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Windows Media Player 9 for Mac OS X

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Microsoft quietly released Windows Media Player 9 for Mac OS X today.

Introducing Windows Media Player 9 for Mac OS X. Sporting a new brushed steel skin for Apple's newest operating system, this new version of our player opens the world of Windows Media 9 content to Macintosh users, enabling them to access the best audio and video on the Web. New plug-in support added for Internet Explorer, Netscape and Safari enables playback of Windows Media files right from the browser.
Click to expand...

Hints at this release appeared in September on Microsoft's site.

Windows Media Player 9 represents the most advanced version of Microsoft's audio/video codec and has been unavailable on the Macintosh platform until now. WMP9 media is being positioned by Microsoft against the MPEG4 video codec.
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2003/11/07/windows-media-player-9-for-mac-os-x-2/
It's about time!

Quicktime Rocks on the Mac.. But my Windows XP version of quicktime is slow and buggy.. Hopefully Media Player will be decent on this side.. The past few versions have been decent!

Apple's quicktime is 100% rock solid on the mac!
 
Argh! Windows Media sucks @ss. Unfortunately, I will have to download it to play Windows Media files, which the quality also sucks @ss.
 
I am on the WM-Talk list and got an email earlier about this being out. I downloaded it right away. I know I will need it only for Windows Media files which are popular in the Christian Radio circles......QuickTime is hardly available on the Christian Radio or Christian content sites unfortunately.
 
Whoo-Hooo! BuyMusic.com, here I come!

Enough of this iTunes/AAC nonsense. Finally I can have my music DRM controlled by Microsoft!!!

(So... does this mean we can now play protected WMA music or not?)
 
Originally posted by arn
play wmp files.

arn
Click to expand...
ha ha ha That was a good chuckle.

That has been a problem for some sites. I really don't like the whole idea of having 3 different media players to play music or video off the web. WMP, Real, and quicktime. Can't they all just get along.
 
This is awesome!!! Now we can access all the video content the Windows users can.

For all the pessimists... remember this just made the Mac a whole lot more versitile.


EDIT: I love that I can use it in Safari now!!
 
Still can't watch my National team on a Mac.

This net TV requires Windows Media Player 9...

“application/x-oleobject” content included No such Mime plugin? :(
 
There are still a few radio stations that i listen to that are in this format. I downloaded it, and it seems to work. No small feat for Microsoft.
 
I know someone has provided an Ogg-Vorbis plugin for iTunes, allowing iTunes to "grow beyond it's original programming". I wouldn't be totally opposed to somehow making a WMA pluggin for iTunes, even if it means running Windows Media windowlessly in the background. Same with Real. I don't like having a bunch of different media apps, each with their own skin that makes it look all futuristicy.

There are, in fact, several other media types I'm waiting for, such as Short files.
 
Don't hold your breath. Ogg is dead except for geeks living in their mom's basement.

Seriously, nice idea, and im sure it was technically better then <insert format you hate here> but it's dead. I seriously doubt you will ever see get adopted en masse.
 
Originally posted by X86BSD
Don't hold your breath. Ogg is dead except for geeks living in their mom's basement.

Seriously, nice idea, and im sure it was technically better then <insert format you hate here> but it's dead. I seriously doubt you will ever see get adopted en masse.
Click to expand...

My argument is not for "Ogg = Better", but rather for "More Format I Hate Plugins", to reduce the need to look at Real Player and the like.
 
Re: Video LAN Client

Originally posted by mustang_dvs
If there's anything that Quicktime Player can't play (including .asx and .wmv), I usually find that Video LAN Client (VLC) can play it -- usually much better than WiMP. It's free, it's open source and it's small.

http://www.videolan.org/

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14738
Click to expand...

VLC can't do WMP 9 format files, which is why this is a cool thing.

For all Microsoft haters, remember, now you can listen to Amazon music samples WITHOUT resorting to RealPlayer!

Yes, I'd rather contaminate my Mac with a little bit of Microsoft software than ANY Real software.
 
Don't hold your breath. Ogg is dead except for geeks living in their mom's basement.

Seriously, nice idea, and im sure it was technically better then <insert format you hate here> but it's dead. I seriously doubt you will ever see get adopted en masse.
Click to expand...

Don't say that! I want FLAC for iTunes. Badly.
 
Re: Video LAN Client

Originally posted by mustang_dvs
If there's anything that Quicktime Player can't play (including .asx and .wmv), I usually find that Video LAN Client (VLC) can play it -- usually much better than WiMP. It's free, it's open source and it's small.

http://www.videolan.org/

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14738
Click to expand...

I am pretty sure it can't play wmp 9 files though.

Overall it looks pretty much the same as the old version except for the brushed metal.

Anyone know if this supports 5.1 wmp 9 files? i am guessing no.
 
First you must un-install ALL earlier version of the program,


To Uninstall Windows Media Player 7 for Mac or Windows Media Player 6.3 for Mac

To uninstall previous versions of the Player:
1. Drag the Windows Media Player folder to the Trash.
2. Double-click the System folder, double-click the Preferences folder, and then drag the Windows Media Player Prefs file to the Trash.
3. Double-click the System folder, double-click the Extensions folder, and then drag the following files, if present, to the Trash:
? Acelp.net Decoder 05.0 kbps
? Acelp.net Decoder 06.5 kbps
? Acelp.net Decoder 08.5 kbps
? Acelp.net Decoder 16.0 kbps
? Mpeg Layer-3 Audio
? MPG4
? VivoActive G723 Decoder
4. On the Special menu, click Empty Trash, and then click OK.
5. On the Special menu, click Restart.


Wow. forget that
 
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