Learning the Basics

Windows Media Player has grown into a pretty amazing application with multiple personalities. Its talents include playing music and video files from online sources or local drives (including DVDs), playing online radio and TV stations, displaying specialized web pages, organizing your music files (MP3s and WMAs), burning music CDs, copying and syncing to portable MP3 players, and providing a conduit to online media shopping sites.

Media Types Compatible with Media Player

Windows Media Player can play the file types shown in Table 8.1.

Table 8.1. Windows Media Player–Supported File Types

Getting Around Windows Media Player 11

Media Player 11 has a redesigned user interface, as shown in Figure 8.1, to make it easier for you to manage and enjoy your digital media. The classic menus have been replaced by an organized tab system, making managing and viewing your digital media easier than ever.

Figure 8.1 Redesigned user interface.

Navigating Menu Tabs

The tabs in Media Player 11, shown in Figure 8.2, provide a way to quickly focus on the task you want to perform.

Figure 8.2 New redesigned tabs in Media Player 11.

These tabs are accessed from the top of the Media Player 11 window and perform the following tasks:

• Now Playing—When you select online or locally stored content for playback, the Now Playing window displays a list of the content you're playing. An optional Visualizations feature can be used to display album art (when available) or various animated abstractions that change in response to the music.

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  Many visualizations are available online for use with Windows Media Player 11. A personal favorite of mine called PixelTrip can be obtained from the Windows Media Player website at http://www.wmplugins.com/ItemDetail.aspx?ItemID=881. Another excellent visualization is provided by Brian Spangler and is called TwistedPixel. You can download it from his website for free at www.visolu.com/TwistedPixel.

• Library—Use this feature to organize and locate your favorite media types you've downloaded or created with Rip. As you download and create music, Media Player automatically creates album and artist information for audio and video content. You also can view content by type and by genre.
• Rip—Click this button to copy all or selected tracks from your favorite music CDs to the Music folder on your system.

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  When you copy music, by default, Windows Media Player prevents copied tracks from being played on any other computer. If you want to disable this feature so you can move copied music from one PC to another, uncheck the box labeled Copy Protect Music in the Rip Music dialog box that appears when you click More Options in the Rip tab menu.

• Burn—After you download or convert music tracks to WMA format, use this feature to transfer your music mix to writable CDs (CD-R or CD-RW media).

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  Be sure you fill your CD with all the music you want to play; unlike conventional CD-mastering programs or Windows Vista's Copy to CD feature in other parts of the operating system, Windows Media Player's Copy to CD feature closes the CD (so it no longer can accept data) after you copy your selected music to it, even if you use only a small portion of the CD. Why? Standalone CD players are designed to handle single-session CDs and won't work if you add music later. If you want to create a CD for playback on your computer, use Windows Explorer's Copy to CD feature instead, which will allow you to copy music over several sessions.

• Sync—After you download or convert music tracks to WMA format, use this feature to transfer your music mix to PlaysForSure compatible portable audio players.
• Media Guide/Online Stores—This option enables you to purchase media online or select from a variety of online content.

The arrows below each tab provide quick access to setting and options relevant to the task of that tab. For instance, as shown in Figure 8.3, the arrow below the Now Playing tab provides the options for playback Enhancements as well as the capability to change the current Visualization.

Figure 8.3 New tab menus for accessing options in Windows Media Player 11.

Redesigned Browsing and Searching

The navigation of the music library is similar to that in Windows Explorer.

You can browse your media by performing the following steps:

1. Click the Select a Category button to choose the type of media to browse, as shown in Figure 8.4. Options include Music, Pictures, Video, Recorded TV, and Other Media.
   

   Figure 8.4 Select a media category.

2. Choose the desired view for your media. This includes Artist, Album, Songs, Genre, and more.
3. Narrow the items shown for the chosen view by clicking the arrow on the Address bar, as shown in Figure 8.5.
   

   Figure 8.5 Narrow the items shown in the view by using the Address bar.

Searching can also be used to narrow the view of a chosen media category. After you have chosen a category as described in Step 1, enter your search term into the search box as shown in Figure 8.6.

Figure 8.6 Searching is a fast and easy way to narrow your media views.

Playing Audio and Video in Windows Media Player 11

There are three options for playing audio and video media in Windows Media Player 11. These include audio CDs and video DVDs, media stored on your hard disk, and media accessible over a home network.

Playing an Audio CD or DVD

To play an audio CD or DVD in Windows Media Player 11, follow these steps:

1. Insert the CD or DVD you want to play into your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.
2. Click the arrow below the Now Playing tab and select the drive that contains the disk you want to play, as shown in Figure 8.7.
   

   Figure 8.7 Select the CD you want to play from the Now Playing menu.

3. While a disk is playing, you can use the Play/Pause, Previous, and Next buttons of the playback controls shown in Figure 8.1 to navigate the songs or chapters on the disk, or you can double-click the song or chapter in the List pane to play it immediately.

Playing Media Stored on Your Hard Disk or Network Share

To play an item stored on your hard disk, add it to the library following the instructions in the section "Adding Items from Your Computer to Your Library." After the item is added to the library, you can select the media you want to view by double-clicking it in the Library view. If you want to add an item to the Now Playing list, right-click the item and select Add to Now Playing. Now Playing items can be navigated using the same playback controls described in the previous section.

Taking Your Music and Video on the Go

Windows Media Player 11 provides many ways that make it easier than ever to take your music and video files with you. Media Player 11 has built-in functions for burning CDs, synchronizing files to your portable media player, and for sharing your media throughout your home network.

Burning Customized CDs

Media Player 11 provides the capability to create customized CDs for playing in your home or car CD player. Before you can burn a CD, you must first have a Windows Vista–compatible CD burner and a blank CD-R disc. To burn a custom CD, perform the following steps:

1. Begin by selecting the Burn tab.
2. Click the arrow below the Burn tab and select Audio CD, as shown in Figure 8.14.
   

   Figure 8.14 Select Audio CD from the Burn menu.

3. Insert a blank CD into your CD burner drive.

   NOTE

   If you have multiple CD burners, you can change the destination burner by clicking Next Drive in the List pane of the Burn view, as shown in Figure 8.15.

   

   Figure 8.15 Use the List pane to change the destination drive, set up the burn list, and start the burn.

4. Create the list of songs to burn by dragging items from the Details pane to the List pane to add those items to the burn list. To remove items from the list, right-click the item and choose Remove from List. Items can be rearranged by clicking and dragging the songs to match the order you desire for your CD.

   NOTE

   As you add items to the list, you will notice the time remaining, or free time on the disk, decrease to account for the newly added songs. If you choose more files than can fit on a single CD, you can choose to remove some items or have Media Player automatically split the list to burn two CDs.

5. At the bottom of the List pane, choose Start Burn, as shown in Figure 8.15. It is recommended that you not perform other tasks while the burn is in progress. The current progress can be viewed in the burn list.

Syncing Files to Your Portable Media Player

The first step to synchronizing your files with your portable media player is to choose a portable device. Many players will work with Windows Media Player 11, but for the best experience, you should look for a device that is PlaysForSure compatible.

PlaysForSure is a program between Microsoft and hardware vendors that ensures the best operation with Windows Media Player 11 without the need to install drivers or software for those devices. PlaysForSure is separated into many compatibilities that describe what services a device offers. To view a list of PlaysForSure devices, visit www.playsforsure.com. When shopping for your PlaysForSure device, look for the logos shown in Figure 8.16.

Figure 8.16 PlaysForSure logos indicate available services for the device.

After you have your device, open Media Player and connect the device to your computer. Media Player prompts you to choose either Automatic or Manual sync method. For a description of these methods, see the corresponding section that follows. If you decide later to change the sync method, click the arrow below the Sync tab, point to the device, and select Set Up Sync. You can then select or clear the Sync This Device Automatically check box.

Choosing What Syncs Automatically

If your device is set to sync automatically, the items selected to sync will be updated each time you connect your device to your computer. To select the items that will be synchronized, follow these steps:

1. Click the arrow below the Sync tab, point to the device name, and select Set Up Sync.
2. In the Device Setup dialog box, shown in Figure 8.17, you can choose the playlists that are synchronized with your device. Using the available playlists, select Add to sync the selected playlist with the device. To stop a playlist from synchronizing, select it in the Playlists to Sync list and choose Remove.
   

   Figure 8.17 The Device Setup dialog box allows you to choose the playlists to sync and their priority.

Selecting Item to Sync Manually

If your device is set to sync manually, each time you want to make changes to the files on your device, you must create a list of files to sync. To remove files from your device, navigate the device using the Navigation pane to find your file. Right-click the file and choose Delete. To set up a list of files to sync to the device, perform the following:

1. Select the Sync tab and clear the sync list by clicking the Clear List pane button as shown in Figure 8.18.
2. Find your media in your library and drag them to the List pane to add them to the Sync List as shown in Figure 8.18. To select multiple items, hold down the CTRL key while selecting your media. To remove items from the Sync List, right-click the item and select Remove from List.
   

   Figure 8.18 Sync view allows you to manually set up your Sync List for your device.

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   To have Media Player automatically choose a set of random songs from your library, you can choose Click Here on the List pane when there are no items in the Sync List. After doing this, you can add or remove items from the list and click Shuffle Now.

3. After you have set up your Sync List, make sure that all the items will fit on your device by looking at the List pane. Remove any necessary items from the Sync List and click Start Sync.

Sharing Media Throughout Your Home

Before you begin to set up media sharing throughout your home, you will need to make sure you have all the required equipment. To enable media sharing, you will need a home network and a networked digital media player. A networked digital media player, also known as a digital media receiver, is connected to your network and plays the content shared by Media Player on your Windows Vista machine. Suitable digital media receivers include other Windows Vista PCs and the Xbox 360, as well as a number of standalone units that can be found by visiting the PlaysForSure website at www.playsforsure.com.

To connect a digital media receiver to your network, you can use an ethernet cable or a wireless network adapter. Consult the documentation that comes with your device for more information on getting it connected to your home network. If you are connecting another Windows Vista PC as a digital media receiver or setting up a new home network, see Chapter 20, "Creating a Windows Network," later in this book.

After your device is connected to the network, turn it on and complete any configuration steps that may be needed to finalize the installation. If you are using another Windows Vista PC as your device, you must select the Find Media Others Are Sharing check box in the Media Sharing dialog box shown in Figure 8.19. After your device is fully connected and operational, complete the following steps to enable media sharing on your Windows Vista PC with your newly installed digital media receiver.

Figure 8.19 The Media Sharing dialog box shown if media sharing is currently disabled.

1. Click the arrow below the Library tab and select Media Sharing.
2. In the Media Sharing dialog box, enable media sharing by checking the Share My Media check box, as shown in Figure 8.19, and click OK.
3. To allow sharing with your device, find the device in the list of devices in the Media Sharing dialog box and choose Allow, as shown in Figure 8.20. If you want to prevent access to a device, choose Deny.
   

   Figure 8.20 The Media Sharing dialog box shown if media sharing is enabled. Notice the addition of the device list.

After you have sharing enabled, you are ready to play your media on your new digital media receiver. For information on how to do this, see the documentation that came with your device. If your digital media receiver is another Windows Vista PC, the shared media will appear in the Library view of Windows Media Player 11, as shown in Figure 8.21.

Figure 8.21 Accessible shared media appears in the Library view of Windows Media Player 11.

Updating Media Information and Album Art

Most of the time, your media information will already be correct because it is downloaded when you rip a CD or it is embedded in the file when you buy music from an online store. However, on occasion, the media information that is downloaded for a file on your hard drive or for a CD is incorrect or missing. Incorrect or missing media information is a major problem when ripping CDs that are not well known or are a mix of different songs previously burned onto a CD.

Adding or Editing Media Information

In some cases, the media information of a file may be incomplete or missing. This inaccurate media information should be corrected immediately to ensure that your library and files remain neatly organized and easy to navigate and maintain. It is a lot easier to find your favorite song if it contains the correct media information than if its media information reads "Track 2, Unknown Album, Unknown Artist," along with about 400 other songs in your library. It may be tedious, but supplying your media library with correct information will make things much more enjoyable in the long run. You can enter media information into Windows Media Player 11 in several ways, including automatically from online databases, dragging items, and using the Advanced Tag Editor.

Automatically Get Media Information from an Online Database

Many albums have their information stored in online databases accessible to Windows Media Player 11. This is usually the easiest and fastest way to update your media information. To do this, complete the following steps:

1. Find the album you want to update in the Album view of the library.
2. Right-click the album and select Find Album Info.
3. Follow the instructions on the Find Album Information dialog box to search for the correct information and update the album.

If you are unable to find the album information in the online database, or if your media was originally part of a mix CD, you must use one of the manual options. The first of these is useful if you have at least one file in your library that has correct information for the album. Files with incorrect media information can be dragged on top of a file with the correct media information. Confirm the move and media information change to add the correct media information to the desired file. If this option is not possible, you must use the Advanced Tag Editor. This is the most powerful option for editing your media information and personally is my favorite because each file is edited independently and there is no chance you can mess up the media information you have already entered for other files. To use the Advanced Tag Editor, right-click a song in the library and select Advanced Tag Editor. Enter the correct media information in the boxes for the Track Info tab and the Artist Info tab, as shown in Figure 8.25 and click OK. Although not all information will always be filled in, the essential fields are as follows:

• Track Info tab—Title, Genre, Track Number, Album
• Artist Info tab—Artist, Album Artist

Figure 8.25 The Advanced Tag Editor is the most powerful way to modify a file's media information.

Adding or Changing Album Art

The most common missing piece of media information is the album art. The album art provides a visual representation of every album in your media library and is displayed in the Expanded Tile view of your media library; it's used as well by many portable media players and digital media receivers.

To add or edit the album art, complete the following:

1. Click the Library tab and locate the album for which you want to add or change the album art.
2. To automatically find the album art, right-click the album and select Find Album Info. Search for the correct media information and click the correct entry.

If the media information found is correct, but there is a generic album art image or if the media information is not found at all, you must manually set the album art. The following steps describe how to manually add or change the album art.

1. Click the Library tab and locate the album for which you want to add or change the album art.
2. Find the image you would like to use on your computer or on the Internet. Good websites for finding album art are Google images, images.google.com, and albumart.org. When you find the desired album art, right-click the image and select Copy.
3. In Windows Media Player 11, right-click the album art box of the desired album and select Paste Album Art. The Album Art for all songs in that album is updated with the new album art.