Real Media format is a container format developed by RealNetworks. It is typically paired with RealAudio and it is packed in a RealVideo container. It is suitable for use as a streaming media format used for streaming content over the Internet. Streaming video can be used for watching live television, since it doesn’t require downloading the video in advance.

It is basically a constant bitrate (CBR) stream, although a variable bitrate (VBR) container has been developed recently. It is called RMVB (RealMedia variable bitrate) which allows a better quality however this format is less suitable for online streaming since it is hard to predict how much capacity a certain video will need. Video with fast motion or rapidly changing scenes will need a higher bitrate. If the bitrate increases significantly, it may exceed the speed which can be transmitted over the network, leading to an undesired interruption in the video.