What Version Of Windows Media Player Do I Have

Media player and media library awarding by Microsoft

Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player 12 running on Windows 8
Programmer(southward)	Microsoft

Stable release	12.0.22000.194 (October four, 2021; 6 months agone (2021-10-04)) [±]
Preview release	12.0.22567.1 (March 2, 2022; 43 days ago (2022-03-02)) [±]

Operating system	Windows NT 4.0 Mac Bone 7 Mac OS X Solaris
Included with	Windows 3.0 MM and Windows 3.one Windows 9x Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows vii, Windows 8, Windows eight.ane, Windows 10, Windows 11 (still available)^[a] Windows CE and Windows Mobile Mac OS viii and ix
Predecessor	ActiveMovie Control, CD Actor, DVD Player (Win32 version)
Successor	Microsoft Movies & TV, Groove Music
Blazon	Media player
Website	windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/windows-media-player

Windows Media Player (WMP) is a media player and media library application adult by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices. Editions of Windows Media Role player were also released for classic Mac Os, Mac Os X and Solaris but development of these has since been discontinued.

In add-on to being a media player, Windows Media Player includes the ability to rip music from and copy music to compact discs, burn recordable discs in Audio CD format or as data discs with playlists such as an MP3 CD, synchronize content with a digital audio player (MP3 actor) or other mobile devices, and enable users to purchase or rent music from a number of online music stores.

Windows Media Player 11 is available for Windows XP and included in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. The default file formats are Windows Media Video (WMV), Windows Media Audio (WMA), and Advanced Systems Format (ASF), and its own XML based playlist format called Windows Playlist (WPL). The player is also able to utilize a digital rights management service in the form of Windows Media DRM.

Windows Media Thespian 12 is the most recent version of Windows Media Player prior to Windows 11. It was released on October 22, 2009, forth with Windows vii^[b] and has not been made available for previous versions of Windows nor has it been updated since for Windows 8, Windows 8.one, Windows 10, and Windows eleven.^[2] ^[3] Windows eight and afterwards instead use Groove Music (for audio) and Microsoft Movies & Tv set (for video) as the default playback applications for most media; As of October 2021, Windows Media Player is still included every bit a Windows component. Windows RT does non run Windows Media Player.

On November 16, 2021, Microsoft announced that information technology would supercede Groove Music with the new Media Player awarding, though the legacy Windows Media Player will keep to exist included with Windows 11.^[4]

History [edit]

The beginning version of Windows Media Player appeared in 1991, when Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions was released.^[5] Originally called Media Thespian, this component was included with "Multimedia PC"-uniform machines but non bachelor for retail auction. Information technology was capable of playing .mmm blitheness files, and could be extended to support other formats.^[6] It used MCI to handle media files. Beingness a component of Windows, Media Player shows the same version number as that of the version Windows with which it was included.

Microsoft continually produced new programs to play media files. In November of the following year, Video for Windows was introduced with the ability to play digital video files in an AVI container format,^[vii] with codec support for RLE and Video1, and back up for playing uncompressed files. Indeo 3.2 was added in a later release. Video for Windows was showtime bachelor equally a free improver to Windows 3.ane, and later integrated into Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0. In 1995, Microsoft released ActiveMovie with DirectX Media SDK. ActiveMovie incorporates a new way of dealing with media files, and adds support for streaming media (which the original Media Player could not handle). In 1996, ActiveMovie was renamed DirectShow.^[viii] However, Media Actor continued to come with Windows until Windows XP, in which it was officially renamed Windows Media Player v5.1.^[9] ("v5.one" is the version number of Windows XP.)

In 1999, Windows Media Player'due south versioning broke abroad from that of Windows itself. Windows Media Role player vi.4 came as an out-of-ring update for Windows 95-98 and Windows NT 4.0 that co-existed with Media Player and became a built-in component of Windows 2000, Windows ME and Windows XP with an mplayer2.exe stub assuasive to utilize this built-in instead of newer versions.^[10] Windows Media Player seven.0 and its successors also came in the same fashion, replacing each other just leaving Media Player and Windows Media Player half-dozen.4 intact. Windows XP is the only operating arrangement to take three different versions of Windows Media Thespian (v5.1, v6.4 and v8) side by side. All versions branded Windows Media Thespian (instead of simply Media Player) support DirectShow codecs. Windows Media Player version 7 was a large revamp, with a new user interface, visualizations and increased functionality. Windows Vista, however, dropped older versions of Windows Media Player in favor of v11, which included the removal of the Windows Media Source Filter (DirectShow codec).

In 2004 Microsoft launched digital music shop MSN Music for new Windows Media Actor 10 to compete with Apple iTunes.^[11] ^[12] Still, MSN Music was discontinued already in 2006 with the launch of Zune music players.^[13]

Beginning with Windows Vista, Windows Media Actor supports the Media Foundation framework also DirectShow; as such it plays certain types of media using Media Foundation also as some types of media using DirectShow.^[14] Windows Media Role player 12 was released with Windows seven. It included back up for more media formats and added new features. With Windows viii, withal, the player did not receive an upgrade.

On April 16, 2012, Microsoft announced that Windows Media Role player would not exist included in Windows RT, the line of Windows designed to run on ARM-based devices.^[15]

Windows 11 [edit]

Media Player is the successor to Groove Music for Windows ten (previously Xbox Music) and Windows Media Actor. Information technology started to be offered to all Windows eleven users on Feb 15, 2022. ^[16]

The new Media Actor can also play video, as part of Groove'southward rebranding from a music streaming service to a media player.^[17] Other changes include the album cover view being in fullscreen, and a refresh to the mini player.^[eighteen] Accessibility has as well been optimized, with some improved keyboard shortcuts and hotkey support for keyboard users and with other assistive technologies.^[19]

Features [edit]

Core playback and library functions [edit]

Windows Media Player supports playback of sound, video and pictures, along with fast forward, reverse, file markers (if nowadays) and variable playback speed (seek & time compression/dilation introduced in WMP ix Series). It supports local playback, streaming playback with multicast streams and progressive downloads. Items in a playlist can be skipped over temporarily at playback fourth dimension without removing them from the playlist. Full keyboard-based operation is possible in the player.

Windows Media Actor supports total media management, via the integrated media library introduced first in version vii, which offers cataloguing and searching of media and viewing media metadata. Media can exist arranged according to anthology, creative person, genre, date et al. Windows Media Player 9 Series introduced Quick Access Panel to browse and navigate the entire library through a menu. The Quick Access Panel was besides added to the mini style in version 10 but was entirely removed in version xi. WMP 9 Serial also introduced ratings and Auto Ratings. Windows Media Histrion 10 introduced support for aggregating pictures, Recorded TV shows, and other media into the library. A fully featured tag editor was featured in versions nine-11 of WMP, called the Advanced Tag Editor. Even so, the feature was removed in Windows Media Player 12. Since WMP 9 Serial, the player features dynamically updated Machine Playlists based on criteria. Motorcar Playlists are updated every time users open them. WMP ix Series and later also supports Auto Ratings which automatically assigns ratings based on the number of times a vocal is played. Pre-populated auto playlists are included in Windows Media Player 9 Serial. Custom Auto Playlists can be created only on Windows XP and later on.

In Windows Media Role player 11, the Quick Access Panel was removed and replaced with an Explorer-way navigation pane on the left which tin can be customized for each library to show the user selected media or metadata categories, with contents appearing on the right, in a graphical manner with thumbnails featuring album art or other art depicting the detail. Missing anthology art tin can be added directly to the placeholders in the Library itself (though the program re-renders all anthology art imported this way into 1x1 pixel ratio, 200x200 resolution jpegs). At that place are separate Tiles, Icons, Details or Extended Tiles views for Music, Pictures, Video and Recorded Television receiver which can exist set individually from the navigation bar. Entries for Pictures and Video testify their thumbnails. Version 11 also introduced the ability to search and display results on-the-fly as characters are being entered, without waiting for Enter key to be striking. Incremental search results are refined based on farther characters that are typed. Stacking allows graphical representations of how many albums at that place are in a specific category or folder. The pile appears larger equally the category contains more albums. The List pane includes an option to prompt the user to remove items skipped in a playlist upon salvage or skip them merely during playback.

Visualizations [edit]

Windows Media Player 11 running in mini mode (in Windows XP MCE) showing the "Bars and Waves" visualization

While playing music, Windows Media Player can show visualizations. The current three visualizations are Abracadabra, which was first introduced in version 9, Bars and Waves, which has been used since version 7, and Battery, introduced version 8. "Musical Colors" was removed starting with version nine, merely is retained if Windows Media Player was upgraded from version 7 or viii. Version 11 and above refrains from having the former "Ambience", "Particle", "Plenoptic", and "Spikes" visualizations. The "Battery" visualization was similarly removed in later editions of version 12. The reason for their removal was that the visualizations do not support full screen controls (either the visualization gets shifted to the left while in that location is a thick blackness bar to the right side of the screen, that there are no total screen controls, or that the visualization have DXE Issues). More visualizations such as "BlazingColors", "ColorCubes", "Softie the Snowman," and "Yule Log" used to be downloadable notwithstanding, the downloads from Microsoft's website take mostly been taken down and information technology's bachelor on the WMP Goodies site.

Format support [edit]

The player includes intrinsic back up for Windows Media codecs and also WAV and MP3 media formats. On Windows XP and above with WMP ix Series and later, the Windows Media Audio Professional codec is included which supports multichannel audio at upwards to 24-flake 192 kHz resolution. Windows Media Histrion 11 includes the Windows Media Format 11 runtime which adds low bitrate back up (below 128 kbit/s for WMA Pro), support for ripping music to WMA Pro 10 and updates the original WMA to version 9.two.^{[ citation needed ]}

Back up for whatever media codec and container format can exist added using specific DirectShow filters or Media Foundation codecs (Media Foundation codecs but in Windows Vista and later). The player volition not play MP3 files that contain compressed ID3 headers ("tags"); trying to exercise and so results in a "The input media file is invalid" mistake message. MP3 playback back up was built-in beginning with version vi.1 and audio CD playback was natively supported with version 7.^{[ citation needed ]}

DVD playback features minus the necessary decoders were integrated into Windows Media Player 8 for Windows XP. The player activates DVD and Blu-ray playback functionality with support for menus, titles and chapters, parental controls and audio track language choice if compatible decoders are installed. MPEG-2 and Dolby Digital (AC-3) decoders were included beginning with Windows Media Player 11 on Windows Vista (Dwelling Premium and Ultimate editions only).^{[ citation needed ]}

Windows Media Player 12 adds native support for H.264 and MPEG-4 Part two video formats, ALAC, AAC audio^[20] and 3GP^{[ clarification needed got no codec bachelor for 3GP]}, MP4 and MOV container formats.^[21] Windows Media Thespian 12 is also able to play AVCHD formats (.M2TS and .mts).^[22]

Equally of Windows ten, Windows Media Player 12 can play FLAC, HEVC, and SubRip subtitle, and Matroska container formats.^{[ citation needed ]}

Although the WebM file type is not associated with Windows Media Player 12 officially (the default thespian is Microsoft Movies & TV), playback of VP9 video in WebM container on Windows Media Player is possible on Windows 10 version 1809 and afterward.^{[ citation needed ]}

Windows Media Actor Mobile [edit]

Windows Media Actor Mobile x on Windows Mobile 6.five supports MP3, ASF, WMA and WMV using WMV or MPEG-4 codecs.^[23]

Disc called-for, ripping, and playback [edit]

Windows Media Player features integrated Audio CD-burning back up since version 7 as well equally data CD burning support since Windows Media Player 9 Series on Windows XP and later on. Information CDs can take whatsoever of the media formats supported by the role player. While burning Information CDs, the media can, optionally, be transcoded into WMA format and playlists tin exist added to the CD every bit well. Starting with WMP 9 Series, audio CDs tin can be burnt with book leveling.

Audio CDs can be ripped as WMA or WMA 10 Pro (WMA 10 Pro in WMP xi and later) at 48, 64, 96, 128, 160 and 192 kbit/south, WMA lossless (470 to 940 kbit/s) (9 Serial on XP and later), WMA variable bitrate (from 40 to 75 kbit/southward up to 240-355 kbit/due south), MP3 at 128, 192, 256 and 320 kbit/southward, or uncompressed WAV (WAV ripping in WMP 11 and later). Since WMP 9 Serial, 20 bit high-resolution CDs (HDCDs) are likewise supported, if capable sound hardware is present. Audio tin can be ripped using mistake correction and ripped sound can be protected with Windows Media DRM. Ripping to MP3 is supported simply in Windows Media Role player 8 for Windows XP and later if a compatible MP3 encoder is installed. Windows Media Player 10 included the Fraunhofer MP3 Professional encoder. Information on CDs such as album name, artist and track listings can optionally exist automatically downloaded from the online Windows Media database when the CD is inserted. Version eleven added support for ripping audio CDs to WAV and WMA 10 Pro formats. With their 2015 implementation in Windows 10, Version 12 also added lossless FLAC and ALAC formats for ripping and playback. For burning, version 11 shows a graphical bar indicating how much space will be used on the disc and introduced Disc spanning which splits a burn list onto multiple discs in instance the content does not fit on one disc.

Portable device sync [edit]

Windows Media Player allows the user to connect, share and sync data with portable handheld devices and game consoles since version 7. Media can exist optionally transcoded to a format better suited for the target device, automatically, when synchronizing. When deleting playlists from devices, Windows Media Player tin automatically remove their contents. Devices tin be formatted using Windows Media Actor ix Series and later. Version ten and later support the Media Transfer Protocol and Car Sync. Motorcar Sync allows users to specify criteria such as recently added music or highest rated songs, past which media will be automatically synchronized with the portable device and other advanced features like setting the clock on the portable device automatically, communicating with the device to retrieve the user's preferences. Windows Media Player ten also introduced the UMDF-based Windows Portable Devices API.

Version 11 has improved synchronization features for loading content onto PlaysForSure-compatible portable players. WMP 11 supports reverse-synchronization, by which media present on the portable device can be replicated back to the PC. Shuffle Sync can exist used to randomize content synced with the portable device, Multi PC Sync to synchronize portable device content beyond multiple PCs and Guest Sync to synchronize different content from multiple PCs with the portable device. Portable devices appear in the navigation pane of the library where their content tin be browsed and searched.

Windows Media Player'due south 'Sync' office has options that allow it to exist set to automatically down-convert (transcode) high bit-charge per unit vocal files to a lower scrap-rate. This downwardly-conversion function is switched on by default. This is useful for providing low bit-rate files to those portable devices that demand them, and to save space on portable devices with smaller storage capacities. For high fleck-charge per unit capable devices with sufficient storage capabilities, the downwardly conversion procedure can be omitted.

In versions 11 (2006) and 12 (2009), the Quality settings that the user has selected in the Windows Media Role player settings for Sync, for that specific portable device, are used to control the quality (scrap-rate) of files that are copied to the portable device. Leaving the Quality settings to Automatic will often consequence in 192kbs files being copied to the portable device. Manual settings can also exist made. 192kbs is the highest quality down-conversion flake-charge per unit that can be manually selected when the Sync role'south down-conversion office is turned on. Lower chip-rates can besides be selected.

For portable devices that tin handle loftier flake-rate files, the best quality files are obtained past leaving the down-conversion process switched off (unchecked) for that specific device. In Windows Media Player Version eleven, switching off the downwardly-conversion function is done in the Quality tab of the Advanced Options of the Sync settings for the device. In Windows Media Player Version 12, switching off the downward-conversion function is done in the Quality tab of the Properties for the device in the Select Settings for the device in the Sync Options bill of fare.

When set upward in such a way, Windows Media Player's 'Sync' function can exist used to sync unchanged loftier bit-charge per unit song files to suitable portable devices (i.e. those capable of using file formats such as WMA Lossless, mp3-360kbs, etc.). For example, some users have created large song libraries on their PCs containing .wma formatted vocal files using the loftier bit-rate WMA Lossless (WMA-LL) protocol, or using other high bit-charge per unit song file formats. The WMA-LL protocol is selectable in Windows Media Role player as an option when ripping songs from CDs. The resulting bit-rates seen on ripped WMA-LL files are often 3 to half dozen times higher than 192kbs, and can typically fall anywhere in the range of 600kbs to 1200kbs, depending on the quality of the source file that was present on the CD in the first identify. The sound quality is much improved over the default charge per unit, although the file size is larger.

At the time that Versions 11 and 12 were released, the capabilities and capacities of portable devices typically required down-conversion of the bit-rates of the files placed on the portable devices. Thus, Sync downward-conversion was turned on by default. This was to ensure playability of the files and to ensure that the file sizes were modest enough to efficiently fit a reasonably large selection of songs on the portable device.

In recent years (circa 2012), portable devices became available that could natively play these Windows Media Player produced high bit-rate WMA-LL files (and others), and that have storage capacities suitable for large collections of loftier bit-rate song files. This fabricated it much more practicable and desirable to employ software programs such as Windows Media Player to synchronize previously PC-jump libraries of high bit-charge per unit songs to these new portable devices.

Enhanced playback features [edit]

Windows Media Player features universal brightness, dissimilarity, saturation and hue adjustments and pixel attribute ratio for supported video formats. It also includes a 10-band graphic equalizer with presets and SRS WOW sound post-processing organization. Windows Media Player tin can also have attached audio and video DSP plug-ins which process the output audio or video information. Video Smoothing was introduced in WMP 9 Serial (Windows XP and later but) which upscales frame-rate by interpolating added frames, in upshot giving a smoother playback on low-framerate videos. The actor supports subtitles and closed-captioning for local media, video on demand streaming or live streaming scenarios. Typically Windows Media captions support the SAMI file format but tin also conduct embedded airtight caption information.

The histrion tin can utilise video overlays or VMR (Video Mixing Renderer) surfaces, if the video card supports them. In Windows XP, information technology uses VMR7 past default, simply can also be fabricated to use the more advanced YUV mixing mode past enabling the "Use high quality mode" option in Advanced Performance settings. This turns on deinterlacing, scaling and improved color accuracy.^[24] WMP 9 Series introduced native playback for deinterlacing for Television output. Version ix introduced DXVA accelerated playback. Version 11 introduced improved back up for DirectX accelerated decoding of WMV video (DXVA decoding). Upward to version eleven, it supported static lyrics and "Synchronized Lyrics", by which different lines of lyrics tin can be time-stamped, so that they brandish only at those times. Synchronized Lyrics as well were accessible through the Advanced Tag Editor which was removed in version 12.

Since Windows Media Thespian 9 Series, the actor supports crossfading, audio dynamic range (Quiet Mode) for WMA Pro and WMA Lossless, and auto book leveling for certain media which includes book level/gain information such equally MP3 or Windows Media. The thespian also supports extensive configurable privacy and security settings.

Beat out integration [edit]

The role player has Windows Explorer shell integration to add together files and playlist to the Now Playing pane and other playlists can be controlled from the Windows Explorer beat out itself, via right-click bill of fare. The My Music binder also includes a dissever My Playlists folder where playlists are maintained. When the role player is closed and reopened, simply clicking the play button restores the last playlist fifty-fifty if it was not saved. Starting with Windows Media Player x, the playlist pane is also visible from the Library view. AutoPlay handlers in Windows betrayal various Windows Media Player tasks.

Windows Media Player 11 running in mini mode in Windows Vista and Windows XP respectively. Find the difference in the logo.

Upwards to version 11, it featured a taskbar-mounted Mini mode in which the most common media control buttons are presented as a toolbar on the Windows taskbar. Flyout windows can display media information, the active visualization or the video being played dorsum. Mini-manner was introduced as a shell role player powertoy for Windows Media Role player 8 in Windows XP and integrated subsequently into WMP 9 Series. Mini-mode has been removed in Windows Media Player 12 in favor of controls in the taskbar's interactive thumbnail preview which lacks volume control, a progress bar and information displayed whenever a new vocal is played.

The user interface has been redesigned in Windows Media Thespian 12 such that the Now Playing view plays media in a separate minimalist window with floating playback controls, and also gives admission to the current playlist, visualizations, and enhancements.^[20] Enhancements are housed in individual undocked windows. The library view includes the rest of the media management functions. It likewise can preview songs from the library when users hover over the media file and click the Preview button.^[twenty] Windows Media Actor 12 can play unprotected songs from the iTunes library. The taskbar-integrated Mini-player has been replaced with controls in the taskbar's interactive thumbnail preview (called the Thumbnail Toolbar),^[25] albeit minus the volume control function, track and album data shown whenever a new song is played and the progress bar. The taskbar icon also supports bound lists introduced in Windows seven.

The thumbnail viewer of Windows Media Player 12 in Windows vii Home Premium

Extensibility [edit]

The role player has had skinning support since Windows Media Player (WMP) vii and includes a color chooser since the WMP ix Series. Non all functions are unremarkably exposed in skin mode. Windows Media Player 10 allows setting the video border color. Color chooser has been removed in WMP 12. It supports visualizations and Info Center View (Info Center View in WMP 9 Series and afterwards) which displays media metadata fetched from the internet. Full screen visualizations are supported in WMP 9 Series and after. Information technology supports Groundwork plug-ins, window plug-ins and Now Playing plug-ins to control media playback besides DSP and renderer plug-ins. Plug-in support was introduced in WMP 9 Series.

Online features [edit]

The histrion integrates web-browsing support to browse online music stores, store for music and tune to net radio stations since version seven. It provides an embeddable ActiveX command for Cyberspace Explorer so that developers can play Windows Media on web pages. Windows Media Player 10 and afterward feature integration with a large number of online music stores and selecting a music store switches the Info Center view, radio and other online features to apply services from that store. Purchased music from a particular store appears in a split up library node nether the corresponding category.

Media streaming [edit]

Previously, Microsoft had released Windows Media Connect for Windows XP to stream media content with its built-in UPnP media server. With version 11 of Windows Media Player, Media Sharing was integrated and allows content (Music, Pictures, Video) to exist streamed to and from Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) AV enabled devices such every bit the PS3, Xbox 360, and Roku SoundBridge. This includes DRM protected PlaysForSure content. WMP xi on Windows Vista tin can likewise act as a customer to connect to remote media libraries using this feature; this is not available on the Windows XP version.

With version 12, media streaming was further improved. While previous versions streamed media to UPnP compliant devices (Digital Media Server role) and could play media by fetching it from a network share (Digital Media Thespian function),^[26] Windows Media Player 12 can access media from the shared media libraries on the network or HomeGroup, stream media to DLNA 1.5 compliant devices and allows itself (once the remote control option is turned on) to be remotely controlled by Digital Media Controller devices which stream media (Digital Media Renderer function).^[26] Similarly, the Play To characteristic once enabled for remote PCs, past turning on remote control of the player, allows compliant devices and computers to be discovered and controlled remotely from a estimator running Windows Media Player 12 (Digital Media Controller office).^[26] If the devices practice not support the streamed format, Windows Media Actor 12 transcodes the format on-the-wing. Media from a home network can also be streamed over the net using an Online ID Provider service, which handles discovery of the computer'due south IP address, authorization, security, connectivity and Quality of Service issues.^[26]

Skin Mode [edit]

Windows Media Role player also features skins. Currently, Windows Media Player has two default skins: "Corporate", which was first introduced in version 8, and "Revert", which beginning shipped with version 9. In versions 7 and viii, at that place were many unusual skins such as "Heart", "Headspace", "Sail", "Goo", and "Atomic", which were removed starting with version 9, merely are retained if the role player is upgraded, although some tin still be downloaded from an archive of the Microsoft website.^[27] In versions seven, 8, 9 and 10 there were many usual skins such as "9SeriesDefault", "Atomic", "Bluesky", "Canvass", "Archetype", "Compact", "goo", "Headspace", "heart", "iconic", "Miniplayer", "Optic", "Pyrite", "QuickSilver", "Radio", "Roundlet", "Rusty", "splat", "Toothy", "Windows Classic", and "Windows XP", which were removed starting with version 11. This Corporate pare is not deletable.

Security problems [edit]

Microsoft Windows Media Runtime in Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows Server contained a problems that permitted "remote code execution if a user opened a particularly crafted media file". Such a file would let the attacker to "then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights", if the account on which the file was played had ambassador privileges.^[28] The problem was addressed in a disquisitional update issued on September 8, 2009.^[29]

Other versions [edit]

Microsoft has as well released versions of Windows Media Actor for other platforms including Windows Mobile, classic Mac OS, Mac OS X, Palm-size PC, Handheld PC, and Solaris. Of these, only the Windows Mobile edition continues to exist actively developed and supported by Microsoft. Version one of the Zune software was likewise based on Windows Media Player; later on versions are non.

Windows Mobile [edit]

Windows Media Player 10.3 Mobile on a Windows Mobile Professional device

Windows Media Thespian for Pocket PC was offset announced on January 6, 2000, and has been revised on a schedule roughly similar to that of the Windows version.^[30] Currently known equally "Media Player 10 Mobile", this edition (released in October 2004) closely resembles the capabilities of the Windows version of WMP 10, including playlist capabilities, a media library, album fine art, WMA Lossless playback, support for DRM-protected media, video playback at 640×480 with stereo sound, and the aforementioned Energy Blueish interface aesthetics also seen in Windows XP Media Centre Edition 2005. Information technology also supports synchronization with the desktop version of WMP ten, and additionally supports synchronizing and transcoding of recorded tv shows from Media Center. Media Player 10 Mobile is not available as a download from Microsoft; distribution is done solely through OEM partners, and is typically included on devices based on Windows Mobile.

Windows Mobile 6 includes a re-create of Windows Media Thespian x Mobile, but with a similar (but not quite identical) theme as Windows Media Histrion 11.

Mac Os X [edit]

Version ix was the last version of Windows Media Player to be released for Mac OS 10 before development was canceled past Microsoft. Information technology was developed by the Windows Media team at Microsoft instead of the Macintosh Business organization Unit and released in 2003. On release the application lacked many basic features that were found in other media players such every bit Apple's iTunes and QuickTime.^{[ citation needed ]} It also lacked support for many media formats that version nine of the Windows counterpart supported on release x months earlier.

The Mac version supported only Windows Media encoded media (up to version 9) enclosed in the ASF format, lacking support for all other formats such every bit MP4, MPEG, and Microsoft's ain AVI format. On the user interface front, it did not prevent screensavers from running during playback, it did not back up file drag-and-drop, nor did it support playlists. While Windows Media Role player 9 had added support for some files that use the WMV9 codec (also known as the WMV3 codec by the FourCC), in other aspects it was seen equally having degraded in features from previous versions.

On January 12, 2006, Microsoft announced it had ceased development of Windows Media Thespian for Mac. Microsoft at present distributes a third-party plugin called WMV Role player (produced and maintained past Flip4Mac) which allows some forms of Windows Media to exist played within Apple tree's QuickTime Histrion and other QuickTime-enlightened applications.^[31]

European Commission case [edit]

In March 2004, the European Commission in the European Union Microsoft antitrust example fined Microsoft €497 1000000 and ordered the visitor to provide a version of Windows without Windows Media Player, claiming Microsoft "bankrupt Eu competition law past leveraging its near monopoly in the marketplace for PC operating systems onto the markets for piece of work group server operating systems and for media players". The company has made bachelor a compliant version of its flagship operating organisation under the negotiated proper noun "Windows XP N", though the production has not been very successful. Windows Vista, Windows vii and Windows 8 are also available in "N" editions. However, it is possible to either install Windows Media Player (XP/Vista)^[32] or the Media Restore Pack through Windows Update (Vista) to add together the media player.

Release history [edit]

Prior to the release of Windows Media Player in Windows 98 2d Edition, divide programs, CD Role player, Palatial CD Role player, DVD Actor and Media Player, were included in sometime versions of Microsoft Windows for playback of media files.

Windows Media Player versions^[33]
Version	Original release	Included with	Bachelor for
Microsoft Windows
Media Player	Feb 15, 2022	Windows 11	N/A
Windows Media Role player 12	July 22, 2009	Windows seven Windows 8 Windows 8.1 Windows 10 Windows xi Windows Server 2008 R2 Windows Server 2012 Windows Server 2012 R2 Windows Server 2016 Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2022	N/A
Windows Media Player 11	October xviii, 2006	Windows Vista Windows Server 2008	Windows XP (SP2+) Windows XP x64 Edition
Windows Media Player 10	August 25, 2004	Windows XP x64 Edition Windows XP Media Eye Edition 2005 Windows Server 2003 (SP1+)	Windows Server 2003 Windows XP^[34]
Windows Media Player 9 Series	October 3, 2002^[35]	Windows XP (SP2+) Windows Server 2003 (RTM)	Windows XP Windows ME Windows 2000 Windows 98 SE^[36]
Windows Media Role player for Windows XP (version viii)	August 24, 2001	Windows XP (RTM & SP1)	North/A
Windows Media Role player 7.1	May xvi, 2001	North/A	Windows ME Windows 2000 Windows 98^[36] ^[37]
Windows Media Histrion 7.0	June 19, 2000^[38]	Windows ME	Windows 2000 Windows 98 Windows 95
Windows Media Player 6.4 ^[c]	April 29, 1999	Windows 2000 Windows ME (hidden) Windows XP (hidden) Windows Server 2003 (hidden) Net Explorer 5.01 Cyberspace Explorer five.v Cyberspace Explorer 6.0	Windows 98 Windows NT four.0 Windows 95
Windows Media Player half-dozen.ane	October 1997	Windows 98 SE Internet Explorer five.0	Windows 98 Windows NT iv.0 Windows 95
Microsoft Media Player 5.1	2001	Windows XP (subconscious)	N/A
Media Player 5.0	1999	Windows 2000 (subconscious)	N/A
Media Player 4.nine	2000	Windows ME (hidden)	North/A
Media Player four.1	1998	Windows 98 Windows 98 SE (hidden)	N/A
Media Player iv.0	1995	Windows 95 Windows NT 4.0	Northward/A
Media Histrion 3.51	1995	Windows NT 3.51	N/A
Media Player iii.5	1994	Windows NT three.5	N/A
Media Player 3.fifteen	1992	Northward/A	Windows 3.1 with Video for Windows
Media Player 3.1	1992	Windows 3.1 Windows NT 3.1	Due north/A
Media Player 3.0	1991	N/A	Windows iii.0 with Multimedia Extension
Windows Mobile
Windows Media Player 10.3 Mobile	February 12, 2007 (Windows Mobile six)	Windows Mobile half-dozen.1 Windows Mobile 6	Windows Mobile 5.0
Windows Media Histrion 10.2 Mobile	?	Windows Mobile 5.0	N/A
Windows Media Thespian x.1 Mobile	May 10, 2005	Windows Mobile v.0	N/A
Windows Media Player 10 Mobile	October 12, 2004	Windows Mobile 2003 SE	N/A
Windows Media Player 9.0.1	March 24, 2004	Windows Mobile 2003 SE	North/A
Windows Media Player 9 Series	June 23, 2003	Windows Mobile 2003	Due north/A
Windows Media Player viii.5	October 11, 2002	Pocket PC 2002	N/A
Windows Media Player 8.01	July 2002	Pocket PC 2002	N/A
Windows Media Player viii	Oct 4, 2001 (Pocket PC)	Pocket PC 2002 Smartphone 2002	N/A
Windows Media Player 7.1	May 21, 2001	Pocket PC 2000	N/A
Windows Media Role player 7	December 12, 2000	Pocket PC 2000	N/A
Windows Media Player 1.ii	September 7, 2000	Handheld PC 2000	N/A
Windows Media Player 1.1	?	Palm-size PC CE 2.xi	N/A
Windows Media Player	April 19, 2000	Pocket PC 2000	N/A
Mac
Windows Media Role player ix Series	November 7, 2003	N/A	Mac OS X
Windows Media Player 7	July 24, 2001	Mac OS 9	Mac OS 8.x
Windows Media Player six.3	July 17, 2000	Mac OS 8	Mac OS 7.x
Solaris
Windows Media Thespian 6.3	July 17, 2000	N/A	Solaris

Footnotes [edit]

^ Except for "N" and "KN" editions of Windows, as well as Windows RT
^ N and KN versions of Windows 7 practise not include Windows Media Role player past default.^[1]
^ Windows Media Thespian half-dozen.4 was shipped side-by-side with later versions of WMP in Windows ME and Windows XP

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External links [edit]

Official website
The Vintage Windows Media Player
wmplugins.com - The place to find and share plug-ins, skins and visualizations.