Windows Media Player 11

Windows Media Player 11 is a version of Windows Media Player for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008, it is not available to Windows Server 2003. This update to Windows XP was released on October 30, 2006.

What makes Windows Media Player 11 gooder (the cool features

 * Stacking - Stacking allows graphical representations of how many albums there are in a specific category or folder. The more items there are, the larger the pile or stack is.
 * Instant Search - Searches and displays results as characters are being entered, without waiting for Enter key to be hit. Results are refined based on further characters that are typed.
 * CD Burning - CD Burning now shows a graphical bar showing how much space will be used on the disc.
 * Global Status - Global status shows a broad overview of what the player is doing. The information presented includes status information regarding buffering, ripping, burning and synchronization.
 * Improved synchronization features for loading content onto PlaysForSure-compatible portable players. WMP 11 supports reverse-synchronization, by which media present on the portable device can be replicated back to the PC.
 * Support for ripping audio CDs to WAV format.
 * Media Sharing] (via Windows Media Connect) allows content (Music, Pictures, Video) to be streamed to and from Universal Plug and Play enabled devices such as the PS3, Xbox 360, and Roku SoundBridg. This includes DRM protected PlaysForSure content. WMP 11 on Windows Vista can alseo connect to remote media libraries using this feature; this is not available on the Windows XP version. This feature not being on the Windows XP version makes Windows Media Player inferior to the Windows Vista version.
 * Integrated web-browsing support to browse online music stores.
 * Disc spanning splits a burn list onto multiple discs in case the content does not fit on one disc.

What makes Windows Media Player 11 so bad
The reason that Windows Media Player 11 is bad is because the Ambience, Particle, Plenoptic, and Spikes, visualizations get removed. When a CD is ripped at 64 kbps or 48 kbps in Windows Media Audio, it sounds very dry. This is due to the Windows Media Audio version being raised to "9.2". You need to validate your operating system if installing on Windows XP. To get around this, just disconnect your Internet.

List Of Skins
Corporate and Revert on Windows Vista and Windows XP with Windows Media Player 11 slipstreamed with nLite.

9SeriesDefault, Atomic, Bluesky, Canvas, Classic, compact, Corporate, goo, Headspace, heart, iconic, Miniplayer, Optik, QuickSilver, pyrite, Radio, Revert, Roundlet, Rusty, splat, Toothy, Windows Classic, and Windows XP if on an older 2003 era computer with Windows XP that's been through all four of the players and all Service Packs (1, 2, 3) (usually with some kind of AC'97 audio).

Compact, Corporate and Revert on Windows XP upgraded from 9 Series.

9SeriesDefault, Compact, Corporate, QuickSilver, Revert if upgrading from 9 Series->WMP10->WMP11

Removed Features
1. The "Ambience", "Particle", "Plenoptic", and "Spikes", visualizations. Even if you're using Windows Media Player 11 on Windows XP. Though the Musical Colors visualization is kept on upgrade. Although there are better visualizations out there like EclecticColors, BlazingColors, PulsingColors, ColorCubes, 3D Alchemy, Trilogy I, Trilogy II, Trilogy III, Celestial, Clarify, Ripple, and Picture Viz. Though Celestial, Clarify, and Ripple are not made by Microsoft. These visualizations also work on newer versions of Windows unlike the Ambience, Particle, Plenoptic, and Spikes ones.

2. The License Management tool available in prior versions of Windows Media Player has been removed since version 11. This prevents users of music download services from directly using Windows Media Player to back up their licenses and restore them to another computer. The user now must depend on the download service being able to assist with re-acquiring that license. Not all services support this so in some circumstances you could lose the ability to play media which you've purchased for use with Windows Media Player 11. e.g. Walmart states: "Important Note: In many cases, we cannot replace song and license files if they are lost. We strongly suggest you back up your music by creating an audio CD or CDs using Windows Media Player 11". 3. Also, on Windows XP by default, Windows Media Connect 2.0 does not work after Windows Media Player 11 has been installed. Windows Media Player 11 includes the UPnP AV server for sharing media across the network which replaces similar functionality in Windows Media Connect, however it does not include the client, unlike Windows Media Connect.

4. Corporate skin is no longer deleteable.