# Windows Media Player 9, alternates?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9-alternates/239137>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 9, 2004, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9-alternates/239137 "2004-04-09T06:19:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9-alternates/239137/1 "2004-04-09T06:19:34Z")

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With a new PC (Win XP), trying to open a couple of .wmv files, the PC comes up and starts to install the Windows Media Player 9 Series.

I’ve heard too much about exaggerated intellectual property rights management issues, spyware, etc, and paranoia has kicked in. Is there another program to read .wmv’s with?

Signed, Dubious

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**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9-alternates/239137/2 "2004-04-09T06:28:13Z")

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> [@MaryEFoo](#):
>
> With a new PC (Win XP), trying to open a couple of .wmv files, the PC comes up and starts to install the Windows Media Player 9 Series.
> 
> I’ve heard too much about exaggerated intellectual property rights management issues, spyware, etc, and paranoia has kicked in. Is there another program to read .wmv’s with?
> 
> Signed, Dubious

Older versions of Windows Media player work fine. Which one do you have already installed?

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**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9-alternates/239137/3 "2004-04-09T06:32:05Z")

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I like [Media Player Classic](http://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli/). It does it for me.

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**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9-alternates/239137/4 "2004-04-09T10:34:20Z")

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Another vote for Media Player classic - not only will it handle .wmv, but it can also play Real Media & Quicktime files without you having to worry about it phoning home too.

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**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9-alternates/239137/5 "2004-04-09T12:05:15Z")

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just about any media play will play .wmv

Try winamp.