Should Microsoft kill off Windows Media Player

[Coke Robot]

We all know of it, we all hardly use it in deference to itunes, VLC, and the sorts. But should it remain with us?

I was thinking about this feature that is just sucky. I never use it other than to play media files, and I never use the navigation of it because it's just terrible. It also looks terrible.

Then I wondered about the future of Windows Media Center and the dying Zune Software. What about consolidating media players into a commanding, Windows Media CENTER, center as in, an actual CENTER of media playing and not just one of many media playing programs that is used.

Think of it, all the features of all players come together in one, awesome player. The modern, immersive, metro design of Zune and Zune Marketplace, the DVR feature of WMC and integration with Xbox, and the lightweightness of WMP together. That way, we don't need to have so many players in one OS. And of course, it could get the same codec treatment as VLC or a potential addon codec treatment if the user needs such. It could have better device media management as well.

Also, if Microsoft could without apple suing them, they could pull a middle finger on them and have ipods and iphones being able to sync up and be able to be managed without itunes. Windows Media Center could also have access to the current Zune Marketplace and have the same subscription service applied to iDevices and Windows Phones and other digital players. One awesome, media player.

What do you guys think?

 

[CB]

I personally say yes as I almost never touch it. But as an adjunct to an OS, it should be there I think. I also see most friends use it widely..

 

[Pufferine]

I wanna a Windows Media Center for Windows 8

 

[Kynix]

Actually, i like Windows media player. Not for the compatibility, just because it's built in with windows and also it has better color management than VLC, or MPC.

 

[gazz9496]

use it for all my music and video needs, don't like iTunes and vlc is nothing special either. but each to their own i'm sure enough people use for them to add it in.

 

[Coke Robot]

Hmm, interesting.

But from what you guys say about WMP, shouldn't there be a media player that consolidates features of all media players into one player that acts like WMP?

 

[CB]

I believe it should. I get used to work with Cowon's JetAudio Plus. It gives me everything I need except playing 3D movies (I which I use PowerDVD 11 Ultra)

 

[Vertex]

I use no other media player other than Windows Media Player for playing videos and music and Windows Media Center for watching live TV. To play more media formats, I installed a codec called Shark007 Windows 7 Codecs. You guys can try it. Check this out:

Download Windows 7 Codecs 3.4.4 - FileHippo.com

It even works on the WDP. I like Windows Media Player because its built in to Windows and I do not like to install additional full media players. VLC had almost the same icon for all sorts of media types which is ugly and it had a complicated settings to me. There is a version of Windows called the "N" edition released on Europe that does not include WMP and it can be disabled from the Programs and Features section anyway.

But I personally think it should stay because you do need a built-in media player on a new computer to begin with. Or better yet, how about if MS redesigns it and make more competitive to third party players like what they did to IE? This, I'll vote as a yes.

 

[alphanumeric]

I vote no, I use it for all my music and video needs.

 

[zigzag3143]

Not that any of us have a vote but I would pay to have it removed

 

[lehnerus2000]

It just depends ...

I'd say "no, they should keep it", if they fix it:

• No auto-tag replacing.
• No truncating file names and titles.
• No loading everything on your pc, every time it starts.

I'd say "yes, get rid of it", if MS can't be bothered fixing it.

I found WMP 12 irredeemably awful.
IMO, WMP 10 was far superior.

 

[whs]

Hmm, you guys are cruel. I like the WMP and use it all the time. I would rather they remove the WMC which I find useless - too confusing and too much trouble to set up.

 

[lehnerus2000]

YMMV

Hmm, you guys are cruel. I like the WMP and use it all the time.

If you have never experienced any of the problems that I experienced, that is understandable.

I don't like the UI though.
I always seemed to be on the wrong "page", whenever I wanted to do something.

As I posted in SevenForums, I can't understand how Windows 7 is so good and WMP 12 is so bad.

I would rather they remove the WMC which I find useless - too confusing and too much trouble to set up.

I don't like the UI either.
Ironically, it might actually be better on a touchscreen.
I also don't like the fact that it has to run 3 or 4 services, as soon as it starts up.

WMC is the only media player (I have installed) which will successfully tune into all of the available DTV channels in my area.

MPC & VLC don't seem to be able to do it (each one tunes into about 2/3 of the available channels).
Even using both of them I can't tune into every available DTV channel.

I can't get the Winamp DTV plugin to work at all.

 

[whs]

Yeah indeed, I never had trouble with the WMP - and I do all kinds of things with it, even snapshots from videos (but it is easier with VLC or WMM).

 

[revmike]

I tried to use it, but for me it's a waste of space.

 

[Coke Robot]

Hmm, you guys are cruel. I like the WMP and use it all the time. I would rather they remove the WMC which I find useless - too confusing and too much trouble to set up.

On a related note, can that be said about metro design?...

 

[Coke Robot]

I'd say "no, they should keep it", if they fix it:

• No auto-tag replacing.
• No truncating file names and titles.
• No loading everything on your pc, every time it starts.

I'd say "yes, get rid of it", if MS can't be bothered fixing it.

I found WMP 12 irredeemably awful.
IMO, WMP 10 was far superior.

I agree with that. WMP needs a MAJOR redesign to be relevant these days. There has to something in Windows 8 media playing wise that is the bees knees.

Speaking of such, I was installing WMP 10 on some xp machines because I thought WMP 10 was the last one, but it's not. And wow, I was shocked, to me it felt like exploring an old, abandoned ship since WMP 10 was supposed to come out with Windows Longhorn. It was weird....

 

[Coke Robot]

BAH! There's a recent screenshot of Windows 8 with WMP open and I think it had the About dialog box open in it and it's at version 13 and it STILL looks exactly the same as 12! This is potentially disappointing I have to say...