http://malektips.com/windows_media_player_help_and_tips.html Get help playing multimedia files with the Windows Media Player. Tip topics include troubleshooting multimedia playback, CD ripping, security and privacy, visualizations, interface customizations, and keyboard shortcuts. en-us Wed, 1 Jul 2009 18:19:56 GMT Wed, 1 Jul 2009 18:19:56 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Custom webmaster@envprogramming.com (Andrew Malek) webmaster@envprogramming.com (Andrew Malek) http://malektips.com/graphics/logo_88x30.gif http://malektips.com/windows_media_player_help_and_tips.html 88 30 http://malektips.com/media-player-12-border-color.html Instead of displaying black borders around videos playing in Windows Media Player 12, change the color to blue, green, or another of your choosing.

When playing a video in Windows Media Player 12, if it does not fit the entire window or screen it will be surrounded by black borders.

If you find this color boring and want to lighten up your mood with another color such as red or green, the following quick configuration does the trick:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:42:47 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-12-border-color.html http://malektips.com/media-player-12-rate-media-files.html Rate groups of media files such as music albums, artists, or genres all at once.

If you like to rate media files such as music in Windows Media Player 12, you might find it cumbersome to manually rate each file individually. Is there a way you can rate all music files from a given artist or album, all videos with a given actor/actress, all recorded TV shows of a particular series, etc. simultaneously?

If there wasn't this wouldn't be much of a tip......

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:12:25 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-12-rate-media-files.html http://malektips.com/media-player-12-burn-media-slower.html Force Windows Media Player 12 to use a slower burn speed to avoid errors when creating CDs and DVDs.

By default, Windows Media Player 12 attempts to burn CDs and DVDs as fast as possible. However, in some cases your media burner may not be able to handle the high speed transfer. Perhaps the media burner is rated for a specific speed but errors in workmanship prevent it from running successfully unless it burns media at a slower rate. Or you may be using CDs or DVDs that are rated for a slower burn rate than what the media burner can support. Thus you can slow down Windows Media Player 12's burn rate until you find one that works for your equipment / media.

1. In the "Library" view, click the "Organize" button, selecting "Options"....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:52:46 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-12-burn-media-slower.html http://malektips.com/media-player-12-now-playing-on-top.html Force Windows Media Player 12 to display on top of other windows when in its "Now Playing" mode.

If desired, you can have Windows Media Player 12, when in the "Now Playing" mode, appear on top of all other windows. This way you can continue to view album art or the visualization even when working in other applications that may attempt to cover up the window.

To configure this behavior, do the following:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:15:16 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-12-now-playing-on-top.html http://malektips.com/media-player-12-menu-bar.html If you are used to working with the menu bar in older versions of Windows Media Player, show it in Windows Media Player 12.

Although buttons and other on-screen elements let you access features and customization options in Windows Media Player 12, are you used to working with the menu bar found in earlier versions of Windows Media Player? If so, here are two options for working with menus.

1) To temporarily show the menus, not as a menu bar but as a popup menu, just press the Alt key....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:03:31 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-12-menu-bar.html http://malektips.com/media-player-12-navigation-pane-customize.html Configure which libraries such as Music, Videos, and Pictures should appear in Windows Media Player 12's Navigation Pane. Also toggle library views and Music Services.

If you find Windows Media Player 12's Navigation Pane too cluttered, you can configure which libraries are shown such as "Music", "Videos", "Pictures", and "Recorded TV".

You can toggle the display of views inside libraries such as "Artist", "Album", and "Genre" for the "Music" library. Plus, if you don't need the Music Services link at the bottom of the Navigation Pane that may show the Media Guide or Online Stores, turn it off....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 9 Jun 2009 20:21:27 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-12-navigation-pane-customize.html http://malektips.com/media-player-12-video-size-keyboard.html A few keyboard shortcuts to adjust the size of a playing video in Windows Media Player 12.

Playing a video, such as a recorded television show, in Windows Media Player 12 and need to adjust its size? While you can make adjustments by right-clicking the video (most are available via the "Video" sub-menu), you may find these keyboard shortcuts easier to use:

Full Screen: Alt + Enter...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Mon, 8 Jun 2009 19:57:31 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-12-video-size-keyboard.html http://malektips.com/media-player-12-buffer-additional.html Force Windows Media Player 12 to buffer up to a minute of audio and video when playing streams to avoid breaks in playback.

Are your video and audio streams played inside Windows Media Player 12 constantly starting and stopping? If so, you may have an inconsistent network connection to the remote site, or a connection to the Internet that varies based on area usage (such as a cable modem).

To counteract these problems you can force Windows Media Player 12 to buffer up to a minute of content before playback. While this requires extra time before streaming media begins to play, it should reduce, and in some cases for smaller length streams eliminate, re-buffering during stream playback....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Fri, 5 Jun 2009 19:37:04 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-12-buffer-additional.html http://malektips.com/media-player-12-screensaver.html Allow the current screensaver to appear while playing media files in Windows Media Player 12.

By default, when playing media files in Windows Media Player 12, the screensaver will not appear. This assumes you are either playing a video file and do not want it interrupted by the screensaver, or you are displaying a visualization via the skin or "Now Playing" view.

If neither of these apply to you and you want the screensaver to appear while playing music files, make the following configuration change:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 4 Jun 2009 20:41:35 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-12-screensaver.html http://malektips.com/media-player-12-hide-playback-controls.html When in the 'Now Playing' mode, Windows Media Player 12 can hide the playback controls if desired. Learn how to change this behavior.

When you switch Windows Media Player 12 to its "Now Playing" mode, to show the album art or a visualization without adding extra clutter, the playback controls autohide. To bring them back, just hover your mouse pointer over the Windows Media Player 12 window.

If you don't want Media Player hiding these controls, or if this behavior is not occurring and you wish to turn this autohide feature on, do the following:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 3 Jun 2009 20:28:03 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-12-hide-playback-controls.html http://malektips.com/media-player-12-hover-song-preview.html Configure Windows Media Player 12 to play a preview of a song when you hover over it with your mouse pointer.

When in the Library view of Windows Media Player 12, when you hover your mouse pointer over a song title, even when you are playing another song, one of two things may happen. Media Player may automatically pause the song you are currently playing and start playback of the hovered-over song, returning to the original song when your mouse pointer leaves the area. Or, a "Preview" link may appear - click it to preview the current song, pausing the current song (if any) in the process.

While some people may like the automatic song preview, others may play music while navigating their libraries and find this feature annoying. Thus, to configure Windows Media Player 12's behavior:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 3 Jun 2009 16:23:26 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-12-hover-song-preview.html http://malektips.com/windows-media-player-11-file-types.html Determine the types of files that, when accessed, open and play in Windows Media Player 11.

During the installation of Windows Media Player 11, you had the option of configuring the types of files that, when accessed such as through Explorer, automatically open and play in the software. Note that if Media Player came pre-installed on your computer, this configuration option may not have applied to you.

As you install other media players, these file type configurations may get changed so that, for example, double-clicking a .MP3 music file opens up a different player. Or, you may wish to prevent Windows Media Player 11 from ever opening when accessing media files from outside the player itself. While you can make these changes via Explorer, it may prove simpler to use Media Player 11's interface:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:13:15 GMT http://malektips.com/windows-media-player-11-file-types.html http://malektips.com/windows-media-player-11-download-visualizations.html Download visualization animations that display when multimedia files are played with Windows Media Player 11.

Windows Media Player 11 comes built-in with several groups of visualization animations that can appear when multimedia files are played such as Alchemy and Battery. Or, album art can display.

If you want a greater variety of visualizations in Windows Media Player 11, you can download new ones:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:33:55 GMT http://malektips.com/windows-media-player-11-download-visualizations.html http://malektips.com/media-player-11-rip-music-folder-location.html Configure Windows Media Player 11 to place ripped audio files in a different folder than your "My Music" folder.

By default, when you rip music from a CD in Windows Media Player 11, the ripped media files (WMA by default) are placed in your "My Music" folder, which in Windows XP is located at C:\Documents and Settings\[YOUR_USER_NAME]\My Documents\My Music.

If you'd like to place ripped media files in a different location, do the following:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:16:17 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-11-rip-music-folder-location.html http://malektips.com/media-player-11-song-crossfade.html Fade one song into the next in Windows Media Player 11.

As you play multiple audio files in Windows Media Player 11, once one song ends, a brief amount of silence may occur before the next song begins. To help prevent this silence from happening you can enable song crossfading, where one song literally blends, or fades, into the next.

1. Switch to Media Player's full mode by pressing Ctrl + 1....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Fri, 5 Dec 2008 20:07:53 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-11-song-crossfade.html http://malektips.com/media-player-11-srs-wow.html Enhance media playback in Windows Media Player 11 with SRS WOW 3D and TruBass effects.

Windows Media Player 11 includes a player enhancement called SRS WOW, a feature you may wish to experiment with for enhanced audio playback. SRS WOW adds a 3d "depth" to the sound and offers bass adjustments via TruBass.

1. Switch to Media Player's full mode by pressing Ctrl + 1....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:50:49 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-11-srs-wow.html http://malektips.com/media-player-11-internet-usage-rights.html Determine whether Media Player 11 should automatically try to acquire usage rights for protected files that are out-of-date or lack rights.

When trying to play protected files in Windows Media Player 11, if the files contain invalid or out-of-date usage rights, the player may attempt to re-acquire these rights automatically via the Internet. This way, if you are playing a list of files with incomplete rights, instead of having Media Player 11 prompt you for each file, it can try to get such rights automatically.

Some people, however, may be concerned with Media Player 11 automatically accessing the Internet, and would rather first be asked whether or not to try to acquire correct usage rights. If so, this option can be toggled....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:17:29 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-11-internet-usage-rights.html http://malektips.com/windows-media-player-11-screensaver.html Toggle whether or not your screensaver should appear while media files are played with Windows Media Player 11.

Depending on your configuration, if you have a screensaver enabled, when playing multimedia files with Windows Media Player 11, the screensaver may not display during media playback.

If screensavers appear during movie playback, or if screensavers hide visualizations when playing audio files, make sure to disallow the screensaver. Alternatively, if you are not playing movie files nor watching the visualizations, you may wish to allow the screensaver to appear. Thus, to toggle this setting:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:03:25 GMT http://malektips.com/windows-media-player-11-screensaver.html http://malektips.com/media-player-11-playback-speed.html Is a speaker talking too slow or too fast in a multimedia file? Adjust the playback speed in Windows Media Player 11.

When using Windows Media Player 11 to play a downloaded or streamed podcast, audiobook, or other multimedia file mostly containing voice, you may find problems with the speaker's speed. Some speakers talk so slowly they can bore you to tears; others may speak so fast that their words seem to fly by.

To help solve these problems, you can adjust Windows Media Player 11's playback speed....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:51:36 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-11-playback-speed.html http://malektips.com/media-player-11-switch-full-compact-skin.html Switch how Windows Media Player 11 is displayed - with a full set of features, compact, or with a skin.

Windows Media Player 11 can appear several different ways onscreen - in full mode, with all functions available; compact; or with a customized skin, or look, where some functions (including menus) may not be accessible or easily apparent.

You can switch between full and skin modes using either the menus or keyboard. Note that depending on your chosen skin, you may not have access to the menu bar. In this case the skin may have a button to switch back to full mode, but this will depend on the skin - the keyboard shortcut should still work, however:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 7 Oct 2008 15:39:56 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-11-switch-full-compact-skin.html