Re: [ARSCLIST] Windows media player 9

[Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Angie:

I VERY MUCH AGREE about Quicktime -- it's insulting invasionware. However, in the latest iterations 
(at least the version that is bundled with iTines for Windows), if you are very attentive and 
careful during install, you can default it NOT to take over all the media formats. Same with 
RealPlayer in recent versions. I generally like WMP as my MP3 and WAV player on the office computers 
but in the studio I use SoundForge for all formats it can play. MP3 playlists, well, I don't do 
those over a good sound system, therefore it's not an issue in the studio.

I isolated iTunes to one single computer, my home office PC. That is where I load my iPod and where 
I hope I've contained the tenticles of Apple bloatware/invasionware.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Angie Dickinson Mickle" <angie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2006 12:46 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Windows media player 9


> Nice trick, Tom.  AFAIK, .pls is a Real Player extension which is just as intrusive a program as 
> iTunes.  I don't use either, but I'm told it is not iTunes itself that invades the system.  It is 
> QuickTime, which these days has been the bane of the internet.  Be prepared to have it take over 
> mp3 association within your browser.  And good luck changing it.
>
> There are *many* players out there that do a great job without taking control.  Winamp is still a 
> very good choice.  I use AudioActive www.audioactive.com for mp3 playback.  Their StreamPlayer is 
> not an easy thing to use, but man, does it sound nice.  Both are simple players without the bells 
> and whistles.  I don't need all that, I just want to hear the file/stream.  There is no need to 
> use what came loaded on the machine.  There are very good alternatives out there.  Most are free. 
> All you have to do is look.
>
> Angie Dickinson Mickle
> Avocado Productions
> Arvada, CO
> www.avocadoproductions.com
> 800-246-3811
>
> Tom Fine wrote:
> > Hi Mike:
> >
> > There is a form of podcast link that WMP doesn't recognize. I think it's the .pls type file, if I 
> > remember correctly. I think it's a form of XML that iTunes recognizes but not WMP. What I do when 
> > I want to listen to the podcast or broadcast is download the .pls file, dump it into a text 
> > window, find the link to the MP3 content (it's usually M3U) and just save that as a .m3u file, 
> > which WMP and almost all other MP3 players recognize and do.
> >
> > Plan B, of course, is just download iTunes for Windows, which I agree is bloated and somewhat 
> > invasive, but is much better at managing and listening to podcasts.
> >
> > -- Tom Fine
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: <Mwcpc6@xxxxxxx>
> > To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2006 10:14 AM
> > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Windows media player 9
> >
> >
> > > What is the latest version of Media Player?  I have Media Player 10, but it
> > > still won't recognize some .mp3 compressions, particularly podcasts from DW
> > > Germany. I have to feed them through Sound Forge to expand them.
> > >
> > > Is there a list of those .mp3 compressions that are compatible with various
> > > versions of players? What is the most commonly playable .mp3 format?  My
> > > relatively old (2 year) CD .mp3 player will only play a few of the currently
> > > available .mp3 files.
> > >
> > > Mike Csontos
>
>
> --
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