User clicks on link on content site, asking to see "song1.rm" User is redirected to a rights-verification website, and if successfully authorised, the user is sent to a 'ram hurler' web page with the content "song1.rm" in the query string and the current content location code (looks like "040041.6ca85dc33e3bdc2a79e679ddef93269b") are combined with the list of appropriate RealServers, and a "ram file" is dynamically hurled at the user. This architecture cleanly separates the content-bearing web pages, the ecommerce/authentication function, and the server-control function, in simple reliable units.
The ram file simply contains the rtsp:// URL as shown below, with the appropriate MIME-type.
This is easily done with SMIL files, or multiple-line .ram files.
The rights-verification website needs a tiny bit of MD5-capable software to generate the time-sensitive location code, which
can be easily implemented in the providers' technology of choice (we use Roxen, and also have C and Perl versions available)
Here's a link which will lead to the 'paid' content, a video called 'White Rain' with a wood-flute soundtrack: