WMP Disadvantages 8:03 PM

by Gee Jay Coleco

WMP 11 is a great improvement compared to its predecessors. In the market, VLC is not it's major competition, but Apple's iTunes used by millions of iPod owners worldwide, as opposed to WMP's WMA-based online music stores. And because of this, Microsoft has worked really hard to improve WMP's latest version, from its interface to its playlist, etc.

But we're not comparing iTunes and WMP. So going back, I have listed down below some issues concerning WMP:

1. WMP is only available on Windows OS and Windows Mobile. Talk about exclusivity.
2. Some users are still experiencing the usual crashing when playing media files.
3. WMP does not read some types of media file as oppose to VLC's massive range of file compatibility.
4. The usual codec error because of media file limited compatibility.
5. Large memory requirement compared to VLC.
6. Video quality is not as good as VLC's.

Sources:

http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/wmp11.asp

http://www.gamelair.com/gameforums/windows-gaming/9250-vlc-player-vs-wmp.html

VLC Disadvantages 7:26 PM

by Gee Jay Coleco

VLC, as with any other software programs, has its own share of drawbacks. I made a research on this and found some people who wants VLC to have some improvements on its features and functionalities. Here's what they said about VLC:

1. VLC does not support Real format.
2. Interface needs some improvement. It may easy to use, but not nice to look at. Some people say the skins are not very likable.
3. VLC should provide the ability to manage your playlist, such as tagging and rating features. Also the playlist is not integrated well with the main area.
4. Does not burn CD since VLC is just a media player.
5. Does not rip CD.

Other than that, because VLC is very light and easy to use, it is still one of the leading media players available for everyone's enjoyment. Especially great for movies and videos.

Sources:

http://www.benh.org/techblog/2007/07/vlc-media-player-play-everything-anywhere/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-time_Transport_Protocol

Multimedia Files Supported by VLC and WMP 12:35 AM

by Frannie Pacifico

Have you ever found yourself trying to open a file in a media player (not necessarily WMP) and it just wouldn't budge? I know I have and it annoys me more than anything to find out that I can't open a file just because it's not compatible with the player. Usually, when I am faced with this kind of problem I go to Google and type "Players that play (file extension e.g. .mpeg/.avi/.mov/.aac etc)".

After going through a vast list of media players, I end up going to the website of VideoLan (VLC). I learned after years of encountering the "file extension not supported" pop-up that if Windows Media Player can't play it, VLC can. This holds true MOST OF THE TIME, but not ALL THE TIME. Technical terms drive me crazy and I am sure that a person who is not tech-savvy would feel lost if presented with a myriad of file extensions. So, below is a short-list of common file extensions for both video and audio files.

The most common video files are the following:

.3g2 3GPP2 Multimedia File
.3gp 3GPP Multimedia File
.asf Advanced Systems Format File
.asx Microsoft ASF Redirector File
.avi Audio Video Interleave File
.flv Flash Video File
.mkv Matroska Video File
.mov Apple QuickTime Movie
.mp4 MPEG-4 Video File
.mpg MPEG Video File
.qt Apple QuickTime Movie
.rm Real Media File
.swf Flash Movie
.vob DVD Video Object File
.wmv Windows Media Video File

The most common audio files are the following:

.aac Advanced Audio Coding File
.aif Audio Interchange File Format
.iff Interchange File Format
.m3u Media Playlist File
.mid MIDI File
.midi MIDI File
.mp3 MP3 Audio File
.mpa MPEG-2 Audio File
.ra Real Audio File
.wav WAVE Audio File
.wma Windows Media Audio File

source: http://www.fileinfo.com/common.php

Windows Media Player supports certain multimedia formats. Most of the common formats can be played in the Media Player. Click on the link for a detailed list and description of the file formats supported and not supported by Windows Media Player.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/knowledgecenter/mediaadvice/0071.mspx#E5F

Like I said earlier, most of the files that cannot be read by Windows Media Player can be read by VLC. Click on the link for a detailed list of files supported by VLC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VLC_media_player#Format_support