# Windows Media Player can blow me. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 7, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800 "2003-07-07T16:40:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/21 "2003-07-08T05:48:30Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by black455_ > I’ll have to do a bit of research as to the lightest weight standalone exe player I can find. May I recommend [XMPlay](http://www.un4seen.com/xmplay.html) as a standalone exe player for your purposes? From the website’s description: > [@](#): > > XMPlay is a Windows music player, supporting the OGG / MP3 / MP2 / MP1 / WMA / WAV / MO3 / IT / XM / S3M / MTM / MOD / UMX audio formats, and PLS / M3U / ASX playlists. A load more formats are also supported via Winamp plugins. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/22 "2003-07-08T18:46:54Z")
Looks like it should fit the bill, **amore**. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/23 "2003-07-08T19:12:35Z")
Waaay off topic but thanks for introducing me to Freenet. That is a **very** open network. Regards. Testy ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/24 "2003-07-08T19:26:07Z")
Go to Target and buy a radio for 5 bucks. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/25 "2003-07-08T19:35:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by macabresoul \* > Let me just add that Quicktime™ can blow me sideways. Quicktime runs like a dream on my Mac. I can’t help it if you’re using inferior equipment. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/26 "2003-07-08T20:09:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*Quicktime runs like a dream on my Mac. > > I can’t help it if you’re using inferior equipment. 😉 \*\* Uh, oh - the first volley has been fired… ---
**Author:** ![macabresoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@macabresoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/macabresoul)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/27 "2003-07-10T01:11:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*Quicktime runs like a dream on my Mac. > > I can’t help it if you’re using inferior equipment. 😉 \*\* Then I retract my previous statement that Quicktime can blow me sideways. And on that note, Rjung can blow me sideways. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/28 "2003-07-10T04:59:16Z")
Media Player Classic is an Open Source clone of WMP 6.4 that’s an entirely standalone executable. Works fairly well, IMHO. I can’t find the website at the moment, but a few seconds of googling should do it. Also, for future reference, installing the Ogg DirectShow filters (OggDS) available from [vorbis.com](http://www.vorbis.com) will get you all SORTS of Vorbis and Ogg lovin’ in WMP. ---
**Author:** ![alibey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@alibey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alibey)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/29 "2003-07-10T16:20:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by black455 \* > \*\*To all the people who still rip to mp3: get with the fucking times, assholes. > \*\* You can have my 8-track player when you pry it from my cold dead hands…LOL 😃 Just remember that the better format does not always win out, Betamax anyone? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/30 "2003-07-10T20:53:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by macabresoul \* > And on that note, Rjung can blow me sideways. 😉 Wow. I knew Windows users have a hard time gettin’ some action, but has it come down to _this?_😉 ---
**Author:** ![D.E.S.K.Top668](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@D.E.S.K.Top668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D.E.S.K.Top668)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/31 "2003-07-10T21:40:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*Wow. I knew Windows users have a hard time gettin’ some action, but has it come down to _this?_😉 \*\* Yeah, but at least we have an easy time getting software. 😉 [hijack]Love the site, **rjung**. For awhile, I was afraid you had stopped updating[/hijack] Peace-DESK ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/32 "2003-11-19T04:30:17Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by black455 **neuroman** : it may very well come down to that. I’ll have to do a bit of research as to the lightest weight standalone exe player I can find._ Hey **black455** , any chance you found a good lightweight standalone player? I’ve been poking around for one but the best I’ve found so far is Winamp 2.91 lite. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/33 "2003-11-19T04:47:55Z")
Ok, I looked a little harder and found what looks like a pretty decent standalone exe mp3 player in [Coolplayer](http://coolplayer.sourceforge.net/?faq) . ---
**Author:** ![Palewriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@Palewriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palewriter)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/34 "2003-11-19T05:31:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by neuroman \* > \*\*Hey **black455** , any chance you found a good lightweight standalone player? I’ve been poking around for one but the best I’ve found so far is Winamp 2.91 lite. \*\* Yes WMP sucks. My geeky, music freak son tells me that Winamp is about as good as you can get out there for free. RealPlayer and it’s spawn RealOne are total nosebleeds. I made the stupid mistake of downloading RealOne. Now, whatever file I try to open in it, the fucking thing says “Need to download a file to complete this operation.” That’s happened about 8 times now. Why can’t those files be included in the fucking download to begin with? I’m almost at the point where I’d agree with a previous poster. Go to Walmart and get a fucking radio for $9.95. - PW ---
**Author:** ![Hot\_Buttered\_Toast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b38774/32.png) [@Hot\_Buttered\_Toast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hot_Buttered_Toast)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/35 "2003-11-19T06:20:34Z")
Is it justified to whack someone who converts his mp3s (not-so-good quality, but playable) to Windows Media Player format because he heard that they would sound better, and now only uses Windows Media Player because he believes it’s _better_ than Winamp? ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/36 "2003-11-19T15:16:25Z")
Why can’t you just, you know, bring in your MiniDisc player or Zaurus and plug the computer speakers into those? I’m just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/37 "2003-11-19T15:35:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hot Buttered Toast \* > \*\*Is it justified to whack someone who converts his mp3s (not-so-good quality, but playable) to Windows Media Player format because he heard that they would sound better, and now only uses Windows Media Player because he believes it’s _better_ than Winamp? \*\* I hope not. It took me a few weeks, but I brought a bunch of my CDs into work and used WMP to copy them to my computer. Now I have about 800 songs on my hard drive, and I can just set WMP to shuffle. Never had a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/38 "2003-11-19T18:04:29Z")
I used WMP copy about 1000 songs into my HD at home but it refused to play them! Kept freezing after a couple of tracks, so I dumped WMP and started using the latest RealPlayer. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/39 "2003-11-19T18:54:14Z")
There’s a beta version of Winamp 5 (yes, they skipped 4) that’s pretty cool (I know the OP can’t install anything else, I guess this for the benefit of the others). They say it has the advantages of version 2 and 3, but not the disadvantages of 3. I never had a problem with 3, so I can’t say what those were. [http://www.soft32.com/download\_7565.html](http://www.soft32.com/download_7565.html) ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800/40 "2003-11-19T18:59:47Z")
Well, if it’s playing the MP3s too fast, I would suggest you look at the drivers for your workstation. On my work PC (a Dell Optiplex), the drivers that XP installed for the onboard sound worked fine… until I tried to listen to a MP3 or WAV file. These formats it would speed up slightly (about 1.3x or so), and the obvious and only fix was to update with the drivers from the Dell site. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-can-blow-me/186800.md?page=3)