Windows Media Player 9

[SuperTool]

WMP 9 is a POS. And I can't uninstall it. 🙁 It just frustrates me. I hate the full screen mode, where it keeps resizing the video if you move a mouse. I hate the damn active x plugin with no volume control or file markers. I just hate this product, and lack of uninstall feature makes me furious.
This is my last Windows machine. Then it's off to Mac or Linux. Windows 98 se was the last sane MS OS. Media player 6.4 was the last sane microsoft windows player. I am sick of all this integration. If I want integration, I'll watch TV or use my stereo.
I want an OS. That's all. I am perfectly happy finding my own web browser, and my own media player. I don't want to be a guinea pig for Microsoft's future media ambitions. It is sad, because MS XP kernel is very reliable, and very nice. But all these addons and unnecessary fanciness just ruin this OS for me.

 

[Palek]

When I installed WMP9, the ActiveX plugin totally messed up streaming video, I could not watch anything on Launch. All videos consisted on falshing green blocks. I went straight back to WMP7.1. Also, just yesterday I encoded an MPEG-2 file with DivX/LAME, and WMP7.1 could not play it properly. It kept pausing, dropping frames and playing video and audio out of sync. (I am aware that WMP does not like LAME for some reason, especially VBR files.) Winamp3, on the other hand handled the file without a problem. As far as I am concerned, Winamp3 is a better media player than anything else out there right now. It might be a little more bloated than Winamp2.xx, but my PC can handle it.

 

[tonetgs]

also try this decoder with winamp 2.x: MAD plug-in

i honestly can't tell much difference (have an audigy 2) and you lose id3v2 functionality, but some people swear by it.

t

 

[silent tone]

WMP9 plays LAME VBR files for me fine, though these aren't in a video file. I only use winamp because it takes less cpu and the 'progress bar' during mp3 playback takes a few seconds to re-buffer if you drag it around in WMP9.

WMP is still great for video. That winamp3 integrated video just bloated the whole thing up.

 

[friedpie]

I love Winamp 2.81 and would never, ever think of using anything else. WMP 7 and above are bloated whores. I use WMP 6.4 for viewing pr0n, I mean videos. 🙂

 

[Grasshopper27]

I like WMP 9. It doesn't seem to do a ton that WMP 8 did, but 8 was a massive improvement over 7. 6 just sucked...

Honestly, WMP 9 does have its flaws, but overall it is a very good product, costs nothing beyond owning XP, and plays everything except a few RealMedia and Quicktime videos.

Microsoft was smart and allowed music to be ripped and stored in unprotected WMA files. I like the VBR format they use, the quality is better than MP3 and it is quick and easy to use.

Hopper

 

[Varsh]

What amazes me is that (yes I used to use WMP8/9 for music) no one has mentioned Music Match Jukebox, just liked to add that this program is just a bit too good, burn your MP3's straight to CD without that horrible 2s delay between each track, you can rip the MP3's in any format you want practically, it's just top stuff, ok sure it's not the prettiest thing on the planet but it's easily the best Music Player/ripper out there, and yes it even converts WAVs/MP3s etc.. 🙂
WinAMP I've never really liked, there's nothing really much to it that caught my eye.

 

[murphy55d]

Originally posted by: Gonad the Barbarian

Originally posted by: murphy55d
Winamp + Enhancer plug in > WMP9.

I should note..I use Winamp 2.81, not Winamp3.

Ditto and ditto, though I'm a little more conservative with the settings than what murphy55d is recommending.

Which preset do you use? Or do you use your own? I know little about the actual settings, I just thought agressive sounded the best. Though I'm open to trying another one.

Any of you other guys use/try out enhancer? What do you think?

 

[ICEVaPa]

Any reason why people like 2.8x and not 3???(WINAMP)

I fined the quality on3 is better???? 😕

 

[silent tone]

Originally posted by: ICEVaPa
Any reason why people like 2.8x and not 3???(WINAMP)

I fined the quality on3 is better???? 😕

I don't know if they changed the audio quality in any way, but WA3 uses more memory & CPU. It takes longer to startup. It crashed on me a few times when I was testing it out. All for what? The media library, new UI and video playback?