What can I replace Windows Media Player with?

mca · « **on:** 9 Sep 2006, 05:25 pm »

I never liked WMP, but it seems everytime MS upgrades it, it's performance gets worse. The only thing I used it for is watching DVDs on my computer and listening to music sound clips on Amazon, etc. It won't do either now.

When I try and watch a DVD it gives me "WMP has encountered a problem and needs to close". If I try and listen to a music sample on Amazon, it brings up the small player, but won't play anything, it just says "done".

jqp · « **Reply #1 on:** 9 Sep 2006, 05:40 pm »

I am not happy with WMP myself and I mostly use Media Player Classic (search for it). WMP gets hosed very easily when you install some codec required to play the lates thing you get from the net. And it is a vicious cycle of "new capabilities" (new potential ways to make you keep paying something into the future) and new codecs, pandoras box since you are allowed to install poorly implemented codecs in WMP and other players, with media player wars, browser wars, applet wars, spyware wars. And of course whats driving it is the hope of getting a killer app on many PCs that is a cash cow for the company pushing it.

Since I use windows 2000 mostly for watching and listening (when I listen to some mp3) I have escaped most of the WMP problems. Still it is a constant struggle to keep the media players all playing together and playing all my media.

You should probably reinstall windows from scratch (recommended about once a year if you do not actively manage everything installed on your PC) if you want to give WMP a shot. Read up on what the obsessed recommend about adding codecs etc., especially for viewing DVDs. There is a LOT of info out there. Watch out for spyware and crippling intalls. Be prepared to reinstall if you are going to experiment. It helps to have 2 or 3 PCs!

boead · « **Reply #2 on:** 9 Sep 2006, 06:09 pm »

Quote from: mca on 9 Sep 2006, 05:25 pm

I never liked WMP, but it seems everytime MS upgrades it, it's performance gets worse. The only thing I used it for is watching DVDs on my computer and listening to music sound clips on Amazon, etc. It won't do either now.

When I try and watch a DVD it gives me "WMP has encountered a problem and needs to close". If I try and listen to a music sample on Amazon, it brings up the small player, but won't play anything, it just says "done".

I’m not a big Apple fan but respect them.

Apples iTunes is maybe the best WindowsXP player available and QT that is bundles with it and is its core players most video formats as well.

I’m a charter member of Music Match and get life-time upgrades. I like it too but its got its issues and isnt’ really a video players.

For Video (mostly DVD) I love WinDVD, currently using version 5.

I change my iTunes options as follows; Edit > Preferences > Advanced tab, then Importing tab.
I change the ‘Importing Using’ type to MP3, then change setting s to Custom, then choose Stereo Bit Rate 256k, Use Variable Bit Rate, Quality to Highest for a very good sounding MP3. I also, use this to RIP WAV’s for lossless tracks.

hometheaterdoc · « **Reply #3 on:** 9 Sep 2006, 08:28 pm »

Zoom Player.... free for media files, he requests payment to do DVD playback... download the recommended codecs using suggested links... even if you use multiple different filters for DVD playback (windvd's audio and Nvidia's video, etc.) it is faaaaaaar more stable than any of their front ends.

best media front end ever.... period. I will never use anything else...

Wardsweb · « **Reply #4 on:** 9 Sep 2006, 11:36 pm »

Try this: http://www.foobar2000.org/

mca · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 Sep 2006, 12:41 am »

Thanks for the suggestions. I have both Itunes and Foobar2000 installed. How can I set one of them up to play song samples on Amazon?

I will also look into the Zoom player.

Doublej · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 Sep 2006, 01:04 am »

Sounds like you are are not using Internet Explorer as your browser. I too see the behavior you describe when using Firefox. In my case if I use Internet Explorer the Amazon clips play fine. Through a plug in you can instruct Firefox to always launch Amazon in Internet Explorer

If you install Zoom player I think you want version 4.51. I had a newer version installed a while ago but it starting advertising to try to get me to buy the super duper version after a number of days.

I am surprised no one mentioned Winamp as a player. That's an option as well.