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How To Activate Windows Media Player

Media histrion and media library application past Microsoft

Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player icon.png
Windows Media Player screenshot.png

Windows Media Player 12 running on Windows viii

Developer(s) Microsoft
Stable release 12.0.22000.194 (October 4, 2021; 8 months agone  (2021-10-04)) [±]
Preview release 12.0.25120.1000 (May 18, 2022; 22 days ago  (2022-05-18)) [±]
Operating system
  • Windows NT four.0
  • Mac OS seven
  • Mac Bone 10
  • Solaris
Included with
  • Windows iii.0 MM and Windows three.1
  • Windows 9x
  • Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows seven, Windows viii, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11 (all the same available)[a]
  • Windows CE and Windows Mobile
  • Mac Bone viii and nine
Predecessor ActiveMovie Control, CD Player, DVD Player (Win32 version)
Successor Microsoft Movies & TV, Groove Music
Type Media role player
Website windows.microsoft.com/en-U.s.a./windows/products/windows-media-player Edit this on Wikidata

Windows Media Player (WMP) is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating organization, also equally on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices. Editions of Windows Media Player were also released for classic Mac Bone, Mac Os X and Solaris only development of these has since been discontinued.

In addition to existence a media histrion, Windows Media Histrion includes the ability to rip music from and copy music to compact discs, burn recordable discs in Audio CD format or every bit data discs with playlists such as an MP3 CD, synchronize content with a digital audio player (MP3 player) or other mobile devices, and enable users to purchase or rent music from a number of online music stores.

Windows Media Player 11 is bachelor for Windows XP and included in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. The default file formats are Windows Media Video (WMV), Windows Media Sound (WMA), and Avant-garde Systems Format (ASF), and its ain XML based playlist format chosen Windows Playlist (WPL). The player is also able to utilize a digital rights management service in the grade of Windows Media DRM.

Windows Media Player 12 is the most recent version of Windows Media Actor prior to Windows 11. It was released on October 22, 2009, forth with Windows vii[b] and has not been made available for previous versions of Windows nor has it been updated since for Windows 8, Windows eight.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11.[2] [3] Windows viii and afterwards instead apply Groove Music (for audio) and Microsoft Movies & TV (for video) as the default playback applications for most media; Every bit of Oct 2021, Windows Media Player is withal included as a Windows component. Windows RT does non run Windows Media Player.

On November xvi, 2021, Microsoft appear that it would replace Groove Music with the new Media Player application, though the legacy Windows Media Thespian will go on to be included with Windows xi.[four]

History [edit]

The showtime version of Windows Media Player appeared in 1991, when Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions was released.[5] Originally chosen Media Thespian, this component was included with "Multimedia PC"-uniform machines but non available for retail sale. It was capable of playing .mmm animation files, and could exist extended to support other formats.[6] It used MCI to handle media files. Being a component of Windows, Media Thespian shows the same version number every bit that of the version Windows with which it was included.

Microsoft continually produced new programs to play media files. In November of the following year, Video for Windows was introduced with the ability to play digital video files in an AVI container format,[seven] with codec support for RLE and Video1, and back up for playing uncompressed files. Indeo 3.2 was added in a later release. Video for Windows was first bachelor as a gratis add-on to Windows 3.1, and later integrated into Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0. In 1995, Microsoft released ActiveMovie with DirectX Media SDK. ActiveMovie incorporates a new way of dealing with media files, and adds back up for streaming media (which the original Media Player could not handle). In 1996, ActiveMovie was renamed DirectShow.[8] However, Media Role player connected to come with Windows until Windows XP, in which it was officially renamed Windows Media Player v5.1.[ix] ("v5.1" is the version number of Windows XP.)

In 1999, Windows Media Histrion'southward versioning broke away from that of Windows itself. Windows Media Player half dozen.4 came as an out-of-ring update for Windows 95-98 and Windows NT 4.0 that co-existed with Media Thespian and became a built-in component of Windows 2000, Windows ME and Windows XP with an mplayer2.exe stub assuasive to use this built-in instead of newer versions.[ten] Windows Media Histrion vii.0 and its successors also came in the aforementioned mode, replacing each other simply leaving Media Player and Windows Media Histrion 6.4 intact. Windows XP is the only operating arrangement to have 3 different versions of Windows Media Thespian (v5.ane, v6.4 and v8) side by side. All versions branded Windows Media Player (instead of simply Media Histrion) back up DirectShow codecs. Windows Media Player version 7 was a big revamp, with a new user interface, visualizations and increased functionality. Windows Vista, yet, dropped older versions of Windows Media Player in favor of v11, which included the removal of the Windows Media Source Filter (DirectShow codec).

In 2004 Microsoft launched digital music store MSN Music for new Windows Media Histrion 10 to compete with Apple iTunes.[11] [12] Yet, MSN Music was discontinued already in 2006 with the launch of Zune music players.[13]

Outset with Windows Vista, Windows Media Player supports the Media Foundation framework besides DirectShow; as such it plays certain types of media using Media Foundation also as some types of media using DirectShow.[14] Windows Media Player 12 was released with Windows 7. Information technology included support for more than media formats and added new features. With Windows 8, however, the player did non receive an upgrade.

On Apr 16, 2012, Microsoft appear that Windows Media Player would not be included in Windows RT, the line of Windows designed to run on ARM-based devices.[fifteen]

Windows 11 [edit]

Media Player is the successor to Groove Music for Windows 10 (previously Xbox Music) and Windows Media Actor. It started to be offered to all Windows 11 users on February xv, 2022. [16]

The new Media Histrion tin besides play video, as part of Groove'due south rebranding from a music streaming service to a media player.[17] Other changes include the album embrace view existence in fullscreen, and a refresh to the mini role player.[18] Accessibility has also been optimized, with some improved keyboard shortcuts and hotkey back up for keyboard users and with other assistive technologies.[19]

Features [edit]

Core playback and library functions [edit]

Windows Media Player supports playback of audio, video and pictures, along with fast forrad, reverse, file markers (if nowadays) and variable playback speed (seek & time compression/dilation introduced in WMP 9 Series). It supports local playback, streaming playback with multicast streams and progressive downloads. Items in a playlist can be skipped over temporarily at playback time without removing them from the playlist. Full keyboard-based operation is possible in the player.

Windows Media Player supports full media management, via the integrated media library introduced first in version 7, which offers cataloguing and searching of media and viewing media metadata. Media tin can exist arranged according to album, artist, genre, appointment et al. Windows Media Player 9 Series introduced Quick Access Console to browse and navigate the entire library through a menu. The Quick Access Console was besides added to the mini style in version x just was entirely removed in version xi. WMP 9 Series also introduced ratings and Machine Ratings. Windows Media Actor 10 introduced support for accumulation pictures, Recorded TV shows, and other media into the library. A fully featured tag editor was featured in versions 9-xi of WMP, called the Advanced Tag Editor. However, the feature was removed in Windows Media Role player 12. Since WMP ix Series, the player features dynamically updated Auto Playlists based on criteria. Automobile Playlists are updated every fourth dimension users open up them. WMP 9 Series and later besides supports Car Ratings which automatically assigns ratings based on the number of times a song is played. Pre-populated car playlists are included in Windows Media Player 9 Serial. Custom Auto Playlists can exist created merely on Windows XP and afterward.

In Windows Media Role player 11, the Quick Admission Panel was removed and replaced with an Explorer-style navigation pane on the left which can be customized for each library to testify the user selected media or metadata categories, with contents appearing on the right, in a graphical manner with thumbnails featuring album art or other art depicting the item. Missing album fine art can be added directly to the placeholders in the Library itself (though the programme re-renders all album art imported this way into 1x1 pixel ratio, 200x200 resolution jpegs). In that location are dissever Tiles, Icons, Details or Extended Tiles views for Music, Pictures, Video and Recorded TV which tin be set up individually from the navigation bar. Entries for Pictures and Video show their thumbnails. Version 11 besides introduced the ability to search and display results on-the-wing as characters are being entered, without waiting for Enter central to be striking. Incremental search results are refined based on further characters that are typed. Stacking allows graphical representations of how many albums in that location are in a specific category or folder. The pile appears larger as the category contains more than albums. The List pane includes an option to prompt the user to remove items skipped in a playlist upon save or skip them only during playback.

Visualizations [edit]

Windows Media Player xi running in mini mode (in Windows XP MCE) showing the "Bars and Waves" visualization

While playing music, Windows Media Role player tin can show visualizations. The electric current three visualizations are Alchemy, which was first introduced in version 9, Bars and Waves, which has been used since version 7, and Battery, introduced version 8. "Musical Colors" was removed starting with version nine, but is retained if Windows Media Role player was upgraded from version 7 or 8. Version 11 and above refrains from having the former "Ambience", "Particle", "Plenoptic", and "Spikes" visualizations. The "Battery" visualization was similarly removed in afterward editions of version 12. The reason for their removal was that the visualizations do not back up full screen controls (either the visualization gets shifted to the left while there is a thick black bar to the correct side of the screen, that there are no total screen controls, or that the visualization accept DXE Problems). More visualizations such as "BlazingColors", "ColorCubes", "Softie the Snowman," and "Yule Log" used to be downloadable nonetheless, the downloads from Microsoft'southward website have mostly been taken downwards and it's available on the WMP Goodies site.

Format support [edit]

The player includes intrinsic back up for Windows Media codecs and besides WAV and MP3 media formats. On Windows XP and in a higher place with WMP 9 Series and later, the Windows Media Audio Professional codec is included which supports multichannel audio at up to 24-flake 192 kHz resolution. Windows Media Player 11 includes the Windows Media Format eleven runtime which adds low bitrate support (beneath 128 kbit/south for WMA Pro), support for ripping music to WMA Pro 10 and updates the original WMA to version ix.2.[ citation needed ]

Back up for whatever media codec and container format can be added using specific DirectShow filters or Media Foundation codecs (Media Foundation codecs only in Windows Vista and later). The histrion will not play MP3 files that contain compressed ID3 headers ("tags"); trying to do then results in a "The input media file is invalid" error message. MP3 playback support was built-in beginning with version half dozen.1 and sound CD playback was natively supported with version 7.[ citation needed ]

DVD playback features minus the necessary decoders were integrated into Windows Media Player 8 for Windows XP. The player activates DVD and Blu-ray playback functionality with back up for menus, titles and capacity, parental controls and audio rails language selection if compatible decoders are installed. MPEG-2 and Dolby Digital (Air-conditioning-3) decoders were included beginning with Windows Media Thespian 11 on Windows Vista (Home Premium and Ultimate editions merely) and Windows 7 (Habitation Premium, Ultimate, or Enterprise editions) to allow DVD playback without additional software. Notwithstanding, the decoders were subsequently removed in Windows viii and Windows ten due to licensing costs.[20]

Windows Media Player 12 adds native support for H.264 and MPEG-4 Part 2 video formats, ALAC, AAC audio[21] and 3GP[ clarification needed got no codec available for 3GP], MP4 and MOV container formats.[22] Windows Media Histrion 12 is also able to play AVCHD formats (.M2TS and .mts).[23]

As of Windows ten version 1507, Windows Media Player 12 tin play FLAC, HEVC, and SubRip subtitle, and Matroska container formats.[24] Although the WebM file blazon is not officially associated with Windows Media Histrion 12 (the default player is Microsoft Movies & TV), playback of VP9 video in WebM container is possible on Windows 10 version 1809 and subsequently.[25]

Windows Media Role player Mobile [edit]

Windows Media Player Mobile 10 on Windows Mobile half dozen.five supports MP3, ASF, WMA and WMV using WMV or MPEG-4 codecs.[26]

Disc burning, ripping, and playback [edit]

Windows Media Actor features integrated Audio CD-burning support since version seven likewise as data CD burning back up since Windows Media Player 9 Series on Windows XP and after. Data CDs tin accept any of the media formats supported by the histrion. While burning Data CDs, the media can, optionally, be transcoded into WMA format and playlists tin be added to the CD too. Starting with WMP nine Serial, audio CDs tin exist burnt with volume leveling.

Audio CDs can be ripped as WMA or WMA 10 Pro (WMA 10 Pro in WMP 11 and later) at 48, 64, 96, 128, 160 and 192 kbit/south, WMA lossless (470 to 940 kbit/south) (9 Series on XP and afterwards), WMA variable bitrate (from 40 to 75 kbit/s up to 240-355 kbit/s), MP3 at 128, 192, 256 and 320 kbit/due south, or uncompressed WAV (WAV ripping in WMP 11 and afterward). Since WMP 9 Series, 20 chip high-resolution CDs (HDCDs) are as well supported, if capable audio hardware is present. Audio can be ripped using error correction and ripped audio tin exist protected with Windows Media DRM. Ripping to MP3 is supported only in Windows Media Role player 8 for Windows XP and later if a uniform MP3 encoder is installed. Windows Media Histrion 10 included the Fraunhofer MP3 Professional person encoder. Information on CDs such as album name, creative person and track listings can optionally be automatically downloaded from the online Windows Media database when the CD is inserted. Version 11 added support for ripping sound CDs to WAV and WMA ten Pro formats. With their 2015 implementation in Windows ten, Version 12 also added lossless FLAC and ALAC formats for ripping and playback. For burning, version xi shows a graphical bar indicating how much space will be used on the disc and introduced Disc spanning which splits a burn listing onto multiple discs in case the content does not fit on 1 disc.

Portable device sync [edit]

Windows Media Thespian allows the user to connect, share and sync data with portable handheld devices and game consoles since version vii. Media can be optionally transcoded to a format meliorate suited for the target device, automatically, when synchronizing. When deleting playlists from devices, Windows Media Player can automatically remove their contents. Devices can be formatted using Windows Media Thespian 9 Series and afterward. Version 10 and later support the Media Transfer Protocol and Auto Sync. Car Sync allows users to specify criteria such as recently added music or highest rated songs, past which media will be automatically synchronized with the portable device and other advanced features similar setting the clock on the portable device automatically, communicating with the device to recollect the user'south preferences. Windows Media Actor 10 also introduced the UMDF-based Windows Portable Devices API.

Version 11 has improved synchronization features for loading content onto PlaysForSure-compatible portable players. WMP eleven supports opposite-synchronization, by which media present on the portable device can be replicated back to the PC. Shuffle Sync tin be used to randomize content synced with the portable device, Multi PC Sync to synchronize portable device content across multiple PCs and Guest Sync to synchronize different content from multiple PCs with the portable device. Portable devices announced in the navigation pane of the library where their content can be browsed and searched.

Windows Media Player's 'Sync' role has options that let it to exist set up to automatically downwardly-convert (transcode) high chip-rate song files to a lower bit-rate. This down-conversion function is switched on by default. This is useful for providing low bit-rate files to those portable devices that need them, and to salvage space on portable devices with smaller storage capacities. For loftier fleck-charge per unit capable devices with sufficient storage capabilities, the down conversion process tin exist omitted.

In versions eleven (2006) and 12 (2009), the Quality settings that the user has selected in the Windows Media Role player settings for Sync, for that specific portable device, are used to control the quality (bit-charge per unit) of files that are copied to the portable device. Leaving the Quality settings to Automatic volition often event in 192kbs files being copied to the portable device. Manual settings can likewise exist made. 192kbs is the highest quality downwards-conversion bit-rate that tin be manually selected when the Sync part's down-conversion office is turned on. Lower bit-rates tin can also exist selected.

For portable devices that can handle high bit-charge per unit files, the best quality files are obtained by leaving the downwards-conversion procedure switched off (unchecked) for that specific device. In Windows Media Thespian Version 11, switching off the down-conversion part is done in the Quality tab of the Advanced Options of the Sync settings for the device. In Windows Media Player Version 12, switching off the downwardly-conversion role is washed in the Quality tab of the Backdrop for the device in the Select Settings for the device in the Sync Options carte du jour.

When gear up up in such a style, Windows Media Thespian's 'Sync' function can exist used to sync unchanged loftier flake-rate song files to suitable portable devices (i.e. those capable of using file formats such every bit WMA Lossless, mp3-360kbs, etc.). For example, some users have created large vocal libraries on their PCs containing .wma formatted song files using the high scrap-charge per unit WMA Lossless (WMA-LL) protocol, or using other loftier bit-charge per unit vocal file formats. The WMA-LL protocol is selectable in Windows Media Player as an option when ripping songs from CDs. The resulting bit-rates seen on ripped WMA-LL files are often iii to half-dozen times college than 192kbs, and can typically autumn anywhere in the range of 600kbs to 1200kbs, depending on the quality of the source file that was nowadays on the CD in the first place. The audio quality is much improved over the default rate, although the file size is larger.

At the time that Versions 11 and 12 were released, the capabilities and capacities of portable devices typically required down-conversion of the bit-rates of the files placed on the portable devices. Thus, Sync down-conversion was turned on past default. This was to ensure playability of the files and to ensure that the file sizes were small enough to efficiently fit a reasonably large selection of songs on the portable device.

In contempo years (circa 2012), portable devices became bachelor that could natively play these Windows Media Player produced high bit-rate WMA-LL files (and others), and that take storage capacities suitable for large collections of high flake-rate song files. This made it much more than practicable and desirable to utilize software programs such as Windows Media Player to synchronize previously PC-bound libraries of high bit-charge per unit songs to these new portable devices.

Enhanced playback features [edit]

Windows Media Player features universal brightness, dissimilarity, saturation and hue adjustments and pixel attribute ratio for supported video formats. It as well includes a 10-band graphic blaster with presets and SRS WOW audio post-processing system. Windows Media Player can also have fastened sound and video DSP plug-ins which procedure the output audio or video data. Video Smoothing was introduced in WMP 9 Series (Windows XP and later only) which upscales frame-rate by interpolating added frames, in effect giving a smoother playback on depression-framerate videos. The player supports subtitles and closed-captioning for local media, video on demand streaming or alive streaming scenarios. Typically Windows Media captions support the SAMI file format but tin also carry embedded airtight caption data.

The player tin use video overlays or VMR (Video Mixing Renderer) surfaces, if the video carte supports them. In Windows XP, it uses VMR7 by default, but can also be fabricated to utilize the more than advanced YUV mixing way by enabling the "Use loftier quality mode" option in Avant-garde Operation settings. This turns on deinterlacing, scaling and improved colour accuracy.[27] WMP 9 Series introduced native playback for deinterlacing for TV output. Version 9 introduced DXVA accelerated playback. Version eleven introduced improved back up for DirectX accelerated decoding of WMV video (DXVA decoding). Upwardly to version eleven, it supported static lyrics and "Synchronized Lyrics", by which different lines of lyrics tin be time-stamped, then that they display only at those times. Synchronized Lyrics likewise were accessible through the Advanced Tag Editor which was removed in version 12.

Since Windows Media Player nine Series, the player supports crossfading, audio dynamic range (Serenity Mode) for WMA Pro and WMA Lossless, and auto volume leveling for sure media which includes volume level/proceeds information such as MP3 or Windows Media. The player also supports extensive configurable privacy and security settings.

Shell integration [edit]

The thespian has Windows Explorer shell integration to add files and playlist to the At present Playing pane and other playlists can exist controlled from the Windows Explorer crush itself, via right-click menu. The My Music binder besides includes a separate My Playlists folder where playlists are maintained. When the histrion is closed and reopened, simply clicking the play button restores the last playlist even if information technology was not saved. Starting with Windows Media Actor 10, the playlist pane is also visible from the Library view. AutoPlay handlers in Windows expose diverse Windows Media Player tasks.

Windows Media Player xi running in mini style in Windows Vista and Windows XP respectively. Discover the difference in the logo.

Up to version 11, it featured a taskbar-mounted Mini mode in which the near common media control buttons are presented as a toolbar on the Windows taskbar. Flyout windows tin display media data, the active visualization or the video being played back. Mini-manner was introduced as a crush player powertoy for Windows Media Histrion eight in Windows XP and integrated afterwards into WMP ix Series. Mini-mode has been removed in Windows Media Player 12 in favor of controls in the taskbar'south interactive thumbnail preview which lacks book command, a progress bar and information displayed whenever a new song is played.

The user interface has been redesigned in Windows Media Histrion 12 such that the Now Playing view plays media in a divide minimalist window with floating playback controls, and also gives access to the electric current playlist, visualizations, and enhancements.[21] Enhancements are housed in individual undocked windows. The library view includes the rest of the media management functions. It also can preview songs from the library when users hover over the media file and click the Preview button.[21] Windows Media Player 12 can play unprotected songs from the iTunes library. The taskbar-integrated Mini-player has been replaced with controls in the taskbar's interactive thumbnail preview (chosen the Thumbnail Toolbar),[28] albeit minus the volume command part, rail and album information shown whenever a new song is played and the progress bar. The taskbar icon as well supports jump lists introduced in Windows vii.

The thumbnail viewer of Windows Media Player 12 in Windows 7 Domicile Premium

Extensibility [edit]

The player has had skinning support since Windows Media Player (WMP) 7 and includes a color chooser since the WMP 9 Series. Not all functions are usually exposed in skin mode. Windows Media Player 10 allows setting the video edge color. Colour chooser has been removed in WMP 12. It supports visualizations and Info Center View (Info Center View in WMP ix Series and after) which displays media metadata fetched from the cyberspace. Full screen visualizations are supported in WMP nine Series and later on. Information technology supports Background plug-ins, window plug-ins and Now Playing plug-ins to command media playback besides DSP and renderer plug-ins. Plug-in support was introduced in WMP 9 Series.

Online features [edit]

The player integrates web-browsing support to browse online music stores, shop for music and melody to internet radio stations since version vii. It provides an embeddable ActiveX control for Net Explorer then that developers can play Windows Media on web pages. Windows Media Histrion 10 and later feature integration with a big number of online music stores and selecting a music store switches the Info Middle view, radio and other online features to utilise services from that store. Purchased music from a particular store appears in a separate library node under the respective category.

Media streaming [edit]

Previously, Microsoft had released Windows Media Connect for Windows XP to stream media content with its built-in UPnP media server. With version 11 of Windows Media Player, Media Sharing was integrated and allows content (Music, Pictures, Video) to exist streamed to and from Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) AV enabled devices such as the PS3, Xbox 360, and Roku SoundBridge. This includes DRM protected PlaysForSure content. WMP 11 on Windows Vista can likewise act every bit a client to connect to remote media libraries using this characteristic; this is not available on the Windows XP version.

With version 12, media streaming was farther improved. While previous versions streamed media to UPnP compliant devices (Digital Media Server function) and could play media by fetching it from a network share (Digital Media Player function),[29] Windows Media Thespian 12 can access media from the shared media libraries on the network or HomeGroup, stream media to DLNA one.v compliant devices and allows itself (once the remote command option is turned on) to be remotely controlled by Digital Media Controller devices which stream media (Digital Media Renderer office).[29] Similarly, the Play To feature once enabled for remote PCs, by turning on remote control of the histrion, allows compliant devices and computers to be discovered and controlled remotely from a computer running Windows Media Player 12 (Digital Media Controller role).[29] If the devices do non support the streamed format, Windows Media Player 12 transcodes the format on-the-fly. Media from a dwelling house network can also be streamed over the net using an Online ID Provider service, which handles discovery of the computer's IP address, potency, security, connectivity and Quality of Service issues.[29]

Peel Way [edit]

Windows Media Thespian likewise features skins. Currently, Windows Media Player has two default skins: "Corporate", which was offset introduced in version 8, and "Revert", which first shipped with version 9. In versions seven and viii, there were many unusual skins such as "Heart", "Headspace", "Canvas", "Goo", and "Atomic", which were removed starting with version 9, just are retained if the player is upgraded, although some can still exist downloaded from an annal of the Microsoft website.[30] In versions 7, 8, 9 and 10 there were many usual skins such equally "9SeriesDefault", "Atomic", "Bluesky", "Canvas", "Classic", "Compact", "goo", "Headspace", "eye", "iconic", "Miniplayer", "Optic", "Pyrite", "QuickSilver", "Radio", "Roundlet", "Rusty", "splat", "Toothy", "Windows Archetype", and "Windows XP", which were removed starting with version 11. This Corporate skin is not deletable.

Security issues [edit]

Microsoft Windows Media Runtime in Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows Server contained a issues that permitted "remote code execution if a user opened a specially crafted media file". Such a file would allow the assaulter to "then install programs; view, alter, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights", if the business relationship on which the file was played had ambassador privileges.[31] The problem was addressed in a disquisitional update issued on September eight, 2009.[32]

Other versions [edit]

Microsoft has also released versions of Windows Media Player for other platforms including Windows Mobile, classic Mac Bone, Mac Bone X, Palm-size PC, Handheld PC, and Solaris. Of these, only the Windows Mobile edition continues to exist actively developed and supported by Microsoft. Version one of the Zune software was also based on Windows Media Role player; subsequently versions are non.

Windows Mobile [edit]

Windows Media Player 10.3 Mobile on a Windows Mobile Professional device

Windows Media Player for Pocket PC was showtime announced on January 6, 2000, and has been revised on a schedule roughly similar to that of the Windows version.[33] Currently known as "Media Player 10 Mobile", this edition (released in October 2004) closely resembles the capabilities of the Windows version of WMP ten, including playlist capabilities, a media library, album art, WMA Lossless playback, support for DRM-protected media, video playback at 640×480 with stereo sound, and the same Energy Blue interface aesthetics likewise seen in Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. It likewise supports synchronization with the desktop version of WMP ten, and additionally supports synchronizing and transcoding of recorded tv shows from Media Center. Media Histrion 10 Mobile is not available as a download from Microsoft; distribution is done solely through OEM partners, and is typically included on devices based on Windows Mobile.

Windows Mobile 6 includes a copy of Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, but with a like (only not quite identical) theme equally Windows Media Actor 11.

Mac Bone X [edit]

Version 9 was the last version of Windows Media Player to be released for Mac OS X earlier development was canceled by Microsoft. It was developed by the Windows Media team at Microsoft instead of the Macintosh Business Unit and released in 2003. On release the awarding lacked many basic features that were found in other media players such equally Apple's iTunes and QuickTime.[ citation needed ] It also lacked support for many media formats that version 9 of the Windows counterpart supported on release 10 months earlier.

The Mac version supported but Windows Media encoded media (upwardly to version 9) enclosed in the ASF format, lacking back up for all other formats such as MP4, MPEG, and Microsoft'due south own AVI format. On the user interface front, information technology did non prevent screensavers from running during playback, it did non support file drag-and-drop, nor did information technology support playlists. While Windows Media Histrion nine had added support for some files that use the WMV9 codec (also known as the WMV3 codec past the FourCC), in other aspects it was seen as having degraded in features from previous versions.

On January 12, 2006, Microsoft announced it had ceased evolution of Windows Media Player for Mac. Microsoft at present distributes a 3rd-party plugin chosen WMV Histrion (produced and maintained by Flip4Mac) which allows some forms of Windows Media to be played inside Apple tree'south QuickTime Thespian and other QuickTime-aware applications.[34]

European Commission case [edit]

In March 2004, the European Commission in the European Wedlock Microsoft antitrust case fined Microsoft €497 million and ordered the visitor to provide a version of Windows without Windows Media Histrion, challenge Microsoft "broke European Matrimony competition law past leveraging its near monopoly in the market for PC operating systems onto the markets for piece of work group server operating systems and for media players". The company has fabricated available a compliant version of its flagship operating system under the negotiated proper noun "Windows XP N", though the production has not been very successful. Windows Vista, Windows seven and Windows 8 are also available in "N" editions. However, information technology is possible to either install Windows Media Player (XP/Vista)[35] or the Media Restore Pack through Windows Update (Vista) to add the media role player.

Release history [edit]

Prior to the release of Windows Media Player in Windows 98 Second Edition, split programs, CD Player, Deluxe CD Player, DVD Actor and Media Player, were included in sometime versions of Microsoft Windows for playback of media files.

Windows Media Player versions[36]
Version Original release Included with Available for
Microsoft Windows
Media Actor February xv, 2022 Windows 11 N/A
Windows Media Thespian 12 July 22, 2009 Windows vii
Windows viii
Windows 8.i
Windows 10
Windows 11
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2012
Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2016
Windows Server 2019
Windows Server 2022
N/A Windows Media Player 12 live preview.png
Windows Media Player 11 October eighteen, 2006 Windows Vista
Windows Server 2008
Windows XP (SP2+)
Windows XP x64 Edition
Windows Media Player x August 25, 2004 Windows XP x64 Edition
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
Windows Server 2003 (SP1+)
Windows Server 2003
Windows XP[37]
Windows Media Player 9 Serial January 7, 2003[38] Windows XP (SP2+)
Windows Server 2003 (RTM)
Windows XP
Windows ME
Windows 2000
Windows 98 SE[39]
Windows Media Player for Windows XP (version eight) August 24, 2001 Windows XP (RTM & SP1) N/A
Windows Media Actor 7.i May 16, 2001 Windows 2000 (SP2+) Windows ME
Windows 2000
Windows 98[39] [40]
Windows Media Player 7.0 June 19, 2000[41] Windows ME Windows 2000
Windows 98
Windows 95
Windows Media Player half-dozen.four [c] April 29, 1999 Windows 2000
Windows ME (hidden)
Windows XP (hidden)
Windows Server 2003 (subconscious)
Internet Explorer five.01
Cyberspace Explorer v.five
Internet Explorer 6.0
Windows 98
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 95
Windows Media Histrion half-dozen.1 October 1997 Windows 98 SE
Internet Explorer five.0
Windows 98
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 95
Microsoft Media Actor 5.1 2001 Windows XP (hidden) N/A
Media Actor v.0 1999 Windows 2000 (hidden) N/A
Media Player 4.ix 2000 Windows ME (subconscious) Northward/A
Media Thespian iv.1 1998 Windows 98
Windows 98 SE (hidden)
North/A
Media Thespian 4.0 1995 Windows 95
Windows NT iv.0
Northward/A
Media Thespian 3.51 1995 Windows NT three.51 Northward/A
Media Player 3.five 1994 Windows NT 3.5 N/A
Media Actor 3.15 1992 Due north/A Windows 3.1 with Video for Windows
Media Role player 3.1 1992 Windows 3.1
Windows NT 3.1
N/A
Media Player 3.0 1991 Due north/A Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extension
Windows Mobile
Windows Media Player 10.3 Mobile Feb 12, 2007 (Windows Mobile 6) Windows Mobile half-dozen.1
Windows Mobile 6
Windows Mobile five.0 Windows Media Player 10 Mobile.png
Windows Media Player 10.2 Mobile ? Windows Mobile 5.0 N/A
Windows Media Player ten.one Mobile May 10, 2005 Windows Mobile v.0 N/A
Windows Media Player ten Mobile October 12, 2004 Windows Mobile 2003 SE Northward/A
Windows Media Player nine.0.i March 24, 2004 Windows Mobile 2003 SE N/A
Windows Media Player 9 Series June 23, 2003 Windows Mobile 2003 N/A
Windows Media Role player 8.5 Oct eleven, 2002 Pocket PC 2002 Northward/A
Windows Media Player viii.01 July 2002 Pocket PC 2002 Northward/A
Windows Media Player 8 October 4, 2001 (Pocket PC) Pocket PC 2002
Smartphone 2002
Due north/A
Windows Media Player vii.1 May 21, 2001 Pocket PC 2000 Northward/A
Windows Media Player 7 Dec 12, 2000 Pocket PC 2000 N/A
Windows Media Player 1.2 September 7, 2000 Handheld PC 2000 North/A
Windows Media Player one.1 ? Palm-size PC CE two.eleven N/A
Windows Media Player April xix, 2000 Pocket PC 2000 N/A
Mac
Windows Media Histrion 9 Serial Nov seven, 2003 N/A Mac OS Ten
Windows Media Player seven July 24, 2001 Mac Os 9 Mac Bone 8.10
Windows Media Player 6.iii July 17, 2000 Mac Bone viii Mac Bone 7.x
Solaris
Windows Media Player half-dozen.3 July 17, 2000 North/A Solaris

See also [edit]

  • Comparison of media players
  • Comparison of video role player software
  • Groove Music
  • Media Player Classic, a media player that mimics the appearance of Windows Media Player 6.iv
  • Media Transfer Protocol
  • Windows Media Encoder
  • Windows Media Services

Footnotes [edit]

  1. ^ Except for "N" and "KN" editions of Windows, also as Windows RT
  2. ^ Due north and KN versions of Windows 7 do not include Windows Media Player past default.[i]
  3. ^ Windows Media Role player half dozen.four was shipped side-past-side with later versions of WMP in Windows ME and Windows XP

References [edit]

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  4. ^ Hachman, Mark (2021-11-xvi). "Windows Media Player is getting a long-overdue upgrade". PCWorld.
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  9. ^ C:\Windows\system32\myplay32.exe. Windows XP. Microsoft Corporation.
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Further reading [edit]

  • Liron, Marc (2004). "A Piddling Windows Media Actor History..." Windows XP Media Thespian - The Best There Is?. Archived from the original on January 18, 2008. Retrieved October seven, 2011.
  • "The default codecs that are included with Windows Media Role player nine and with Windows Media Player ten (Revision 1.ane)". Microsoft Support Center. Microsoft Corporation. August iv, 2005. Archived from the original on November 20, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2011.

External links [edit]

  • Official website
  • The Vintage Windows Media Histrion
  • wmplugins.com - The identify to find and share plug-ins, skins and visualizations.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Media_Player

Posted by: hugheytherstagaing.blogspot.com

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