Your media player of choice?

[Spectere]

You know what sucks is how Microsoft won't let you use a third-party program to manage the Zune. What is the deal with that?

Apple has been doing the the same thing with the iPod since the thing came out.  The media players that support the iPod now certainly didn't get that type of support through any help of Apple.

In a way it's a method of keeping the devices locked up.  On one hand, it prevents possible damage from being caused by third-party software and provides a device-centric interface.  On the other hand, if the program sucks (and, in my exceedingly humble opinion, iTunes is a pile of garbage and the Zune software is a bastard child of that and WMP11, taking WMP's interface and mixing it with iTunes' sheer sluggishness and bloatiness) you're basically boned.

What I can't believe is that the Zune software is as bad as it is.  It was supposedly based off of Windows Media Player 11, but the odd part is that WMP11 is actually good, unlike the Zune software.  The question that you really should be asking is why you can't manage the Zune with WMP11 (which, oddly enough, handles many other brands of portable media players without a hitch).

[Bobbias]

Yeah, that's insane. why the hell can't they simply add an addon module (yes, WMP actually does support those) for the zune, or better yet, build it into the actual program?

I just don't get it.

[Sqthreer!]

I've gotta ask, why would you even include realplayer? That thing is possibly the most evil media player ever made.

I was just naming all the popular media players I know of. I mean, has anyone here even tried MediaMonkey? Apparently it's pretty popular, but I recall installing it a while ago and knowing within two minutes that I should uninstall it and never look back. MusikCube could be pretty good if more work was done with it. I spent a good month or so using it as my music player, but there were a few key features of iTunes that took me back to it. And the last update was like, a year and a half ago :|

[Bobbias]

Hmm, the site makes it seem pretty decent, what's wrong with it? (or if that's the case, what isn't wrong with it?)

[淫蟲]

I prefer Winamp.  It's not a resource hog or anything, is very user-friendly, easy to install plugins, ect.  Also, it's the first media player I used so I'm comfortable using it.  I use the modern theme, mostly because I had a few problems with the classic theme, like the program crashing or not updating properly a while back.  I use Foobar as a back-up media player, which works really well although is not as user friendly as Winamp (not that it's a problem).

Doesn't Realplayer try to take control of your entire computer? >_>

[Spectere]

Doesn't Realplayer try to take control of your entire computer? >_>

It used to.  It doesn't anymore, but the damage to its reputation has already been done.

[cristian989]

I just use windows media player, the version that came with vista was pretty sweet.

I also use VLC player for any obscure file format instead of wasting time trying to find a codec for it.

Before that, I used winamp.

[Alice]

<~Zakamiro> http://www.spectere.net/smf/index.php?topic=711.msg16901#msg16901
<+Rowan> LAME, lol
<+Rowan> Huhehe see my pun there
<+Rowan> Since mp3s use LAME_ENC.DLL...  hhehhh   hh    :-(

I use ModPlug Player/Tracker and WinAmp, generally!