What Media Player Comes With Windows 10

Media thespian and media library application by Microsoft

Windows Media Player

Windows Media Histrion 12 running on Windows 8
Programmer(southward)	Microsoft

Stable release	12.0.22000.194 (Oct 4, 2021; 6 months ago (2021-ten-04)) [±]
Preview release	12.0.22567.1 (March 2, 2022; 43 days ago (2022-03-02)) [±]

Operating system	Windows NT 4.0 Mac OS seven Mac Bone X Solaris
Included with	Windows 3.0 MM and Windows 3.1 Windows 9x Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows ten, Windows 11 (all the same available)^[a] Windows CE and Windows Mobile Mac Os 8 and nine
Predecessor	ActiveMovie Control, CD Actor, DVD Actor (Win32 version)
Successor	Microsoft Movies & Idiot box, Groove Music
Blazon	Media player
Website	windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/windows-media-actor

Windows Media Player (WMP) is a media player and media library application adult past Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, besides every bit on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices. Editions of Windows Media Player were too released for classic Mac Os, Mac OS Ten and Solaris but development of these has since been discontinued.

In addition to being a media histrion, Windows Media Player includes the power to rip music from and copy music to compact discs, fire recordable discs in Audio CD format or equally data discs with playlists such equally an MP3 CD, synchronize content with a digital sound histrion (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 Audio (WMA), and Avant-garde Systems Format (ASF), and its own XML based playlist format called Windows Playlist (WPL). The player is also able to utilize a digital rights management service in the form of Windows Media DRM.

Windows Media Actor 12 is the virtually contempo version of Windows Media Thespian prior to Windows 11. Information technology was released on October 22, 2009, along with Windows 7^[b] and has not been fabricated available for previous versions of Windows nor has it been updated since for Windows viii, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11.^[2] ^[3] Windows eight and later instead use Groove Music (for sound) and Microsoft Movies & Tv (for video) every bit the default playback applications for most media; As of October 2021, Windows Media Thespian is nevertheless included every bit a Windows component. Windows RT does non run Windows Media Player.

On November xvi, 2021, Microsoft announced that information technology would replace Groove Music with the new Media Histrion application, though the legacy Windows Media Player will continue to exist included with Windows xi.^[iv]

History [edit]

The commencement version of Windows Media Actor appeared in 1991, when Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions was released.^[5] Originally called Media Player, this component was included with "Multimedia PC"-uniform machines simply not available for retail auction. It was capable of playing .mmm animation files, and could be extended to back up other formats.^[half-dozen] It used MCI to handle media files. Beingness a component of Windows, Media Role player 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 twelvemonth, Video for Windows was introduced with the ability to play digital video files in an AVI container format,^[7] with codec back up for RLE and Video1, and support for playing uncompressed files. Indeo 3.ii was added in a later release. Video for Windows was first available as a free improver to Windows iii.1, and after 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 support for streaming media (which the original Media Histrion could non handle). In 1996, ActiveMovie was renamed DirectShow.^[viii] However, Media Role player continued to come with Windows until Windows XP, in which it was officially renamed Windows Media Player v5.i.^[ix] ("v5.1" is the version number of Windows XP.)

In 1999, Windows Media Player's versioning bankrupt away from that of Windows itself. Windows Media Role player 6.4 came every bit an out-of-band update for Windows 95-98 and Windows NT iv.0 that co-existed with Media Player and became a built-in component of Windows 2000, Windows ME and Windows XP with an mplayer2.exe stub assuasive to use this congenital-in instead of newer versions.^[10] Windows Media Player 7.0 and its successors also came in the same manner, replacing each other simply leaving Media Histrion and Windows Media Player half dozen.4 intact. Windows XP is the only operating organization to have three different versions of Windows Media Actor (v5.1, v6.4 and v8) side by side. All versions branded Windows Media Player (instead of simply Media Histrion) support DirectShow codecs. Windows Media Role player version 7 was a large revamp, with a new user interface, visualizations and increased functionality. Windows Vista, however, 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 Player 10 to compete with Apple iTunes.^[11] ^[12] However, MSN Music was discontinued already in 2006 with the launch of Zune music players.^[13]

Beginning with Windows Vista, Windows Media Player supports the Media Foundation framework besides DirectShow; equally such it plays sure types of media using Media Foundation as well as some types of media using DirectShow.^[14] Windows Media Player 12 was released with Windows 7. It included support for more than media formats and added new features. With Windows eight, all the same, the player did non receive an upgrade.

On Apr 16, 2012, Microsoft announced that Windows Media Player would not be included in Windows RT, the line of Windows designed to run on ARM-based devices.^[15]

Windows 11 [edit]

Media Role player is the successor to Groove Music for Windows 10 (previously Xbox Music) and Windows Media Player. Information technology started to be offered to all Windows 11 users on February 15, 2022. ^[sixteen]

The new Media Player can likewise play video, as office of Groove's rebranding from a music streaming service to a media actor.^[17] Other changes include the album cover view existence in fullscreen, and a refresh to the mini player.^[18] Accessibility has too been optimized, with some improved keyboard shortcuts and hotkey support for keyboard users and with other assistive technologies.^[nineteen]

Features [edit]

Core playback and library functions [edit]

Windows Media Role player supports playback of audio, video and pictures, along with fast forward, opposite, file markers (if present) and variable playback speed (seek & time compression/dilation introduced in WMP ix Series). It supports local playback, streaming playback with multicast streams and progressive downloads. Items in a playlist tin be skipped over temporarily at playback time without removing them from the playlist. Total keyboard-based operation is possible in the thespian.

Windows Media Role player supports full media direction, via the integrated media library introduced start in version 7, which offers cataloguing and searching of media and viewing media metadata. Media can be arranged according to album, artist, genre, engagement et al. Windows Media Player nine Series introduced Quick Admission Panel to browse and navigate the entire library through a menu. The Quick Admission Console was as well added to the mini manner in version 10 merely was entirely removed in version 11. WMP ix Serial likewise introduced ratings and Auto Ratings. Windows Media Histrion 10 introduced support for aggregating 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 Avant-garde Tag Editor. However, the feature was removed in Windows Media Player 12. Since WMP 9 Serial, the player features dynamically updated Auto Playlists based on criteria. Machine Playlists are updated every fourth dimension users open them. WMP nine Series and subsequently also supports Auto Ratings which automatically assigns ratings based on the number of times a song is played. Pre-populated machine playlists are included in Windows Media Player 9 Series. Custom Auto Playlists can exist created only on Windows XP and after.

In Windows Media Player 11, the Quick Access Console was removed and replaced with an Explorer-manner navigation pane on the left which can be customized for each library to show the user selected media or metadata categories, with contents appearing on the right, in a graphical manner with thumbnails featuring album fine art or other fine art depicting the detail. Missing album art can be added directly to the placeholders in the Library itself (though the program re-renders all album art imported this way into 1x1 pixel ratio, 200x200 resolution jpegs). There are separate Tiles, Icons, Details or Extended Tiles views for Music, Pictures, Video and Recorded TV which tin be set 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-fly as characters are being entered, without waiting for Enter fundamental to be striking. Incremental search results are refined based on further characters that are typed. Stacking allows graphical representations of how many albums there are in a specific category or folder. The pile appears larger as the category contains more 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 11 running in mini fashion (in Windows XP MCE) showing the "Bars and Waves" visualization

While playing music, Windows Media Player can show visualizations. The current three visualizations are Abracadabra, which was first introduced in version ix, Bars and Waves, which has been used since version seven, and Battery, introduced version 8. "Musical Colors" was removed starting with version ix, but is retained if Windows Media 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 later editions of version 12. The reason for their removal was that the visualizations do not support full screen controls (either the visualization gets shifted to the left while there is a thick black bar to the right side of the screen, that at that place are no full screen controls, or that the visualization have DXE Issues). More visualizations such as "BlazingColors", "ColorCubes", "Softie the Snowman," and "Yule Log" used to be downloadable however, the downloads from Microsoft's website have mostly been taken down and information technology'south available on the WMP Goodies site.

Format support [edit]

The player includes intrinsic support for Windows Media codecs and as well WAV and MP3 media formats. On Windows XP and above with WMP ix Serial and later on, the Windows Media Sound Professional codec is included which supports multichannel audio at upward to 24-bit 192 kHz resolution. Windows Media Player eleven includes the Windows Media Format 11 runtime which adds depression bitrate support (beneath 128 kbit/due south for WMA Pro), support for ripping music to WMA Pro 10 and updates the original WMA to version 9.two.^{[ citation needed ]}

Support for any media codec and container format tin can exist added using specific DirectShow filters or Media Foundation codecs (Media Foundation codecs merely in Windows Vista and later). The player will not play MP3 files that contain compressed ID3 headers ("tags"); trying to practise so results in a "The input media file is invalid" error message. MP3 playback back up was built-in get-go with version half-dozen.1 and sound CD playback was natively supported with version 7.^{[ commendation 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 support for menus, titles and capacity, parental controls and audio track linguistic communication option if uniform decoders are installed. MPEG-2 and Dolby Digital (Air conditioning-3) decoders were included beginning with Windows Media Player 11 on Windows Vista (Home Premium and Ultimate editions just).^{[ commendation needed ]}

Windows Media Player 12 adds native support for H.264 and MPEG-4 Part 2 video formats, ALAC, AAC audio^[20] and 3GP^{[ description needed got no codec bachelor for 3GP]}, MP4 and MOV container formats.^[21] Windows Media Player 12 is also able to play AVCHD formats (.M2TS and .mts).^[22]

As of Windows 10, Windows Media Player 12 tin can play FLAC, HEVC, and SubRip subtitle, and Matroska container formats.^{[ citation needed ]}

Although the WebM file type is not associated with Windows Media Player 12 officially (the default player is Microsoft Movies & Telly), playback of VP9 video in WebM container on Windows Media Player is possible on Windows 10 version 1809 and after.^{[ citation needed ]}

Windows Media Player Mobile [edit]

Windows Media Thespian Mobile x on Windows Mobile six.5 supports MP3, ASF, WMA and WMV using WMV or MPEG-4 codecs.^[23]

Disc burning, ripping, and playback [edit]

Windows Media Histrion features integrated Audio CD-burning support since version seven every bit well as data CD burning support since Windows Media Player 9 Series on Windows XP and later. Data CDs can take whatsoever of the media formats supported by the player. While called-for Data CDs, the media tin can, optionally, be transcoded into WMA format and playlists can be added to the CD besides. Starting with WMP ix Series, sound CDs can be burnt with volume leveling.

Sound CDs can be ripped as WMA or WMA 10 Pro (WMA 10 Pro in WMP 11 and later on) at 48, 64, 96, 128, 160 and 192 kbit/south, WMA lossless (470 to 940 kbit/s) (nine Series on XP and later), WMA variable bitrate (from 40 to 75 kbit/due south up to 240-355 kbit/s), MP3 at 128, 192, 256 and 320 kbit/south, or uncompressed WAV (WAV ripping in WMP 11 and later). Since WMP 9 Series, 20 chip high-resolution CDs (HDCDs) are besides supported, if capable audio hardware is present. Audio tin can be ripped using error correction and ripped audio can be protected with Windows Media DRM. Ripping to MP3 is supported only in Windows Media Player viii for Windows XP and after if a compatible MP3 encoder is installed. Windows Media Actor 10 included the Fraunhofer MP3 Professional encoder. Information on CDs such every bit album proper name, artist 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 audio CDs to WAV and WMA 10 Pro formats. With their 2015 implementation in Windows x, Version 12 also added lossless FLAC and ALAC formats for ripping and playback. For burning, version 11 shows a graphical bar indicating how much space will exist used on the disc and introduced Disc spanning which splits a burn list onto multiple discs in instance the content does non fit on one disc.

Portable device sync [edit]

Windows Media Player allows the user to connect, share and sync data with portable handheld devices and game consoles since version vii. Media tin exist 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 Role player 9 Series and later on. Version x and subsequently support the Media Transfer Protocol and Auto Sync. Auto Sync allows users to specify criteria such as recently added music or highest rated songs, by 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 retrieve the user'due south preferences. Windows Media Player 10 also introduced the UMDF-based Windows Portable Devices API.

Version 11 has improved synchronization features for loading content onto PlaysForSure-uniform portable players. WMP 11 supports reverse-synchronization, by which media present on the portable device tin exist replicated dorsum to the PC. Shuffle Sync tin can 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 appear in the navigation pane of the library where their content can be browsed and searched.

Windows Media Histrion's 'Sync' role has options that let it to be ready to automatically down-convert (transcode) high bit-rate vocal files to a lower bit-charge per unit. This down-conversion function is switched on past default. This is useful for providing low flake-rate files to those portable devices that demand them, and to save space on portable devices with smaller storage capacities. For high bit-rate capable devices with sufficient storage capabilities, the downward conversion procedure can be omitted.

In versions xi (2006) and 12 (2009), the Quality settings that the user has selected in the Windows Media Actor 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 will often result in 192kbs files being copied to the portable device. Transmission settings tin besides be made. 192kbs is the highest quality down-conversion bit-rate that can be manually selected when the Sync part's down-conversion function is turned on. Lower bit-rates can also be selected.

For portable devices that tin handle high bit-rate files, the best quality files are obtained by leaving the downwards-conversion process switched off (unchecked) for that specific device. In Windows Media Player Version 11, switching off the down-conversion office is washed in the Quality tab of the Advanced Options of the Sync settings for the device. In Windows Media Player Version 12, switching off the downwards-conversion function is done in the Quality tab of the Properties for the device in the Select Settings for the device in the Sync Options card.

When prepare in such a style, Windows Media Thespian'south 'Sync' function can exist used to sync unchanged loftier chip-rate song files to suitable portable devices (i.e. those capable of using file formats such as WMA Lossless, mp3-360kbs, etc.). For example, some users accept created big vocal libraries on their PCs containing .wma formatted song files using the loftier chip-rate WMA Lossless (WMA-LL) protocol, or using other high bit-charge per unit song 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 3 to 6 times higher than 192kbs, and can typically fall anywhere in the range of 600kbs to 1200kbs, depending on the quality of the source file that was present on the CD in the first place. The sound quality is much improved over the default rate, although the file size is larger.

At the fourth dimension 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 big selection of songs on the portable device.

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

Enhanced playback features [edit]

Windows Media Actor features universal brightness, contrast, saturation and hue adjustments and pixel aspect ratio for supported video formats. It also includes a 10-band graphic equalizer with presets and SRS WOW audio post-processing system. Windows Media Player can also have attached audio 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 on only) which upscales frame-charge per unit past interpolating added frames, in effect giving a smoother playback on low-framerate videos. The player supports subtitles and closed-captioning for local media, video on demand streaming or live streaming scenarios. Typically Windows Media captions back up the SAMI file format but can also carry embedded airtight explanation information.

The player tin can use video overlays or VMR (Video Mixing Renderer) surfaces, if the video bill of fare supports them. In Windows XP, information technology uses VMR7 past default, but can also be made to employ the more advanced YUV mixing style by enabling the "Utilize high quality mode" option in Advanced Performance settings. This turns on deinterlacing, scaling and improved colour accuracy.^[24] WMP 9 Series introduced native playback for deinterlacing for TV output. Version nine introduced DXVA accelerated playback. Version 11 introduced improved support for DirectX accelerated decoding of WMV video (DXVA decoding). Up to version 11, it supported static lyrics and "Synchronized Lyrics", by which different lines of lyrics tin can exist time-stamped, so that they display simply at those times. Synchronized Lyrics also were attainable through the Advanced Tag Editor which was removed in version 12.

Since Windows Media Player 9 Series, the player supports crossfading, sound dynamic range (Quiet Mode) for WMA Pro and WMA Lossless, and auto volume leveling for certain media which includes volume level/gain data such as MP3 or Windows Media. The player besides supports extensive configurable privacy and security settings.

Shell integration [edit]

The histrion has Windows Explorer shell integration to add files and playlist to the Now Playing pane and other playlists can exist controlled from the Windows Explorer shell itself, via correct-click menu. The My Music binder also includes a carve up My Playlists binder where playlists are maintained. When the player is closed and reopened, simply clicking the play button restores the last playlist even if it was non saved. Starting with Windows Media Actor 10, the playlist pane is also visible from the Library view. AutoPlay handlers in Windows expose various Windows Media Actor tasks.

Windows Media Player 11 running in mini style in Windows Vista and Windows XP respectively. Notice the divergence in the logo.

Up to version 11, it featured a taskbar-mounted Mini fashion in which the most mutual media control buttons are presented every bit a toolbar on the Windows taskbar. Flyout windows can display media information, the active visualization or the video beingness played dorsum. Mini-mode was introduced equally a trounce player powertoy for Windows Media Player eight in Windows XP and integrated later into WMP 9 Series. Mini-mode has been removed in Windows Media Histrion 12 in favor of controls in the taskbar's interactive thumbnail preview which lacks volume control, a progress bar and data displayed whenever a new song is played.

The user interface has been redesigned in Windows Media Role player 12 such that the Now Playing view plays media in a separate minimalist window with floating playback controls, and likewise gives access to the electric current playlist, visualizations, and enhancements.^[xx] Enhancements are housed in individual undocked windows. The library view includes the rest of the media management functions. It also tin can preview songs from the library when users hover over the media file and click the Preview button.^[xx] 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 (called the Thumbnail Toolbar),^[25] albeit minus the volume control function, track and album information shown whenever a new vocal is played and the progress bar. The taskbar icon also supports jump lists introduced in Windows vii.

The thumbnail viewer of Windows Media Actor 12 in Windows 7 Home 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 style. Windows Media Player 10 allows setting the video border color. Colour chooser has been removed in WMP 12. It supports visualizations and Info Center View (Info Middle View in WMP ix Series and subsequently) which displays media metadata fetched from the internet. Total screen visualizations are supported in WMP 9 Serial and later. Information technology supports Background plug-ins, window plug-ins and Now Playing plug-ins to command media playback likewise DSP and renderer plug-ins. Plug-in support was introduced in WMP ix Series.

Online features [edit]

The histrion integrates spider web-browsing support to browse online music stores, store for music and melody to cyberspace radio stations since version vii. It provides an embeddable ActiveX command for Internet Explorer so that developers can play Windows Media on spider web pages. Windows Media Role player 10 and later on feature integration with a large number of online music stores and selecting a music store switches the Info Center view, radio and other online features to use services from that shop. Purchased music from a particular store appears in a separate library node nether the corresponding category.

Media streaming [edit]

Previously, Microsoft had released Windows Media Connect for Windows XP to stream media content with its congenital-in UPnP media server. With version 11 of Windows Media Histrion, Media Sharing was integrated and allows content (Music, Pictures, Video) to be streamed to and from Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) AV enabled devices such equally the PS3, Xbox 360, and Roku SoundBridge. This includes DRM protected PlaysForSure content. WMP 11 on Windows Vista tin as well human action as 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 further improved. While previous versions streamed media to UPnP compliant devices (Digital Media Server function) and could play media past fetching information technology from a network share (Digital Media Actor role),^[26] Windows Media Player 12 can admission media from the shared media libraries on the network or HomeGroup, stream media to DLNA ane.5 compliant devices and allows itself (once the remote control selection is turned on) to exist remotely controlled by Digital Media Controller devices which stream media (Digital Media Renderer part).^[26] Similarly, the Play To characteristic one time enabled for remote PCs, by turning on remote control of the role player, allows compliant devices and computers to be discovered and controlled remotely from a computer running Windows Media Thespian 12 (Digital Media Controller office).^[26] If the devices do non back up the streamed format, Windows Media Thespian 12 transcodes the format on-the-wing. Media from a home network tin can also be streamed over the internet using an Online ID Provider service, which handles discovery of the computer's IP address, authority, security, connectivity and Quality of Service issues.^[26]

Skin Way [edit]

Windows Media Histrion as well features skins. Currently, Windows Media Player has 2 default skins: "Corporate", which was first introduced in version eight, and "Revert", which get-go shipped with version 9. In versions vii and 8, 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 histrion is upgraded, although some tin can nevertheless be downloaded from an archive of the Microsoft website.^[27] In versions 7, 8, 9 and 10 there were many usual skins such every bit "9SeriesDefault", "Atomic", "Bluesky", "Canvas", "Classic", "Meaty", "goo", "Headspace", "eye", "iconic", "Miniplayer", "Optic", "Pyrite", "QuickSilver", "Radio", "Roundlet", "Rusty", "splat", "Toothy", "Windows Classic", and "Windows XP", which were removed starting with version 11. This Corporate skin is non deletable.

Security issues [edit]

Microsoft Windows Media Runtime in Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows Server contained a bug that permitted "remote code execution if a user opened a peculiarly crafted media file". Such a file would allow the aggressor to "then install programs; view, modify, or delete information; or create new accounts with full user rights", if the account on which the file was played had administrator privileges.^[28] The problem was addressed in a critical update issued on September 8, 2009.^[29]

Other versions [edit]

Microsoft has also released versions of Windows Media Histrion for other platforms including Windows Mobile, classic Mac Bone, Mac OS X, Palm-size PC, Handheld PC, and Solaris. Of these, simply the Windows Mobile edition continues to be actively developed and supported by Microsoft. Version ane of the Zune software was likewise based on Windows Media Actor; later versions are not.

Windows Mobile [edit]

Windows Media Player 10.iii Mobile on a Windows Mobile Professional device

Windows Media Player for Pocket PC was first appear on Jan half-dozen, 2000, and has been revised on a schedule roughly like to that of the Windows version.^[30] Currently known every bit "Media Histrion x Mobile", this edition (released in October 2004) closely resembles the capabilities of the Windows version of WMP 10, including playlist capabilities, a media library, album art, WMA Lossless playback, back up for DRM-protected media, video playback at 640×480 with stereo sound, and the same Energy Blue interface aesthetics also seen in Windows XP Media Centre Edition 2005. It also supports synchronization with the desktop version of WMP 10, and additionally supports synchronizing and transcoding of recorded television shows from Media Center. Media Player 10 Mobile is non available every bit 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 Thespian ten Mobile, but with a similar (just not quite identical) theme as Windows Media Player 11.

Mac OS X [edit]

Version 9 was the concluding version of Windows Media Thespian to be released for Mac Os X earlier development was canceled by Microsoft. It was developed past the Windows Media team at Microsoft instead of the Macintosh Business organisation Unit and released in 2003. On release the application lacked many bones features that were found in other media players such as Apple tree's iTunes and QuickTime.^{[ citation needed ]} It too lacked support for many media formats that version 9 of the Windows counterpart supported on release 10 months before.

The Mac version supported only Windows Media encoded media (upwardly to version 9) enclosed in the ASF format, lacking support for all other formats such equally MP4, MPEG, and Microsoft'south ain AVI format. On the user interface front, information technology did not prevent screensavers from running during playback, it did not support file drag-and-drop, nor did information technology support playlists. While Windows Media Player 9 had added support for some files that utilize the WMV9 codec (also known as the WMV3 codec by the FourCC), in other aspects it was seen as having degraded in features from previous versions.

On Jan 12, 2006, Microsoft announced it had ceased development of Windows Media Histrion for Mac. Microsoft now distributes a tertiary-political party plugin called WMV Player (produced and maintained by Flip4Mac) which allows some forms of Windows Media to be played inside Apple's QuickTime Histrion and other QuickTime-enlightened applications.^[31]

European Commission case [edit]

In March 2004, the European Commission in the European Marriage Microsoft antitrust case fined Microsoft €497 million and ordered the company to provide a version of Windows without Windows Media Player, challenge Microsoft "broke European Spousal relationship competition law past leveraging its near monopoly in the market place for PC operating systems onto the markets for work group server operating systems and for media players". The company has fabricated available a compliant version of its flagship operating organization under the negotiated name "Windows XP N", though the product has not been very successful. Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 are also available in "Due north" editions. However, information technology is possible to either install Windows Media Histrion (XP/Vista)^[32] or the Media Restore Pack through Windows Update (Vista) to add together the media player.

Release history [edit]

Prior to the release of Windows Media Player in Windows 98 2nd Edition, divide programs, CD Role player, Palatial CD Role player, DVD Player and Media Role player, were included in old versions of Microsoft Windows for playback of media files.

Windows Media Role player versions^[33]
Version	Original release	Included with	Available for
Microsoft Windows
Media Player	February 15, 2022	Windows 11	N/A
Windows Media Player 12	July 22, 2009	Windows 7 Windows 8 Windows 8.ane Windows ten 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 11	October 18, 2006	Windows Vista Windows Server 2008	Windows XP (SP2+) Windows XP x64 Edition
Windows Media Role player x	August 25, 2004	Windows XP x64 Edition Windows XP Media Heart Edition 2005 Windows Server 2003 (SP1+)	Windows Server 2003 Windows XP^[34]
Windows Media Player ix Series	October three, 2002^[35]	Windows XP (SP2+) Windows Server 2003 (RTM)	Windows XP Windows ME Windows 2000 Windows 98 SE^[36]
Windows Media Player for Windows XP (version 8)	August 24, 2001	Windows XP (RTM & SP1)	North/A
Windows Media Actor vii.i	May 16, 2001	Due north/A	Windows ME Windows 2000 Windows 98^[36] ^[37]
Windows Media Player 7.0	June 19, 2000^[38]	Windows ME	Windows 2000 Windows 98 Windows 95
Windows Media Role player vi.iv ^[c]	April 29, 1999	Windows 2000 Windows ME (hidden) Windows XP (hidden) Windows Server 2003 (hidden) Cyberspace Explorer 5.01 Internet Explorer 5.5 Internet Explorer 6.0	Windows 98 Windows NT 4.0 Windows 95
Windows Media Actor half dozen.1	October 1997	Windows 98 SE Internet Explorer 5.0	Windows 98 Windows NT four.0 Windows 95
Microsoft Media Role player 5.1	2001	Windows XP (hidden)	North/A
Media Player v.0	1999	Windows 2000 (hidden)	N/A
Media Player 4.9	2000	Windows ME (subconscious)	N/A
Media Actor four.1	1998	Windows 98 Windows 98 SE (hidden)	N/A
Media Player four.0	1995	Windows 95 Windows NT iv.0	N/A
Media Thespian 3.51	1995	Windows NT 3.51	North/A
Media Player three.v	1994	Windows NT three.5	Due north/A
Media Player three.15	1992	Due north/A	Windows 3.1 with Video for Windows
Media Histrion 3.1	1992	Windows 3.ane Windows NT iii.1	N/A
Media Thespian iii.0	1991	Northward/A	Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extension
Windows Mobile
Windows Media Player 10.iii Mobile	February 12, 2007 (Windows Mobile 6)	Windows Mobile 6.i Windows Mobile half dozen	Windows Mobile 5.0
Windows Media Thespian 10.2 Mobile	?	Windows Mobile 5.0	Due north/A
Windows Media Thespian ten.1 Mobile	May 10, 2005	Windows Mobile 5.0	N/A
Windows Media Player 10 Mobile	October 12, 2004	Windows Mobile 2003 SE	N/A
Windows Media Player 9.0.1	March 24, 2004	Windows Mobile 2003 SE	Northward/A
Windows Media Player ix Serial	June 23, 2003	Windows Mobile 2003	N/A
Windows Media Player 8.5	October 11, 2002	Pocket PC 2002	N/A
Windows Media Histrion 8.01	July 2002	Pocket PC 2002	Northward/A
Windows Media Player viii	October 4, 2001 (Pocket PC)	Pocket PC 2002 Smartphone 2002	Northward/A
Windows Media Thespian 7.1	May 21, 2001	Pocket PC 2000	N/A
Windows Media Player 7	December 12, 2000	Pocket PC 2000	Northward/A
Windows Media Thespian 1.2	September 7, 2000	Handheld PC 2000	N/A
Windows Media Player 1.1	?	Palm-size PC CE ii.11	Northward/A
Windows Media Player	April 19, 2000	Pocket PC 2000	N/A
Mac
Windows Media Player ix Serial	Nov vii, 2003	Northward/A	Mac OS X
Windows Media Thespian 7	July 24, 2001	Mac Bone 9	Mac Bone 8.x
Windows Media Player 6.3	July 17, 2000	Mac Os eight	Mac Os 7.ten
Solaris
Windows Media Player half dozen.3	July 17, 2000	Northward/A	Solaris

Encounter also [edit]

Comparison of media players
Comparison of video player software
Groove Music
Media Thespian Classic, a media player that mimics the appearance of Windows Media Player six.4
Media Transfer Protocol
Windows Media Encoder
Windows Media Services

Footnotes [edit]

^ Except for "N" and "KN" editions of Windows, every bit well every bit Windows RT
^ Due north and KN versions of Windows seven do not include Windows Media Player past default.^[1]
^ Windows Media Player 6.four was shipped side-by-side with after versions of WMP in Windows ME and Windows XP

References [edit]

^ "Microsoft Documentation Page". Microsoft Docs. October 22, 2020. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021.
^ LeBlanc, Brandon (July 22, 2009). "Windows 7 Has Been Released to Manufacturing". Blogging Windows. Microsoft. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
^ "Windows Media Histrion 12 - Windows 7 features". Windows. Microsoft. Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
^ Hachman, Mark (2021-xi-xvi). "Windows Media Player is getting a long-overdue upgrade". PCWorld.
^ "Windows Version History". Support (four.0 ed.). Microsoft. September 23, 2011. Archived from the original on Feb 26, 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
^ Lineback, Nathan. "Windows iii.0 with Multimedia Extensions". Toasty Tech. Archived from the original on April xv, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
^ "Video for Windows". PC Tech Guide. Archived from the original on April 10, 2009. Retrieved May two, 2009.
^ Blome, Michael; Wasson, Mike (July 2002). "DirectShow: Core Media Technology in Windows XP Empowers You to Create Custom Audio/Video Processing Components". MSDN Magazine. Microsoft. Archived from the original on September 14, 2008. Retrieved May 1, 2009.
^ C:\Windows\system32\myplay32.exe. Windows XP. Microsoft Corporation.
^ "MPLAYER2.EXE Is Linked to Missing Export MSDXM.OCX". Support. Microsoft. April 25, 2006. Archived from the original on March 14, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
^ "MSN Music to offer free songs". Archived from the original on 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2020-05-21 .
^ "MSN Launches Preview Release of Music Download Service". September 2004. Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2020-05-21 .
^ "MSN Music Shutting Down for Zune". Archived from the original on 2020-08-xiii. Retrieved 2020-05-21 .
^ "DSP Plug-in Packaging". MSDN. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 2010-xi-05. Retrieved 2010-04-08 .
^ LeBlanc, Brandon (April 16, 2012). "Windows Announcing the Windows eight Editions". The Windows Weblog. Archived from the original on April 18, 2012.
^ "Media Actor is available for Windows 11". 16 November 2021. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ "Microsoft is replacing Windows Media Player with Media Histrion for Windows 11". Engadget . Retrieved 2021-11-eighteen .
^ "Full screen album art". 16 November 2021. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ "Optimized accessibility". 16 Nov 2021. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c Peter Bright (October 30, 2008). "Easily on: Windows Media Player 12's surprising new features". ArsTechnica. Condé Nast Digital. Archived from the original on March 27, 2009. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
^ "Windows 7 RC to natively back up .mov files". Chakkaradeep Chandran. Neowin.net. February 26, 2009. Archived from the original on July three, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
^ "Windows 7 next generation camera support". Download Center. Microsoft. Archived from the original (PPTX) on Dec 27, 2008.
^ "Formats supported by Windows Media Player Mobile". MSDN. Microsoft. Apr 8, 2010. Archived from the original on November 18, 2012. Retrieved Nov vii, 2012.
^ "Windows Media Player manual". Download Center. Microsoft. September one, 2004. Archived from the original (Md) on June 7, 2005.
^ Kiriaty, Yochay; Goldshtein, Sasha (July 2009). "Introducing The Taskbar APIs". MSDN Magazine. Microsoft. Thumbnail Toolbars. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2015-04-23 .
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Sinofsky, Steven (May 12, 2009). "Media Streaming with Windows 7". Applied science Windows vii. Microsoft. Archived from the original on July 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
^ "Skins for Windows Media Player". Windows. Microsoft. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016.
^ "Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-047: Critical Vulnerabilities in Windows Media Format Could Allow Remote Lawmaking Execution". Microsoft TechNet. Microsoft. September 8, 2009. Archived from the original on July 31, 2010. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
^ "MS09-047: Clarification of the security update for Windows Media Format Runtime, Windows Media Services, and Media Foundation: September 8, 2009". Support. Microsoft. September 10, 2009. Archived from the original on May 19, 2010. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
^ "Microsoft Unveils Windows Media Player for Palm-Size and Pocket PCs". News Heart. Microsoft. Jan six, 2000. Archived from the original on Baronial 6, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
^ "Windows Media Components for QuickTime". Microsoft. Archived from the original on January 12, 2006. Retrieved March thirty, 2007.
^ Microsoft. Download Eye Archived 2017-07-25 at the Wayback Automobile. "be used to restore Windows Media Player and related technologies to N and KN editions of Windows Vista." Retrieved July 26, 2008
^ "Become Windows Media Player". Windows. Microsoft. Archived from the original on August 25, 2010. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
^ "MS09-037: Clarification of the security update for Windows Media Player: August eleven, 2009". Back up. Microsoft. May 8, 2012. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
^ "Concluding Release of Windows Media 9 Series Starts Next Wave of Digital Media". News Eye. Microsoft. January 7, 2003. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Petri, Daniel (2009-01-08). "Download Windows Media Player 9". Petri. Archived from the original on 2019-02-13. Retrieved 2019-02-12 .
^ "Windows Media Player vii.1 for Windows 98, 2000, and Me seven.1 - BumperSoft". www.bumpersoft.com. Archived from the original on 2019-02-thirteen. Retrieved 2019-02-12 .
^ "Microsoft Windows Media Player seven Brings Click and Play Digital Media To Millions Around the Earth". News Middle. Microsoft. July 17, 2000. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved June fifteen, 2011.

External links [edit]

Official website
The Vintage Windows Media Player
wmplugins.com - The place to find and share plug-ins, skins and visualizations.