Windows Media Player

[MovieDudeToo]

I sometimes have to use Windows Media Player on my computer to view films recorded from TV. The picture quality is usually very good but I have very little controllability of the software. The fast forward/backward keys have never worked on any of my computers. Not sure why this should be. After all, they all ran windows operating systems and it is windows software. I have tried other free software but the picture quality is usually poor. I hesitate to 'buy' software in case it also lacks some form of quality/useabillity. Does anyone know how to enable full functionality to Windows Media Player or do you know of any decent quality software with good forward/backward playback control?
I have quite good control over DVD playback and tried burning films to disc, but again there was a distinct loss of quality which rendered the recordings worthless.

Any advice would be welcome.

Thanks

[icetorch]

I use the following freebies:

1] Media Player Classic

2] VLC

3] Real Player

Some of my videos can sometimes only be played by one of those packages. VLC will sometimes "repair" an index.

Imgburn is a very good freebie for burning anything to CD or DVD. Try to keep your videos in their original format - conversion to a different format can cause quality loss.

[Richard_in_wales]

VLC gets my vote too, its plays just about any format. http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Imgburn is included with http://www.dvdflick.net/download.php which does a great job of turning your files into DVD format and burning for watching on stand alone players.

Both are free programes.

[MovieDudeToo]

Thanks guys. I've tried those. Still no slow mo' control though. VLC and Real Player are useful in parts but I still think that the best quality image is in Windows Media Player (at least on my machine it is). What I did learn though, is that I'm probably going to have to invest in some top quality video editing software sometime if I need that much controlability. I think I should stop being a scrooge and spend some dosh. I'm off to get a crowbar to open my wallet.

Thanks again

[icetorch]

Still no slow mo' control though.

In VLC, click on "Playback" at the top left of the screen; then "Speed", then "Slower". Keep clicking on Slower until you reach the desired speed.

[MikeB]

Another vote for VLC (although the latest version really didn't work for me, so I've gone for the previous one), Realplayer (very good at ripping mp3's) and Quicktime (occasionally useful). Windows media is frankly a bit annoying, although I tend to use Itunes for music anyway.

I did find Mplayer http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/dload.html after a quick Google. Its free, plays almost anything and apparently is well thought of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPlayer. On the whole, I suspect that VLC will do everything you want with the slow controls.

[Steve Crook]

There are lots of media players available. Windoze Meeja Player is about the worst of the bunch and VLC is about the best.

The Windoze player is about the only one that pays any attention to region controls on DVDs and tries to lock you into one region. Most of the others let you play the DVD regardless of which region it's coded for

Steve

[MovieDudeToo]

Oh Dear! It's all getting a bit rocket science for me. I'm a bit of a dingbat when it comes to understanding software.I've just spent the last 6 hours trying out new stuff (and trying to delete it !!!). Tried the slowmo in VLC and oddly enough it's quite time consuming for my purposes (ie multiple screen captures). I think I'm probably better off with Media Player till I can find something more suitable. (Better the devil you know). I've actually discovered that I already have Cyberlik Power DVD on my machine. While it is fine for DVD's, it won't play MP3's without a distinct loss of picture quality. I've been comparing images from different software and I have to say that the image on Media Player is the best I have yet seen and picture quality is really the essence of my requirements. It's just a pity that not all of the functions work.

Thanks for all the info guys. I think I know what I need now.

[Arthur Linden-Jones]

Others to try ... ( all freeware )

Daum PotPlayer
KM player
Media Player Classic - Home Edition

My choices ...
1) Daum PotPlayer ( by far )
2) VLC player

[Richard_in_wales]

There are lots of media players available. Windoze Meeja Player is about the worst of the bunch and VLC is about the best.

The Windoze player is about the only one that pays any attention to region controls on DVDs and tries to lock you into one region. Most of the others let you play the DVD regardless of which region it's coded for

Steve

Why do you use the word Windoze, is your machine slow?

[Steve Crook]

Why do you use the word Windoze, is your machine slow?

Only when it's using Windoze

When we started our little company we used to buy a nice cheap PC - that came with Windoze already loaded. But if we replaced that with Linux then the machine ran a helluva lot faster

Now, 30 years later, that same little company runs systems on various stacks around the world, each stack having 6-30 high spec processors and a massive database. But we still have to use Windoze sometimes, because some of our clients use it

Steve

[Richard_in_wales]

Strange, my i7 based machine with Windows 7 64bit Ultimate flies like hot s**t off a shovel, you should upgrade your PC chap. I've got Linux on an old laptop, its OK but too much faffing about getting drivers etc more something I tinker with when bored. Ignoring work computers what do you use at home, Linux?

Have you tried W8 yet, I downloaded the consumer preview version and have to say I like the Metro UI. Some folk are moaning about it all to be aimed at touch screens but I've found it perfect using a mouse.

[Steve Crook]

Strange, my i7 based machine with Windows 7 64bit Ultimate flies like hot s**t off a shovel, you should upgrade your PC chap. I've got Linux on an old laptop, its OK but too much faffing about getting drivers etc more something I tinker with when bored. Ignoring work computers what do you use at home, Linux?

Have you tried W8 yet, I downloaded the consumer preview version and have to say I like the Metro UI. Some folk are moaning about it all to be aimed at touch screens but I've found it perfect using a mouse.

Whatever performance you get from Windoze 7, Linux will beat it hands down. Especially for I/O and especially if the Linux system is configured and tuned correctly (as ours are)

Every other system made by Micro$oft is bad, the other ones are usually acceptable (but ain't Linux).
Windows 95 - Bad
Windows 98 - OK
Windows Me - Bad
Windows XP - OK
Windows Vista - V. Bad
Windows 7 - OK
Windows 8 - ??

I have various systems at home. My main one is dual boot between Linux & Windows 7. I also do a lot of work on other systems remotely from home

Steve

[Dame Starry]

Strange, my i7 based machine with Windows 7 64bit Ultimate flies like hot s**t off a shovel, you should upgrade your PC chap.

I also have W7 64-bit and have no complaints at all - it's the best Windows so far (I haven't tried W8 yet).

Microsoft was a bit slow to support the 64-bit to begin with and there was no proper Adobe Flash Player download for it at the start (although the Adobe Labs had a download that worked without updates) but Microsoft worked hard on it and it's paid off. Now most downloads have a 32-bit & a 64-bit option.

[icetorch]

Deleted. !!!!!!!

[Richard_in_wales]

Whatever performance you get from Windoze 7, Linux will beat it hands down. Especially for I/O and especially if the Linux system is configured and tuned correctly (as ours are)

Every other system made by Micro$oft is bad, the other ones are usually acceptable (but ain't Linux).
Windows 95 - Bad
Windows 98 - OK
Windows Me - Bad
Windows XP - OK
Windows Vista - V. Bad
Windows 7 - OK
Windows 8 - ??

I have various systems at home. My main one is dual boot between Linux & Windows 7. I also do a lot of work on other systems remotely from home

Steve

May do in theory but not from a user experience point of view, screen refresh, programme loading etc. Don't forget compatibility, there are good free programmes but for many folk their preferred software either won't run or you again have to mess about far too much, no good for people who just want instant productivity from their platform. You are in a minority when you class 7 as OK, the majority see it as a very good OS, you should play with 8, its great fun and I for one don't need a Tablet running 8 but just want one....one shall be mine :)

With your zealot like approach to Linux we should all be thankful your not an Apple fan lol :)

[Steve Crook]

With your zealot like approach to Linux we should all be thankful your not an Apple fan lol :)

Zealot like? Just because I expressed a preference? What would you call it when I get really enthusiastic?

As for Apple, they aren't Micro$oft and their systems are based on the Unix model, so of course I like them

Steve

[Richard_in_wales]

Zealot like? Just because I expressed a preference? What would you call it when I get really enthusiastic?

As for Apple, they aren't Micro$oft and their systems are based on the Unix model, so of course I like them

Steve

Zealot my be a tad strong, lets say you get very 'focused' on some things (as shown in the recent UFO thread) lol.

Apple are overpriced for what they are. There is not an Apple computer made that would beat my PC in performance...hows that, I'm a zealot too now

[Steve Crook]

Apple are overpriced for what they are. There is not an Apple computer made that would beat my PC in performance...hows that, I'm a zealot too now

If you're going to be a zealot, at least be it about something worth zealoting over, not the dreaded Micro$oft

Steve

[MikeB]

This is begining to sound like the sort of Mac v PC wars that you find all over the net Frankly, don't even start on the subject - Scienceblogs have discussions that went on for months.

Macs (according to my machead friends) process in a slightly different way to PC's, and tend to be faster overall. There is a discussion here http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1357399 , where its pointed out that all sorts of seemingly minor differences can have an effect on performance. Since the only bit of Apple kit I own is a Ipod Touch, I can't speak from experience about their computers (although the Touch is an excellent bit of kit), but its certainly true that if you want a hassle free system which does not tend to crash, is relatively safe from viruses, security holes, etc, then get a Mac. It will cost you, but you will get a very well-designed bit of equipment. If I had the money, then I would get a Mac, but I'm happy enough with my current system.

Someone I knew set up an IMac (this was some years ago) and got it on the web in about 10 minutes. I know just how long it takes me to set up a PC to do the same thing, and 10 minutes is how long it takes me just to plug in the bits. Windows 7 (which I'm using at the moment) is far better than Vista, while XP (which I'm still using) is relatively good. My brother is a systems analyst, and so uses Linux a lot. He likes it, but even he admitted that although his main machine is dual bootable in both Windows 7 and Linux, its Windows 7 he uses the most, simply because its easier to use day to day. Windows 8 seems to have a good rep so far, but its always worth letting the early adopters find all the bugs first, and then using the 2nd release!