Personalize the way you see, hear, and experience digital media with this all-in-one guide to Microsoft Windows Media Player for Windows XP. Delivered direct from Microsoft's Windows Media product team, this comprehensive handbook shows how to use the new capabilities in Windows Media Player for Windows XP to tune into streaming media, burn CDs (no plug-in required!), find and play back content from the Web, watch DVDs, and more-everywhere your PC, laptop, or pocket device goes! It also delivers the expert instruction and ready-to-use tools that make creating your own skins, visualizations, and custom content easier than ever. Discover how to embed the Player into your personal Web site or use it at work to broadcast meetings, deliver training, and provide customer service. Plus, get must-know information about digital rights management.
So, maybe it is engaged in a kind of holy war with Real Networks RealPlayer, but Microsoft Windows Media Player is nevertheless a very cool audio and video player that belongs in every Windows user's quiver of applications. Microsoft Windows Media Player Handbook documents the latest version of this rad toy, and explains every detail of its operation and customization. If you're new to Windows Media Player, you'll find the introductory instructions in this book helpful. If you've got some experience with the streaming media utility, you'll appreciate author Seth McEvoy's treatment of advanced topics, such as designing custom skins and using Extensible Markup Language (XML) to associate your controls with Windows Media Player functions.
Even when it explains potentially difficult subjects, the text is clear and to the point. Once in a while, the illustrative examples seem a bit academic--for example, instructions on how to add features to a custom skin that really don't expand on the Microsoft documentation--but, by and large, you'll be happy with what you learn. Turn to this volume if you're not content with only playing tunes with Windows Media Player, and want to expand your knowledge of the product by developing skins and content. --David Wall
Topics covered:
Microsoft Windows Media Player 7 from the client side (as opposed to the server side)
Using Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player's technology, including file format and streaming technique
Creating custom skins (with playlists, progress bars, visualizations, and other snazzy features)
Writing custom visualizations in C++
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
OUT of DATE:
In the world of computers and software, one year is old. This book was at least three-years old thus it was not up to date!!
Windows Media Player 7 Help or SDK may be better.:
I purchased a copy of windows Media player 7 Handbook thinking that I could figure out how to play a video on a web page. The book had several examples showing you different ways to play video in a web page, but gave no explanation on how to do that. I thought examples might be on the CD/ROM that was included and I guessed wrong. In fact after review I found that the examples in the book were cut and pasted out of the Windows Media Player 7 SDK which can be downloaded for free from microsoft.com. I... more info
Really the only useful book on Media Player:
I am constantly amazed at the Glacial pace people put out books. Media Player has been out for a while (6 years), and yet, this is the only useful book there is. We found it useful in some regards, but nothing really delves into the development of applications and custom apps for the media player. If anyone else has found something that can help, PLEASE let me know! If you are working with custom Media Player apps, you must have this book. It's not overly useful, but it IS the only thing there is.
Break down the media player with ease.:
In the age of the information highway it is simply amazing how audio and video had taken forever to come to the desktop of computers. Microsoft Windows includes a Media player to allow you to hear and see these clips and this book will show you what you can do to make the experience better.
One of the things you can do with media player is build you own library of sound and clips and in this book, divided into 3 parts you learn the ins and outs of Microsoft latest creation. In part 1 this is where you'll... more info
