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Windows Media Player 11 and URGE
WMP11 is released to the public

Microsoft has released the final version of Windows Media Player 11 for Windows XP. Version 11 sports a redesigned user interface and incorporates seamless integration with MTV's URGE music service.

According to Microsoft, the URGE online catalog provides customers with over 2 million songs by over 110,000 artists. Microsoft is also boasting that its improved search engine in Windows Media Player 11 provides faster results than any other media player on the market.

  • A visually driven experience using thumbnail and album art, an elegant and simple design, and customization capabilities for more personalized interaction
  • Improved device experience with new shuffle sync and reverse sync options, device exploration using the library view, and intuitive help icons that ensure seamless and intuitive syncing and burning of rights-managed content
  • Highly simplified navigation capabilities, enhanced shortcut options, and dedicated category views for all media types, including music, photos and video
  • Better access to content with deep integration of services that blurs the line between online service and media player experiences
  • Industry-first audio fingerprinting capabilities that recognize and import track information for unidentified or misnamed audio files
  • New formats for ripping and music playback, including Windows Media Audio Professional and WAV Lossless

The final version of Windows Media Player can be downloaded from the official website.

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Hope it was worth the wait.
By akugami on 10/30/2006 5:04:15 PM , Rating: 1
I've resisted downloading and trying out this new version as I mostly use other video playing software. I am not a big fan of cataloging my media as I burn a lot of the junk I download to DVD's. Most of it being TV shows, especially Asian based shows simply not readily available in the US.

So basically I'm looking for an easy to use player that plays a wide variety of formats. Windows Media Player 10 and down sucked in this respect because certain formats like OGG or MKV's would constantly bring up a compatibility error message even when I can play the file in Media Player. This is due to Windows Media Player checking the file extension to see if it's a compatible file, and clicking on the option to never check this type of file again it still does so.




RE: Hope it was worth the wait.
By Lazarus Dark on 10/30/2006 5:39:10 PM , Rating: 2
I was wondering when it would be final.
I use wmp10 for my music and streaming vids like on adultswimfix. wmp10 has been pretty good library for my music especially since I rip to wmalossless because its the most broadly compatible lossless format. I use vlc for my video because of its advanced quality options. I don't have any complaints with wmp10 but I guess I'm off to dl it, maybe its got something worth the upgrade.

Whats wav lossless? isn't wav already lossless?


RE: Hope it was worth the wait.
By Lazarus Dark on 10/30/2006 6:55:10 PM , Rating: 2
jeez it took like 20 minutes to install.
anyway, I'm diggin the library interface changes, they seem pretty useful though I wish there was an option for a classic library view but I'm sure I'll get used to it. The default skin is sleek. otherwise...not really seein too much else different. Am I missing something? Well, I guess urge and such don't matter to me since I prefer to just buy the cd's I like and ripem. So what else is new? Not interested in wmapro I'll stick with lossless. I see it still lacks an automatic album art finder, which would be hugely apreciated imo.


By InsaneScientist on 10/30/2006 11:11:59 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Whats wav lossless? isn't wav already lossless?


Yes, WAV is lossless.

Note how, in Windows Media Player's Options, it doesn't say 'WAV lossless', it says 'WAV (Lossless)', with the 'lossless' in parentheses. It's basically telling those who don't know that WAV is a lossless format... it's not saying that it's something different from normal WAV. ;)


RE: Hope it was worth the wait.
By probedb on 10/31/2006 5:18:32 AM , Rating: 3
I think FLAC is rather a lot more compatible than WMA Lossless....even ALAC is more compatible than WMA lossless!

Yep WAV is lossless, completely uncompressed audio.


RE: Hope it was worth the wait.
By jonmcc33 on 10/30/2006 8:33:03 PM , Rating: 2
I managed to play OGG and MKV files without a problem in WMP10. As long as you have the codec installed it will play anything.


RE: Hope it was worth the wait.
By One43637 on 10/30/2006 9:04:27 PM , Rating: 4
quote:

by akugami on October 30, 2006 at 5:04 PM

I've resisted downloading and trying out this new version as I mostly use other video playing software. I am not a big fan of cataloging my media as I burn a lot of the junk I download to DVD's. Most of it being TV shows, especially Asian based shows simply not readily available in the US.

So basically I'm looking for an easy to use player that plays a wide variety of formats. Windows Media Player 10 and down sucked in this respect because certain formats like OGG or MKV's would constantly bring up a compatibility error message even when I can play the file in Media Player. This is due to Windows Media Player checking the file extension to see if it's a compatible file, and clicking on the option to never check this type of file again it still does so.


have you tried using Windows Media Player Classic (WMC) with the latest Combined Community Codec Pack?

VLC is also another alternative to WMP.


RE: Hope it was worth the wait.
By akugami on 10/30/2006 9:55:51 PM , Rating: 2
Actually I mostly use BSplayer though I have downloaded VLC, I haven't had the time to try it out. I have all necessary codecs to play all the common file types.

Apparently the system I'm using to play media files doesn't have WMP 10 and was using 9. Again, the annoyance was that it never saved which type of file I had specified as playable in WMP and would always redo the check, with a modal box popping up asking if I wanted to play that file in WMP.

I used to hunt down all my codecs but lately I've taken to just install K-Lite codec pack. I tried the CCCP but prefer K-Lite.

Will try WMP 11 tomorrow.


RE: Hope it was worth the wait.
By Aikouka on 10/31/2006 9:00:59 AM , Rating: 2
Akugami, I'd probably suggest Media Player Classic using FFDShow (do not get the normal release as they're very old). FFDShow supports practically any format/container and if I ever have an issue (I've only ever had one file I couldn't open as MPC would hang), I simply open VLC and run it in that.

I may upgrade to WMP11 for kicks. I never really use WMP anyway... but it's good to have it in case someone uses Windows Media codecs!


RE: Hope it was worth the wait.
By Hydrofirex on 10/31/2006 1:38:19 PM , Rating: 1
If you use BS Player someone actually already went ahead and skinned it up JUST like Windows Media Player 11! Since I have to credit M$ with a fantastic job on the new players look this could be a good a thing (if not a bit confusing). If you interested just follow the 'get more skins' link in the options. Actually, I still use another default skin because it just has WAY more functionality. Looking cool is great, but functionality is what it's all about.

Though I still prefer BS Player for video (compatibility, and that fact that the video window is separate from the control window, functional skins) and WinAmp for audio playback, Media Player 11 is actually a great fall back now for when something is being fussy with BS player. This is a job I used to reserve for Media Player Classic, but Media Player 11 seems to do a great job itself. Only with the most botched (IMHO) encodes do I have to go as far as pull out Media Player Classic.

HfX


By rushfan2006 on 10/31/2006 9:25:20 AM , Rating: 2
I'm not a audiophile by even the farthest stretches of your imagination. To me as long as something sounds on par with a good cassette then I enjoy the music with no real complaints.

However, reading this thread and others I see there are TONS of audio formats around these days....lossless I know is what you want for good quality, but what is THE premier format for highest quality? What I'm asking is basically what is the "king of them all" format right now?





By Aikouka on 10/31/2006 11:06:53 AM , Rating: 2
MP3 really... it's probably the most widely supported format by any software or hardware player. Typically for any high-definition/multi-channel audio, I tend to see AC3 being used the most though.


By Spivonious on 10/31/2006 2:13:35 PM , Rating: 2
I do consider myself an audiophile, and if you want the best quality, you don't encode it at all. Just keep it in .wav :)

As far as the MP3 vs WMA vs AAC, the WMA sounds the best to my ears. MP3 cuts out too much of the high frequencies and AAC is too compressed (the audio term, not the computer term).


By mindless1 on 11/1/2006 3:30:01 PM , Rating: 2
Many formats can reproduce well enough that the human ear cannot discern the difference. It becomes more a matter of what the target device (player) supports, including bitrate, and whether content protection is necessary. Next is consideration of processing power needed to decompress versus storage savings at higher compression rates (whether lossless or not), and in mobile devices, the power used for either.

A good cassette is a pretty low target though, I'd consider that about equivalent to 160KB/s MP3, as both have different degradations but it's subjective- I'd rather have extra noise added in some cases rather than artifacted treble. Towards this end I also ended up turning off DNR on tape decks in some instances but some say I have better high frequency hearing than average.

If you really find cassettes acceptable, you might make archival copies in FLAC format and use MP3 160/192 for portable use. Minor additional bitrate vs quality savings on other lossy compressed formats have lesser merit in these days of large flash and HDD players.


Auto-Rewind Bug and Proper Uninstall?
By BernardP on 10/30/2006 8:52:45 PM , Rating: 2
What I find really annoying in WMP 10 is that the Auto-Rewind option is always enabled. There is no way to change this in Options. All videos, except, for some reason, .wmv or .asf formats, will auto-rewind to the first frame when they reach the end. I would like my home videos to stop a "The End", not on the first frame of the movie.

Even changing registry keys doesn't change this behavior.

Could someone check if this has been fixed in WMP 11?

Also, can WMP 11 be properly uninstalled through Control Panel, or is it necessary to do a System Restore to go back to WMP 10

Finally, I have no interest for the whole "Library" concept, as all my music and videos are well classified in real folders/subfolders.





By BernardP on 10/30/2006 8:54:20 PM , Rating: 2
Double posted while trying to edit...Sorry!


Doesn't look too bad
By rockyct on 10/30/2006 5:06:39 PM , Rating: 2
I'll have to try it out and see how well it works with my Creative Vision:M, but it looks like a pretty good step in the Itunes direction for WMP.




Hooray
By Brainonska511 on 10/30/2006 5:20:35 PM , Rating: 3
Finally out of the beta stage. I've been using WMP11Beta since June due to the fact that the hotkeys on my computer only worked with WMP. WMP11>>>>> WMP10, the library is much easier to use and it is easy to sync my Zen Touch with it. There is much more that can be said, but ATM, I need to go to class.




RE: Hooray
By blwest on 10/30/06, Rating: -1
By KeithTalent on 10/30/2006 6:06:24 PM , Rating: 2
with the Gigabeat S. A lot of the time it says it is syncing, but when it has finished and I look for the new content on my Gigabeat, it's not there :-/

Very annoying! Other than that I have been loving the beta version, so I will be downloading the final when I get home :-)





In time for XBOX update
By Devenish on 10/30/2006 6:25:32 PM , Rating: 2
Nice to see this finaly come out just in time with the xbox 360 video support hmmm. Still I always have to fall back to Video Lan (http://www.videolan.org/) since it plays everything.




By BernardP on 10/30/2006 8:51:41 PM , Rating: 2
What I find really annoying in WMP 10 is that the Auto-Rewind option is always enabled. There is no way to change this in Options. All videos, except, for some reason, .wmv or .asf formats, will auto-rewind to the first frame when they reach the end. I would like my home videos to stop a "The End", not on the first frame of the movie.

Even changing registry keys doesn't change this behavior.

Could someone check if this has been fixed in WMP 11?

Finally, I have no interest for the whole "Library" concept, as all my music and videos are well classified in real folders/subfolders.

Also, can WMP 11 be properly uninstalled through Control Panel, or is it necessary to do a System Restore to go back to WMP 10




A+
By Randum on 10/30/2006 11:45:31 PM , Rating: 2
Absolutely love this with my Creative V player, works great, and the library is sped up a lot! Love the search of it over iTunes, I like the look and feel of 11, and this new update tends to run a ton better, more responsive etc.
Sync works great compared to my iPod issues with iTunes-
highly recommend this download, and for all you doubters, just give it a shot.
Yes I have my music and movies all catagorized accordly in real folders, but the library feature is unmatched, love it-shows album covers etc, and also sends those to my Zen player automatically when I sync it.




RE: A+
By michal1980 on 10/31/06, Rating: -1
Yuck!
By jonmcc33 on 10/30/06, Rating: -1
RE: Yuck!
By Randalllind on 10/30/2006 8:50:14 PM , Rating: 2
still sucks I fix all my tags useing MediaMonkey audio player that tags from Amazon.

WPM 11 shows 2 some time 3 different albums when it all should be 1.

I am not redoing my tags on 26,000+ mp3's to please Microsoft.


RE: Yuck!
By theprodigalrebel on 10/31/2006 5:22:35 AM , Rating: 2
WMP shows 3 different entries for the same album sometimes because:
-All songs from the same album should have the same Album Artist. For instance, I have two entries for 'Almost Famous'. One is the Original Soundtrack, the other is an album by Lumidee. If you leave the Album Artist field as blank, it will show up as another entry. I also have six albums all titled 'Greatest Hits' - obviously, all with different Album Artists. This is how WMP differentiates between albums by various artists with the same title.


RE: Yuck!
By InsaneScientist on 10/30/2006 11:21:41 PM , Rating: 2
If you don't like the color, change it. The color chooser is there for a reason, you know...

Beyond that, just because it's the default with WMP 11 doesn't mean that you have to use URGE... if you don't like it, use something else... if you don't like something else, don't use anything. Nowhere in the rules does it say that you have to use every feature of the program. ;)


RE: Yuck!
By Spivonious on 10/31/2006 2:10:58 PM , Rating: 2
The black fits in with the Vista default colors.


RE: Yuck!
By mindless1 on 11/1/2006 3:33:59 PM , Rating: 2
So all they need to do is disable all these features by default, I mean ALL of them, and by disabled I mean 100% inaccessable else they'll have the potential to be yet another security exploit. It's not always a good thing to just keep tacking on features if you dont' want the features.


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