I've been reading reports that Version 14 of RealPlayer is much better than previous versions for lack of annoyances.
I just upgraded and did some quick tests and I'm convinced, too.
As always, though, I don't recommend answering "yes" if it should ask you if you want it to be your "universal video player". Some people have told me that selecting that option makes it difficult to play certain audio and video media types, especially if you later choose to remove RealPlayer.
Although not required for anything on this site, RealPlayer is a requirement for some sites. And just plain handy for some specific things. I haven't tried this version yet, but previous versions make it easy to capture certain types of audio and video.