Media Player for Windows
August 24, 2004 12:48 PM Subscribe
I was just looking at mplayer, marveling at all the codecs and formats it covers. But, I am not a Linux geek, nor am I going to become one. So, is there a good universal media player for Windows? Free is nice, but not a requirement.
I agree and I use Media Player Classic, although sometimes I get annoyed that it fails to play something that it allegedly supports. For instance, a given asf file may or may not work in MPC depending on which MS DRM features it uses. And Real files will sometimes not work and all you get is a useless "failer to render file" error message. So I find myself using the native apps anyway.
posted by smackfu at 12:56 PM on August 24, 2004
posted by smackfu at 12:56 PM on August 24, 2004
VideoLan Client does a pretty good job with a wide variety of formats... and it's available for windows/linux/os x.
posted by ph00dz at 1:00 PM on August 24, 2004
posted by ph00dz at 1:00 PM on August 24, 2004
MPC is also my choice. It's very similar to the old MS media player (version 6), before they goodged it up with skins. MPC will play anything, including quicktime and Real streams (provided you've installed qt or Real).
To find codecs, make this your first stop. The only codec that you can't get for free is mpeg 2/DVD. To get that, you have to obtain DVD player, often included with a DVD drive or a video card, these days. Then it's the same procedure as qt or Real---install the crappy DVD player (WinDVD or Power DVD most likely), which registers the DVD codec with Windows, then reopen MPC and reset the file associations. You'll never need actually run the commecial crapware.
posted by bonehead at 2:12 PM on August 24, 2004
To find codecs, make this your first stop. The only codec that you can't get for free is mpeg 2/DVD. To get that, you have to obtain DVD player, often included with a DVD drive or a video card, these days. Then it's the same procedure as qt or Real---install the crappy DVD player (WinDVD or Power DVD most likely), which registers the DVD codec with Windows, then reopen MPC and reset the file associations. You'll never need actually run the commecial crapware.
posted by bonehead at 2:12 PM on August 24, 2004
What would be so-o-o useful would be if a site could scan to see which codecs you already had, which you still need, and then...install them.
That's too much to ask, innit?
posted by dash_slot- at 2:45 PM on August 24, 2004
That's too much to ask, innit?
posted by dash_slot- at 2:45 PM on August 24, 2004
Way too much to ask. A feature like that would make every virus writer in the world shit his pants with delight.
posted by fuzz at 7:50 PM on August 24, 2004
posted by fuzz at 7:50 PM on August 24, 2004
"To find codecs, make this your first stop."
Actually, to find codecs, make this your first stop.
Then just pick any old player that suits your style. Some people like Winamp as a media player. Others like that Classic thing. Yet others just install a shitload of codecs and deal with the system default player.
posted by majick at 8:07 PM on August 24, 2004
Actually, to find codecs, make this your first stop.
Then just pick any old player that suits your style. Some people like Winamp as a media player. Others like that Classic thing. Yet others just install a shitload of codecs and deal with the system default player.
posted by majick at 8:07 PM on August 24, 2004
videolan, i should add, will also play your iTunes files.
posted by Hackworth at 9:57 PM on August 24, 2004
posted by Hackworth at 9:57 PM on August 24, 2004
K-Lite codec pack and Windows Media Player 9, I recommend.
posted by ed\26h at 1:19 AM on August 25, 2004
posted by ed\26h at 1:19 AM on August 25, 2004
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by riffola at 12:52 PM on August 24, 2004