# Alternatives for Windows Media Player??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 25, 2002, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-for-windows-media-player/125520 "2002-08-25T20:41:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![little\_bit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-for-windows-media-player/125520/1 "2002-08-25T20:41:28Z")
I just got a new computer. It came with lots of bells & whistles including DVD Drive, CD-RW drive, etc. I have a computer at work with similar bells & whistles. (Here’s where the help is needed.) I hate Windows Media Player. My computer at work is a Sony Vaio so it came with Sonic Stage. That is what I use when I burn mix CD’s there. My new computer is an eMachine with Windows XP. (Now for the big question.) Does anyone have any suggestions on a software program I can use as an alternative? Profuse thanks for your help is given in advance. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-for-windows-media-player/125520/2 "2002-08-25T20:59:29Z")
There are a number of players out there but none that I know that will stream A/V ment for media player. Check [cnet.com](http://cnet.com) \> downloads for their top picks. What do lunix people do? ---
**Author:** ![little\_bit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-for-windows-media-player/125520/3 "2002-08-25T21:15:51Z")
I don’t care about the streaming video. What I’m looking for is a program that will let me burn Audio CDs from existing elements(MP3, CDs, etc.) Perhaps this should be in IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-for-windows-media-player/125520/4 "2002-08-25T21:26:10Z")
Roxio’s Easy CD Creator 5 is pretty good. I’ve been using it for about a year now. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-for-windows-media-player/125520/5 "2002-08-25T21:42:11Z")
You can also check out Nero ---
**Author:** ![Squish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Squish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squish)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-for-windows-media-player/125520/6 "2002-08-25T22:30:14Z")
Roxio and Nero seem to be the top favorites for burning, from what I’ve heard. For just _playing_ audio and video, I use a combination of Winamp and Real Player. ---
**Author:** ![cthulhuCultist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cthulhuCultist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cthulhuCultist)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-for-windows-media-player/125520/7 "2002-08-25T23:36:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*What do lunix people do? \*\* They usually avoid Windows Media. Mostly they use xmms and RealPlayer for audio, although there are a host of other players for various formats. There’s dozens of players for open formats like mp3, if that’s all you need. I think the most popular Windows one is winamp. ---
**Author:** ![little\_bit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-for-windows-media-player/125520/8 "2002-08-26T14:34:43Z")
Thanks all for your help. I’m currently trying a few different programs. If there are any more suggestions, feel free… ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternatives-for-windows-media-player/125520/9 "2002-08-27T01:32:52Z")
> [@](#): > > For just playing audio and video, I use a combination of Winamp and Real Player. Yeah, yeah, Bill Gates is the Anti-Christ and all… I play RealMedia files with RealPlayer, .mov files with QuickTime, MP3s with WinAmp (3.0’s bells & whistles are stupid), .wav files with Sound Recorder and .avi files with Window’s Media Player. Fact is, a media plays best (i.e. loads fastest, crashes the least, plays smoothest) on the player it was designed for. They’re all free and with +20GB hard drives there’s plenty of disk space for them all…