Windows Media Player 12 Sucks Eggs

[skysober]

hating media player 12

I can relate to the HATE for media player 12. It is clunky, slow, will not play 90% of video files, has no means to adjust video levels or color, (yes I know if you are lucky enough to figure out how to get that enhancement bar to come up, it will not only block the video, it doesn't actually DO anything, as it will not adjust the video like ver 10 and 11 did...)

Indeo videos after fighting it for a few WEEKS finally are able to sometimes play, but it still is that horrible interface setup that 12 has.

You have to be careful, as some codec packages crash it, some just won't load into it, and others make it almost work.

and yes I know there are alternate video players out there, but I LOVED windows media player 10, accepted 11, but this thread is about the HATE for version 12.

If ANYONE can figure out how to get the BETTER and actually works versions of 10 or 11 into windows 7, please let me know!

My only option at this time is to run XP in a virtual window and share the drive into that so I can actually WATCH my videos. (sorry I am not a mp3 person, and could care less about those bells and whistles...) and if I wanted to run alternate video players, that is an option, but this is about the Windows Media Player...

 

[sergiogarcia9]

WMP11 sucked way more

 

[skysober]

11 may have sucked, but it WORKED...

 

[fatedquest]

After using WMP12 for 4 months, I've decided to change to iTunes. WMP12 has alot of features, but sadly it can't do half of the simple task I wish my music library could. iTunes does everything just perfectly. I'm too lazy to explain the differences, but just give iTunes a try.

 

[noobvious]

iTunes will never be on my computer, unless I was to get an iPod Touch for my birthday (and I wouldn't buy one either). If I ended up with any regular iPod, I could use my beloved MediaMonkey Gold to put music on it, but that steaming pile of bloat known as iTunes won't ever be on my computer.

 

[sergiogarcia9]

itunes sucks I tried it, but i went back to WMP the same day

 

[fatedquest]

iTunes will never be on my computer, unless I was to get an iPod Touch for my birthday (and I wouldn't buy one either). If I ended up with any regular iPod, I could use my beloved MediaMonkey Gold to put music on it, but that steaming pile of bloat known as iTunes won't ever be on my computer.

=) I've no ipod, nor any thing from Apple, but I stil prefer iTunes. I don't know about the previous versions since I've never used them, but it doesn't seem bloated at all. It does come with some useless ipod synching stuff, which isn't loaded unless an ipod is connect. The only bloat i see is Bonjour, which I don't really mind, although it's unnecessary since I'm using Windows.

 

[noobvious]

iTunes will never be on my computer, unless I was to get an iPod Touch for my birthday (and I wouldn't buy one either). If I ended up with any regular iPod, I could use my beloved MediaMonkey Gold to put music on it, but that steaming pile of bloat known as iTunes won't ever be on my computer.

=) I've no ipod, nor any thing from Apple, but I stil prefer iTunes. I don't know about the previous versions since I've never used them, but it doesn't seem bloated at all. It does come with some useless ipod synching stuff, which isn't loaded unless an ipod is connect. The only bloat i see is Bonjour, which I don't really mind, although it's unnecessary since I'm using Windows.

Maybe I am still holding a grudge, but the old 7.7 version if iTunes, on my old XP machine, basically if I was doing anything with it, that was the only thing I could do.....and more often than not, the computer would just freeze. Granted, this computer I am on now is much more capable, but I am pretty sure that iTunes has more stuff in it now that they are up in the 9's. And yeah, that Bonjour, on my old computer, I kept thinking I had gotten rid of it, after I got away from iTunes, and it still kept re-appearing.

And the fact that iTunes doesn't support FLAC for ripping CD's, and defaults to m4a, which only one of my three mp3 players will play, is a bummer. And the mp3 encoder in iTunes is not the LAME encoder, which is the only one I would use.

But hey, if it works for you, that's ok.

 

[Capt.Jack Sparrow]

I can relate to the HATE for media player 12. It is clunky, slow, will not play 90% of video files, has no means to adjust video levels or color, (yes I know if you are lucky enough to figure out how to get that enhancement bar to come up, it will not only block the video, it doesn't actually DO anything, as it will not adjust the video like ver 10 and 11 did...)

Indeo videos after fighting it for a few WEEKS finally are able to sometimes play, but it still is that horrible interface setup that 12 has.

You have to be careful, as some codec packages crash it, some just won't load into it, and others make it almost work.

and yes I know there are alternate video players out there, but I LOVED windows media player 10, accepted 11, but this thread is about the HATE for version 12.

If ANYONE can figure out how to get the BETTER and actually works versions of 10 or 11 into windows 7, please let me know!

My only option at this time is to run XP in a virtual window and share the drive into that so I can actually WATCH my videos. (sorry I am not a mp3 person, and could care less about those bells and whistles...) and if I wanted to run alternate video players, that is an option, but this is about the Windows Media Player...

Hello Welcome to SF,

I guess the first problem is that you have to familiarize with WMP 12.

Here are some Tutorials that would explain how to use WMP more efficiently and Menu and shortcuts etc are explained

Windows Media Player 12 Menus & Views Explained | Windows 7 Tutorials

Windows Media Player 12 - What's New & How it Works? | Windows 7 Tutorials

And regarding only few Videos only works you have to apply codec. Here the link for Shark Codec apply the codec then it should play almost all formats

Shark007.net - Windows 7 Codecs - WMP12 Codecs

After applying the Codec and going through the Tutorials if you still have an issue then post us back we will see what we can do

Good Luck,
Captain

 

[hotnikkelz]

Once you use Shark's codec pack, windows media player 12 is by far the best player for windows 7 out there.
The only thing it doesn't do is adjust colours. It plays EVERYTHING....and i mean everything

 

[skysober]

yes, 'Shark' was one of MANY different codex tried. Yes I know all the bells and whistles that WP12 touts in its bloatware of options.

I use Media Player to play VIDEOS, not music, not photos, not DVD's, nor as a back scratcher.

The interface is still horrible. It does NOT adjust the color or brightness of ANY video unless it is a wmv, (the worst video compression software out there,) nor does it even allow full screen viewing without the d@m# player controls overlaying the video, instead of taking a small area under the window out of the way. I thought I was watching Ted Turner Cable tv with all that overlay. Sure, after so many SECONDS, (well into the video,) it eventually goes away, unless I move the mouse and the d@m# thing pops in the way again... can't even fast forward without it in the way. Then if I want the equalizer or video adjustments, it again goes OVER the video. Sad, just truly sad.

On a side note, Itunes will of course NEVER go any of my or my customers computers, as it is spamware, records all you download, steals CPU even when not being used, and plug in a ipod from a different set up PC and it wipes it... so I only use WinAmp for Ipod music - as I can edit, upload, download, etc from any ipod... WP12 is basically the same in that respect of recording all I do and sending it up the net, checking and reporting if I didn't purchase music officially, etc... but at least WP can have a lot of that optionally turned off. (but they had that since version 8 I believe..)
Of course that only relates to music, not to videos, as with WP12, Microsoft has chosen to expand on music and retard themselves on video.

Like so many have posted, as well as myself. Why not just allow us to CHOOSE the version of media player we wish to use? It is NOT built into explorer, so it CAN be run if they didn't block it from installing earlier versions.

I've often wondered if one can just edit the version number in the registry to an earlier version and fool it into allowing a WORKING version of media player for video viewing to install...

 

[cloud8521]

yes, 'Shark' was one of MANY different codex tried. Yes I know all the bells and whistles that WP12 touts in its bloatware of options.

I use Media Player to play VIDEOS, not music, not photos, not DVD's, nor as a back scratcher.

The interface is still horrible. It does NOT adjust the color or brightness of ANY video unless it is a wmv, (the worst video compression software out there,) nor does it even allow full screen viewing without the d@m# player controls overlaying the video, instead of taking a small area under the window out of the way. I thought I was watching Ted Turner Cable tv with all that overlay. Sure, after so many SECONDS, (well into the video,) it eventually goes away, unless I move the mouse and the d@m# thing pops in the way again... can't even fast forward without it in the way. Then if I want the equalizer or video adjustments, it again goes OVER the video. Sad, just truly sad.

On a side note, Itunes will of course NEVER go any of my or my customers computers, as it is spamware, records all you download, steals CPU even when not being used, and plug in a ipod from a different set up PC and it wipes it... so I only use WinAmp for Ipod music - as I can edit, upload, download, etc from any ipod... WP12 is basically the same in that respect of recording all I do and sending it up the net, checking and reporting if I didn't purchase music officially, etc... but at least WP can have a lot of that optionally turned off. (but they had that since version 8 I believe..)
Of course that only relates to music, not to videos, as with WP12, Microsoft has chosen to expand on music and retard themselves on video.

Like so many have posted, as well as myself. Why not just allow us to CHOOSE the version of media player we wish to use? It is NOT built into explorer, so it CAN be run if they didn't block it from installing earlier versions.

I've often wondered if one can just edit the version number in the registry to an earlier version and fool it into allowing a WORKING version of media player for video viewing to install...

do you happen to be part of the EU?

 

[noobvious]

Once you use Shark's codec pack, windows media player 12 is by far the best player for windows 7 out there.
The only thing it doesn't do is adjust colours. It plays EVERYTHING....and i mean everything

I found the same thing, WMP12 with Shark's pack would play everything that I tried.....but there are other minor annoyances with it that had me, as of today, disabling WMP12 (WMC was already disabled).

I do like WMP12 better than WMP11.....but it's still not quite right for me. So my audio needs will remain with MediaMonkey Gold, and I just downloaded the VLC player tonight. If I decide that I don't like that, I could always re-enable WMP12, or try something else.

 

[pezzonovante]

WMP12 with shark007's codecs is the best media player ever. I love the beautiful UI and rich feature-set.

 

[hotnikkelz]

VLC is not really a good player, i've used to use it before....had some issues with playback etc. It's interface irks me too.
I use WMC, cuz open source is the shizzle. I use WMC for mkvs mostly. Everything else is WMP 12. WMP 11 doesn't even compare, i'm not sure why people prefer it. It was horrible.
BUt yes, you can choose any player you want to use clearly. Some posters are posting incorrect assumptions though.

 

[WDAexodus]

I think 11 is better than 12 but not to the point of saying that it totally sucks. It just takes a little bit to get accustom to.

 

[skysober]

Yes, Shark codex are 'nice' and the main advantage of it is where it does not conflict or crash like k-lite,etc...

but it does NOT run all of the videos. Just the MAIN most common ones. I still have to take a lot into XP and convert them to Divx and then copy that converted back into Win7. I have a bit over 12,000 videos.

But even with Shark, WP12 still does NOT adjust video color saturation or contrasts, as well as places that in the way of the video itself...

(and no I am not in the EU...)



But I DO endorse and enjoy Windows 7 AFTER I did all the patches and registry edits to remove libraries, fix the quick launch, etc... so it works like I am accustomed to. Yes, sometimes getting used to a new 'interface/GUI" is okay, but sometimes it is not, as in the case of WP12.

 

[Arc]

WMP12 with shark007's codecs is the best media player ever. I love the beautiful UI and rich feature-set.

Try to play a "dual audio" video with WMP12.

 

[Shark007]

WMP12 with shark007's codecs is the best media player ever. I love the beautiful UI and rich feature-set.

Try to play a "dual audio" video with WMP12.

It is an impossible dream to think every file ever concocted by a human can be played without some SIMPLE (singleclick) adjustment. For your dual audio avi files, go to the AVI TAB of the settings interface and choose to use Haali's splitter. Now one track will play and you can choose which audio track you prefer though the white tray icon.

I provide the tools, you just need to make the adjustment.

 

[neo101]

So in essence it still sucks eggs

...but it doesn't. I help up at a least a dozen different eggs in front of WMP - not a single one of them was sucked...

Look it's nearly Easter!
Have you seen the new (non)size of Cadbury Kraft Creme eggs.
Those rip-off companies sure have knocked the essence out of them!

Player 12 isn't that bad after you get used to it. Bloody annoyed after forking out for Win 7 Ultimate - still can't play Blu-ray without coughing up loads more cash!