Windows Media Player 10.0
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CNET Editors' Review
CNET Editors' Rating
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
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The good: Streamlined interface; new Now Playing pane; built-in MP3 encoding; intelligent syncing with portable devices; new DRM provides greater flexibility for purchasing music and movies, as well as transferring them to portable players.
The bad: Works with Windows XP only; new interface takes some getting used to; media stores aren't yet seamlessly integrated.
The bottom line: Windows Media Player 10.0 is a great choice for Windows XP users who want a single jukebox that does it all.
The latest Windows Media Player, version 10.0, is a solid and comprehensive media-management program that will please anyone who uses a wide variety of audio and video formats and portable devices. At one end, it integrates compatible music stores and movie-download services, including the new MSN Music Service. At the other end, it syncs with more than 75 portable devices, according to Microsoft. In between are a bunch of feature enhancements, most notably the ability to rip ... Expand full review
The latest Windows Media Player, version 10.0, is a solid and comprehensive media-management program that will please anyone who uses a wide variety of audio and video formats and portable devices. At one end, it integrates compatible music stores and movie-download services, including the new MSN Music Service. At the other end, it syncs with more than 75 portable devices, according to Microsoft. In between are a bunch of feature enhancements, most notably the ability to rip songs to MP3 (no more plug-ins), as well as manage and display photos. The app still isn't as user-friendly as Apple's iTunes, and it works with only Windows XP, but it is a significant and worthwhile update.Upgrading to Windows Media Player 10.0 is a fairly painless process. Including the necessary restart of your computer, it takes less than 10 minutes to have the jukebox up and running. The player then automatically imports any media and playlist information from the previous version; the time this takes varies, depending on the size of your media library.
By launch, Microsoft plans to work with 6 services in the United States and 25 worldwide, including Musicmatch, Music Now, Wal-Mart Music Downloads, OD2, and Virgin Mega (France). For people who like to get their content from several different online services but don't like to clutter their hard drives with the proprietary jukeboxes required to buy or listen to tracks (as is the case with Napster, Musicmatch, and Music Now), this feature could make Windows Media Player a must-have. But don't expect to get off completely download-free; we had to download and install a 9MB plug-in to use Napster within the player's interface.
Since 2003, Jasmine France has worked at CNET covering everything from scanners to keyboards to GPS devices to MP3 players. She currently cohosts the Crave podcast and spends the majority of her time testing headphones, music software, and mobile apps.
User Reviews
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Showing 3 of 3 reviews
"Excellent music and video file player!" By erniemink
Pros: Integrated and does everything necessary
Cons: Not as efficient for portable players as Rhapsody
Summary: Since I cannot stand ANy Apple players including the inferior iPod line-up which only is compatible with AAC, a waste format and aged MP3 which is one reason I do not care for iTunes. Rhapsody, the #1 music service which uses the most universal and best digital compression format available, ... Expand full review
"Excellent Media Player-Better Than iTunes" By rydguy
Pros: Good User Interface, Compatible With Many Audio Players, Excellent Sound Quality, Variety of Options and Plugins
Cons: Not Compatible With iPod, Slightly Cluttered Interface
Summary: If I could sync my iPod with Windows Media Player, I would. It has easier ways to play songs from a single artist, as well as a slightly easier to navigate interface than iTunes offers.
