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Topic: One Media Player (Read 6447 times) previous topic - next topic
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One Media Player

I don't think there's anything unusual about my desire to have one media library and one player through which I cycle all my media.  Apparently that's hard for Microsoft, Apple, and RealNetworks to understand, but I don't think it's beyond the conception of any sensible desktop compute-er.  I realize that universally open standards are years (if not lifetimes) from realitzation, so I'm just looking for the best interim solution.  I'm looking for the best configuration of ONE MEDIA PLAYER and codecs for cross-format media play and management on Windows.  My library is comprised of the following formats:
  • MP3
  • WMA/WMV/ASF
  • MOV
  • MPG/AVI
  • DivX/XviD
  • RAM (RA/RV) (RealMedia)
I think RealPlayer 10 supports all these, but (unfortunately) I HATE RealPlayer with a bitter passion.  At present I use Windows Media Player 10.  (I vacillate between it and Winamp respectively as they iteratively "innovate".  Right now I like WMP's media library.)  I'm not married to these two players, I guess, but I require the following features, either natively or by plugin, from my ultimate solution:
  • A standard Windows interface or at least the option to turn the gay one off.  (Am I the only one who's tired of brushed metal and bubbles?  Veer from standards and lose all the power of conventions.)
  • A powerful media library (with rating, organizing by genre, etc.; the usual suspects).
  • User configurable global hotkey or keyboard shortcut control.  (Winamp rocks here.  I do it in WMP via a third-party application.)
  • Ability to minimize application to system tray or otherwise hide from view while working or playing.
I'm a web programmer, but a bit of a newbie to audio.  The solution I envision is a collection of codecs for Windows Media Player/Winamp.  (I kind of expect to just have to live with RealPlayer.)  If I need to get myself a C compiler and build some dll's or something I'm willing; I just need a littl guidance.

So, I ask the impossible.  Who can help me achieve the next best thing?      Thank you much.

One Media Player

Reply #1 –
Quote
I don't think there's anything unusual about my desire to have one media library and one player through which I cycle all my media.  Apparently that's hard for Microsoft, Apple, and RealNetworks to understand, but I don't think it's beyond the conception of any sensible desktop compute-er.  I realize that universally open standards are years (if not lifetimes) from realitzation, so I'm just looking for the best interim solution.  I'm looking for the best configuration of ONE MEDIA PLAYER and codecs for cross-format media play and management on Windows.  My library is comprised of the following formats:
  • MP3
  • WMA/WMV/ASF
  • MOV
  • MPG/AVI
  • DivX/XviD
  • RAM (RA/RV) (RealMedia)
I think RealPlayer 10 supports all these, but (unfortunately) I HATE RealPlayer with a bitter passion.  At present I use Windows Media Player 10.  (I vacillate between it and Winamp respectively as they iteratively "innovate".  Right now I like WMP's media library.)  I'm not married to these two players, I guess, but I require the following features, either natively or by plugin, from my ultimate solution:
  • A standard Windows interface or at least the option to turn the gay one off.  (Am I the only one who's tired of brushed metal and bubbles?  Veer from standards and lose all the power of conventions.)
  • A powerful media library (with rating, organizing by genre, etc.; the usual suspects).
  • User configurable global hotkey or keyboard shortcut control.  (Winamp rocks here.  I do it in WMP via a third-party application.)
  • Ability to minimize application to system tray or otherwise hide from view while working or playing.
I'm a web programmer, but a bit of a newbie to audio.  The solution I envision is a collection of codecs for Windows Media Player/Winamp.  (I kind of expect to just have to live with RealPlayer.)  If I need to get myself a C compiler and build some dll's or something I'm willing; I just need a littl guidance.

So, I ask the impossible.  Who can help me achieve the next best thing?      Thank you much.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]



I don't know if it supports all that but, I think this is your best chance
[a href="http://www.foobar2000.org]FB2K[/url]

Or maybe Media Player Classic

Oh, and "FAQ" and "Search" could be your very best friends.
I'm the one in the picture, sitting on a giant cabbage in Mexico, circa 1978.
Reseñas de Rock en Español: www.estadogeneral.com

One Media Player

Reply #2 –
I second that.

The biggest problem is that music and audio are two significantly different applications in my opinion - and they are best managed seperately.

Foobar2000 is exceptionally elegant at handling audio, and masses of files and playlists and as such for it to support video would in my opinion be "kludgy".

The fact is most people have a much larger audio collection than video collection and so organising video's in such a fashion seems very out of context.

Also, the amount of development effort required to get Foobar2000 to support video as good as audio is immense, and I'm sure it's not in everyone's interest for it to go in that direction.

Media Player Classic is my favourite media player on Windows - it's small, self contained and very capable. The ease of access to custom aspect ratios, it's configurability and simplicity are unrivalled.

I'd say it's best not to ask for one media player to rule them all - stick within context and you'll find that your experience is far more elegant.

Ruairi
rc55.com - nothing going on

One Media Player

Reply #3 –
Media Player Classic is definitely the best choice by my standards. Foobar2000 won't handle video, so it's out since you want DivX / Xvid.

You may also want to look into VLC.
 

One Media Player

Reply #4 –
Holy stink!  Media Player Classic plays even RealMedia?!  DivX, XviD, Mp4, MOV... there's nothing remaining!  I'll use WMP 10 for my library and configure as my default player.  Thanks so much, guys!

p.s. - If anyone knows how I can play MOV and RealMedia in WMP, I'd still be interested.  And, I'll look around for this myself, but if anyone knows off hand: 1) if I can uninstall QuickTime and RealPlayer and still play their formats in MPC--if it utilizes their cores somehow, and 2) if MPC can be used to play embedded files in web pages; I'd love to know.  Thank you guys for tolerating my "newbie" question. 

One Media Player

Reply #5 –
Real Alternative and Quicktime Alternative.

When you install Quicktime Alternative, it will have options for allowing embedded playback.
"You can fight without ever winning, but never win without a fight."  Neil Peart  'Resist'

One Media Player

Reply #6 –
Currently there's 2 audioplayer and 3 mediaplayers on windows platform that I like, or at least, think are quite good:

Audioplayers:
foobar2000, XMPlay

Mediaplayers:
Zoom Player, Media Player Classic, VLC
"ONLY THOSE WHO ATTEMPT THE IMPOSSIBLE WILL ACHIEVE THE ABSURD"
        - Oceania Association of Autonomous Astronauts

One Media Player

Reply #7 –
I'm not sure if this supports all of the formats you are looking for, but it's very good application.

http://www.jrmediacenter.com/features.html
flac > schiit modi > schiit magni > hd650

One Media Player

Reply #8 –
Quote
Holy stink!  Media Player Classic plays even RealMedia?!  DivX, XviD, Mp4, MOV... there's nothing remaining!  I'll use WMP 10 for my library and configure as my default player.  Thanks so much, guys!

p.s. - If anyone knows how I can play MOV and RealMedia in WMP, I'd still be interested.  And, I'll look around for this myself, but if anyone knows off hand: 1) if I can uninstall QuickTime and RealPlayer and still play their formats in MPC--if it utilizes their cores somehow, and 2) if MPC can be used to play embedded files in web pages; I'd love to know.  Thank you guys for tolerating my "newbie" question.  
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=275195"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


If you install 3ivx you can parse .mov files and play whats inside them (S3, MPEG4, whatever).  Then if you install ffdshow you can decode the S3 video most often used in quicktime.  However its randomly broken on many builds of ffdshow, so getting it working is a bit of a crap shoot.

MPC generally works much better for this sort of thing.

One Media Player

Reply #9 –
I got all of the above formats to work on media player classic - and more. But you need real alternative, etc. to get the real-stuff to work.

And: media player classic is NOT (NOT!!!) WMP....... MPC is not by microsoft - its just a player with a similiar name.
I am arrogant and I can afford it because I deliver.

One Media Player

Reply #10 –
Thanks guys. I did not know what Media Player Classic is. This is really good for video. If I uninstall WMP now, would my windows system get screwed?
The object of mankind lies in its highest individuals.
One must have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.

One Media Player

Reply #11 –
Core Media Player plays all the formats you want.

You can downlaod it here: http://www.corecoded.com

Greets
Big_Berny

One Media Player

Reply #12 –
Hello,

A player of the name of KB Mediaplayer exists. 
The only problem it is a player video and audio Japanese. 
If it tempts: http://home7.highway.ne.jp/Kobarin /

One Media Player

Reply #13 –
Personally, I'd consider having a player for music and a player for video.  There's nothing more I hate than playing a little videoclip from the net and having it open in my music player and destroy the playlist I've set up. 

What's more, all the media players here seem to be weighted one way or the other.  Winamp and Foobar are great for music and playlists, Core and MP Classic have loads of available video codecs.

Anyways, that's just a thought, in case you hadn't taken it into account.  I once wanted a media player for all things...since I generally don't use QT or RA, I set up winamp for everything.  In the end, I hated it.

One Media Player

Reply #14 –
I don't have a solution, but I wholeheartedly agree with the original poster's comments.

Add in to the mix the different ranges of servers needed for the current crop of network music players, and special software required to sync to your portable device, and you have a system tray full before you know whats hit you.

eg, depending on choices I make, I may need the following on my PC, just for music:

iTunes - to sync to my ipod
WMP10 - because its my preferred PC music client (nice library organisation)
Winamp - integrates with Control Freak on my phone for remote control
Network music player software

I don't currently need the last one - I specifically looked for Samba compatible NAS to work with Xbox Media Center.

Its not just the different user interfaces. Thats four applications to keep up to date with your music collection, export playlists to etc..

One Media Player

Reply #15 –
Quote
I'm not sure if this supports all of the formats you are looking for, but it's very good application.

http://www.jrmediacenter.com/features.html


Agreed.  Media Center should play all your listed formats -and it has an unmatched database for audio and video.

One Media Player

Reply #16 –
Media Player classic plays virtually all format. But doesn't have a Library.

WMP10 should be close as with some config it would play what MPC plays as well ( Including Quicktime and Real )

So in all WMP10 is the closest thing for a Video / Audio player.

However i don't use wmp10 becoz i dont like it.

Another thing is that i think video and audio togther in one player is great. As long as someone design Foobar engine with MPC and a decent library system.

The only problem i have now is listening online radio / streaming content. MPC could only handle 50% of online streaming content. ( because it does not fully support SMIL yet )

One Media Player

Reply #17 –
Quote
Thanks guys. I did not know what Media Player Classic is. This is really good for video. If I uninstall WMP now, would my windows system get screwed?
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=275231"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


any answers?  i too would like to get rid of wmp. is that possible w/o "screwing" my win xp system?
a windows-free, linux user since 1/31/06.

One Media Player

Reply #18 –
I hate to be the bad guy here, but you'll prob want to get the Directshow Filters and just use WMP(Directshow Filters are the files that hold your codecs to decode/encode, is  easiest way to explain it).  I use seperate programs for audio and video, personally.

Main reasons:
Playlists
Equalizer

Also Winamp can do all those, it uses DS filters like Media Player Clasic and Windows Media Player.  The bad thing with Winamp is you can't control Contrast/Brightness/ect without adjusting on your vidcard(it may not be that way with Winamp5, but with 2.9 you can't).  Do a search for K-Lite Mega Codec Pack and grab that and  you should be good, if you choose MPC/WMP/Winamp as your player.

One Media Player

Reply #19 –
I use (or used to use before I switched mainly to Linux.. at least for now  ) to use fb2k, which is the king of all audio players.

I also used to use MPC for video, I reccomend both, never tried MPC for music though.