Winamp 3 As A Video Player

[homerpez]

I'm beginning to think that we shouldn't be using it!

After all these dilemmas about the XVID codec, DivX 5, etc all having significant problems, I've started to notice onething in common - a lot of us seem to be using Winamp 3 to play movies.

None of us like Windows Media player, but what other options are out there?

PowerDVD is too slow and stutters a lot (at least on my system). WinDVD I was using since, well, it wasn't WMP. But that always blows up the movie to fit it's default window size - when it should be the other way around. Play a movie less than VCD res, and you'll see what I'm talking about.

So I downloaded Winamp 3, and it played movies! The movies just come up in a nice, simple window, and it's always the same res as your movie, so it looks good...

BUT... apparently that's where the good ends, and the pain begins.

Well I finally got my system to work, after probably 15 or 20 uninstall/re-installs of Nimo and Tsunami codec packs, after getting the "blue tint" problem, after getting movies played upside down, after messing up all my programs so NOTHING would play right...

I figured out that Winamp 3 just plain stinks.

After fixing seemingly all the other problems on my system, Winamp 3 now plays DivX 3.11 movies UPSIDE DOWN, and plays all XVID movies with a blue tint. HOWEVER, with everything else they play fine now.

I solved my problem this time, by wiping everything out, installing the Tsuami pack (with the reccomended choices), and installing DivX 5 and XVID separately. Things are ravaged almost beyond repair, but at least I can get everything to play.

I've just noticed that out off all teh programs out there, Winamp 3 has the most problems with codecs.

BTW... does anyone know how to COMPLETELY uninstall ALL codecs, and start over to be able to play ALL types of movies WITHOUT permanently wrecking your system? This would be good information to know...

[crahak]

Winamp to watch movies? And PowerDVD for mp3's? There's dozens of good media players out there, and as far as I'm concerned, winamp don't make the list. (PowerDVD, WinDVD, Radlight, PowerDivX Nextgen, and the list goes on, and on, and on...)

[afwasborstel]

I use Windows Media Player 6...I think thats the best player around.....U can still find it on your harddrive if u have Windows XP...the later versions of WMP are nothing more than WMP 6 with a skin...

[vitualis]

Fully agree with WMP6. It's one of the best media players ever made. The newer versions of WMP are bloat...

Regards.

[crahak]

WiMP 6.4 was ok. I completely gave up on the new ones... Oh. niceties of the future versions: DRM? lol

[homerpez]

Just making an observation here...

What I did instead of trying to find an older WMP (I have XP Pro, so I doubt it's even there), I downloaded the "Zoom Player" found in tools...

I have to say it's pretty awesome, not perfect by any means (it's a little too feature-rich, a little too clunky-working) but it plays everything I can throw at it...

If only it could do a slideshow without hanging on every simple 300k .jpg coming from my digital camera, and freezing the system for 3 MINUTES PER PIC!!! Luckily I'm only relying on Zoom to play movies

Just remember the name - Winamp 3 - as being one of the worst players re: codec usage. It just seems to ignore some, pick others, use them the wrong way and laugh at you.