in your browser, these cookies will be sent to WindowsMedia.com whenever
the Media Player communicates with it's service. This service generates anonymous visitor statistics.
The information about CDs and DVDs is being stored in a log file on your computer. (source)

Windows Media Player makes it possible for malicious Web sites to grab
your browser's unique WMP ID using simple Java code. This ID can then be
used to track sites a user visits on the internet and it can also be used
as a Supercookie to bypass all the new P3P protections built into Internet
Explorer 6. (source)
Disabling Java (in the browser) is the only way to kill the SuperCookies
completely.

Configuration Windows Media Player:

Open the mediaplayer and click: "Tools/Options"
Player>
-"Enable automatic codec download" disable
-"Allow internet sites to uniquely identify your player" disable
-"Attempt to automatically acquire licences" disable
Media library>
-"Other application access rights" No access
-"Internet site rights" No access

(Otherwise other users and even internetsites can access the data you've
gathered in your Media-Library)

-"Automatically add purchased media to my library" disable
CD Audio>
-"Enable Personal Rights Management" disable
For Windows Media Player 9
Privacy>
disable everything.

Information gathered by Realplayer

Once you Sign-in to RealPlayer and Real during installation, your account name and user id will
be sent in communications with RealNetworks'servers. RealNetworks may match the account name and user
ID to personally identifiable information.
When RealPlayer, Auto-Update and Message Center communicate with RealNetworks servers, the software
transmits information including installed products, your location and IP address.
When you click: "View" in the toolbar you'll see some web services (Web, Radio, Channels, Search)
When you access these services RealPlayer sends relevant system and geographic information +cookies.
During a request for CD information RealNetworks creates profiles that match the songs or albums you
record with RealPlayer with personally identifiable information. If you record CDs offline, this
information will be sent to RealNetworks when you establish an online connection (unless you configure
RealPlayer). (source)

Realplayer Installation

I recommend having a firewall installed before installing Realplayer.

-When running setup choose: Custom Install (Click: Next > Accept)
-You may now choose your Internet Connection. (Click: Next)
-At "Desktop settings" disable everything except for "Add a desktop shortcut for RealOne Player". (Click Next)
-At the "Default Media Player" screen you'll want to click: Finish.
-At"Welcome to RealOne Player" click Cancel > Cancel.

Now RealOne Player wants to access the Internet. Don't allow it. First the configuration.

Configuration Real One Player

Open the Media Player and click "Tools" > "Preferences".
General >
-"Enable a history list in the file menu" disable
Connection > Internet Settings
-Disable everything
My Library >
-At: "Add Media Automatically To Library" disable "Enable this feature".
CD >
-At: "When Inserting a CD" disable"Prompt to Save CD"
Then click: "Additional CD Options" and disable "Get CD info online when a CD is inserted."
Content >
-At: "Clip Cache" click "Settings" and disable "Enable caching".
Automatic Services >
-Disable everything.
Automatic Services > AutoUpdate >
-"Automatically download and install important updates" disable.
Skins >
"Automatically load new skins as they are downloaded" disable.

Configuration Netscape's Realplayer (older version)

Open the mediaplayer and click: "View" >"Preferences"
General>
-"Number of clips to display in the file menu:" Set to 1
-At: "Start center" click "Settings" >"Enable StartCenter" disable
Content>
-At: "Channels" click "Settings". Disable all options here.
-At: "Real.com news and entertainment flashes" click "Settings". Disable all
options here.
-At: "Web Browser" disable option "Enable automatic links"
Support>
-At: "Send realserver data" disable all options
-"Send configuration info when connecting to technical support" disable
-"Enable cookies" disable
Performance>
-At: "Clip cache" click "Settings". disable option "Enable caching"

Possible solution to the Media Players Privacy problem:

a)Make sure you installed a firewall.
b)Install both RealPlayer and Windows Media Player, and configure them both the correct way.

-Now you can use Windows Media Player to play media you don't want Internet-sites to know about (any
DVDs, CDs and Media you downloaded to your computer. Use your firewall to deny Internet access for
this MediaPlayer.
-And now you can use Realplayer to play Streaming Media (Media you don't mind sites knowing you
play online).
RealPlayer may be allowed Internet access. (Best to let it ask for Internet access each time though.)

c)Don't forget to open RealPlayer and choose: "Tools" > "Preferences". Then click: "Content" > "Media Types"
At: "Select the media types that you want to play using RealOne Player" choose "Deselect All". (Click OK.)
Otherwise RealPlayer will be your default Media Player and therefore will be used to open all Media you
want to use offline.

TIP for using media: CODECS

It will regularly occur that you've downloaded a movie and your Media-player tells
you it cannot open the specific piece because it's missing a socalled. "CODEC".
There are tons of codecs and you're Media-player would love to hit the internet to look
for the missing codec. A rather unpleasant side-effect here is, that it will then also
inform Internet-site X about the media you're playing.
To prevent this from happening you can download rather large codec-packs at once and
install them on your computer. Here I'll give you the sites and packs I've installed
myself:

-"K-Lite Codec Pack 2.10 Full" download from: home.hccnet.nl/h.edskes/mirror.htm
-"SLD Codec Pack 1.53" download from: soft-ware.net/multimedia/video/kompression/p03304.asp
(The site soft-ware.net/multimedia/index.asp (german language) also offers you more codec-packs)
-"Windows Media 9 Series Codec Installation Package" download from: microsoft.com/downloads
-I'd also like to suggest downloading DIRECTX microsoft.com/downloads
(This will especially help when you're Media-player gives you a lot of errors. And will help playing a lot of media-formats)