Stream your media over the Internet using Windows Media Player
You can use Windows Media Player to stream media from a home computer that stores digital media files to another computer connected to the Internet so you can access your media anywhere. Internet access to home media, or remote media streaming, frees you from having to transport large media files on your laptop or digital media player if you want to play them on the go. Remote media streaming also allows you to use a laptop with limited storage capacity to access a potentially large media collection on a desktop computer or home server.

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Stream your media to devices and computers using Windows Media Player
If you have a home network, you can use Windows Media Player to stream media to computers and media devices in your home. For example, if you have a networked digital media receiver connected to your home stereo system, you can use Windows Media Player to stream music, pictures, and videos from your computer to your stereo. This allows you to enjoy the contents of your Player Library anywhere in your homeeven in rooms that don't have a computer .

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Radio in Windows Media Center: frequently asked questions
With the right equipment, you can play FM radio in Windows Media Center. Here are answers to some common questions about playing FM radio in Windows Media Center. What do I need to play FM radio in Media Center? Why doesn't my FM radio play? Why did the FM radio stop playing unexpectedly? Why doesn't fast forward or rewind work when I'm playing FM radio? Why can't I see the option to play FM radio on the start screen? Where can I find Internet radio stations in Media Center?

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Change settings for streaming media in Windows Media Player
After you set up media streaming, known as media sharing in earlier versions of Windows Media Player, you can choose which music, videos, and pictures will be available to stream on devices and computers on your network. You can also decide which devices will have access to your media.

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Play a CD or DVD in Windows Media Center
In Windows Media Center, you can play audio CDs and DVD movies. You can also play data CDs and DVDs (discs that contain digital media files, such as MP3, WMV, and JPEG files). Playing CDs and DVDs in Media Center is best experienced using a Media Center remote control. Make sure that the type of Media Center remote control you use is compatible with your computer.

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Play a CD or DVD in Windows Media Player
In Windows Media Player, you can play audio CDs, data CDs, and data DVDs that contain music or video files (also known as media CDs). You can also play video CDs (VCDs), which are similar to DVDs, although the video quality isn't as high. If you have a DVD drive and a compatible DVD decoder installed on your computer, you can use Windows Media Player to play a DVD-Video disc-this is the type of DVD that movies are distributed on. If you encounter an error indicating that you are missing a DVD decoder, click Web Help on the error message dialog box to determine how to obtain a decoder. Watch this video to learn how to play a CD or DVD in Windows Media Player.

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Add items to the Windows Media Player Library
You can use the Windows Media Player Library to organize your entire digital media collection on your computer, including music, video, and pictures. After you add files to your Player Library, you can play the files, burn mix CDs, create playlists, sync the files to portable music and video players, and stream the files to other devices on your home network. There are several methods you can use to add files to your Player Library:

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Which protocols does Windows Media Player use for streaming?
You can use Windows Media Player to play digital media content that is streamed from the Internet. To ensure that a server running Windows Media Services can establish the best connection to the Player, the Player is configured to receive automatic streams from any of the following streaming protocols (depending on the network environment): User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). UDP and TCP are basic networking protocols that are used in combination with the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) to manage the high-level exchange of data. The Player can also receive a multicast stream.

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Play an audio or video file
You can use Windows Media Player to play digital media files that are in your Player Library, on your computer or a network folder, or on a website.

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Play To
Play To, new in Windows 7, makes it easy to play music and video on other networked PCs, TVs, or stereos around the house. Just right-click the tracks you want to enjoy, or add them to your Windows Media Player 12 playlist, and select Play To-now you're a DJ.

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Playing music in Windows Media Center: frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some common questions about playing music and other audio files in Windows Media Center. How do I make my music appear in Media Center? Why doesn't album information (such as cover art) display? Why isn't there sound? Why doesn't a music file play? How do I play an audio CD or DVD in Media Center? Is there a graphic equalizer in Media Center so I can fine-tune the way my music sounds?

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Shuffle and repeat items in Windows Media Player
In Windows Media Player, items that you play appear in the list pane in Now Playing mode and in the Player Library. You can change the order in which the items play by turning on shuffle, which will make items play in a random order. You can also choose to play the items repeatedly. When you turn on repeat, all items in the list pane will play once and then begin playing again. You can also turn on both shuffle and repeat at the same time. It's not possible to shuffle or repeat DVDs. Watch this video to learn how to shuffle and repeat in Windows Media Player.

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Privacy and security when streaming your media: frequently asked questions
If you have a private network, you can use Windows Media Player to stream the contents of your Player Library to other computers and devices in your home. Here are answers to some common questions about privacy and security when streaming your media on a network. If I turn on streaming, will everyone in my home have access to the contents of my Player Library? If I turn on streaming, can other people in my home modify the contents of my Player Library? If I turn on media streaming, can people in my home access items on my computer that aren't in my Player library, such as my documents? If I turn on streaming, can people outside my home access the contents of my Player Library? Why shouldn't I stream media on a public network?

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Getting started with Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player provides an intuitive, easy-to-use interface to play digital media files, organize your digital media collection, burn CDs of your favorite music, rip music from CDs, sync digital media files to a portable device, and shop for digital media content from online stores.

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Use a Windows Media Center Extender
You can use a Windows Media Center Extender to stream the media stored on your Windows 7 computer to another room in your home.

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Getting started with Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center is a feature that is included in some editions of Windows 7. When used to its fullest, Media Center can turn your computer into a powerful home entertainment hub. You can unleash the full power of Media Center by connecting your computer to a high-definition TV and using a Media Center remote to control all the action from your couch.

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Set up a Windows Media Center Extender
With a Windows Media Center Extender and the right setup, you can stream the media stored on your Windows 7 computer to another room in your home. To do this, your computer and your Extender must be connected to your home network.

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Play an audio or video file: frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some common questions about playing audio or video files in Windows Media Player. What can I do about audio problems, such as popping, crackling, or sound that plays too fast or too slow? What can I do about video problems, such as lines appearing in the video, flickering or choppy video, and so on? Why does the Player display a visualization instead of the video (or display an error message) when I play a video file? How do I make Windows Media Player the default player for a file type? Why do I get an error when I try to play streams from certain servers? Why does Windows Media Player frequently become unresponsive or close unexpectedly? How do I prevent videos from automatically playing in full-screen mode?

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File types supported by Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center can play many different music, video, and picture file types. You can even make Media Center the default player for specific types of files so that they'll open in Media Center when you double-click them.

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Find items in the Windows Media Player Library
You can use Windows Media Player to quickly find and play your music, video, and picture files. You can also find where media files are stored in your computer's media libraries or jump to music in the same album.

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Listen to music in Windows Media Center
Most people think of watching and recording TV when they think of Windows Media Center, but did you know that Media Center is also a great way to listen to music? You can use Windows Media Center to play your favorite songs, create playlists for parties, and even watch a slide show of your pictures while the music plays.

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Unable to view Video in VLC Media Player problem
VLC Media Player which is one of the widely used media player as it can play a plethora of audio and video formats, may not display video when played in Windows 7. However this can be fixed via simple setting.

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Using Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center is a feature included in some editions of Windows 7. You can use Media Center to watch, record, and pause live TV; listen to your entire music collection; view your family pictures and home movies; burn CDs and DVDs; and listen to Internet and FM radio. And if you have a compatible remote control, you can do all of this from across the room. You can even connect your Media Center PC to your TV so the whole family can enjoy the show.

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Windows Media Player Library
The Player Library is the location in Windows Media Player where you can manage all of your favorite music, videos, and pictures on your computer. It lets you easily find and play your digital media files, as well as choose content that you want to burn to a CD or sync to a portable device. To learn more about using the Player Library, click one of the following links:

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Creating slide shows with music in Windows Media Center
Every party needs a little background music to set the mood, but have you ever considered background photos? With Windows Media Center, you can have both. You can use Media Center to play slide shows of your favorite photos-along with background music-on your computer. This is especially cool if you're computer is connected to a TV. A Media Center slide show can completely change the dynamic of your living room for parties and get-togethers.

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Playing videos in Windows Media Center: frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some common questions about playing videos in Windows Media Center. Why won't a video file play? Why can't I fast-forward or rewind a video? Why don't I see a video that I downloaded in Media Center?

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View pictures and videos in Windows Media Center
With Windows Media Center, you can play home videos and view your digital photos in a number of fun ways.

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Windows Media Center Extenders: frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some common questions about using a Windows Media Center Extender. What are Extenders? I already have an Extender device. Will it work with Windows 7? What if my Extender won't connect to my computer during or after setup? Why won't certain albums, video files, or TV programs play on my Extender? Why does a Network Issue notification often appear when I use my Extender? Why does my Extender perform slowly? What happens if I lose the connection between my Extender and my computer? What Media Center features aren't available when using an Extender? Where else can I find help for my Extender?

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Windows Media Center keyboard shortcuts
You can access any feature in Windows Media Center using only the keyboard. In addition, Media Center provides a variety of keyboard shortcuts so that navigating with the keyboard is easier.

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Add media files to Windows Media Center
The first time you start Windows Media Center, it looks for media files in the Music, Pictures, and Videos libraries on your computer. Through these libraries, you can control which songs, movies, and other media appear in Media Center.

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Sync manually in Windows Media Player
If you have a large music collection in your Windows Media Player Library or limited storage capacity on your portable device, it might make sense to sync your device manually. Each time you want to update the media on your device, you need to create a list of files and playlists to sync. If you want to create a random selection of songs, you can shuffle the list before you sync. Previously synced items will stay on your device until you delete each of them manually, or you can use the format feature to remove all previously synced data.

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Playing DVDs in Windows Media Center: frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some common questions about playing DVDs in Windows Media Center. Why isn't there sound when watching a DVD? Why is the video distorted when watching a DVD? Why won't a DVD play? Why is the movie information or cover art for my DVD wrong or missing? Why does a different program open every time I insert a DVD in my computer?

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Media information in Windows Media Player: frequently asked questions
Here are some answers to common questions about media information. How does album cover art relate to media information? Does the Player support ID3 tags? How do I tell the Player to automatically fix the media information in my files? How do I prevent the Player from overwriting the media information in my files? When media information is updated in the library, how do I tell the Player to update the item's file name? When media information is updated in the library, how do I tell the Player to move the files to the appropriate artist and album folders on my computer? How do I make sure my ratings aren't overwritten by other people who use my computer?

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Windows Media Player DRM: frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some common questions about digital rights management (DRM), media usage rights, and protected Windows Media files. What is DRM? What are media usage rights? How does the Player use media usage rights? How do I download media usage rights? How do I restore my media usage rights?

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Internet Spades: how to play
Invented in the United States in the 1930s, Spades remains one of the most popular trick-taking card games-and ideal for online play. Now you can play this game against other people over the Internet.

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View a video using the entire screen in Windows Media Player
If you want a video, TV show, DVD, or visualization to fill the entire screen when you play it, switch to full-screen mode in Windows Media Player. When the Player is in full-screen mode, you can control playback with the on-screen controls that appear at the bottom of the video screen.

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Create or change an auto playlist in Windows Media Player
An auto playlist in Windows Media Player is a type of playlist that automatically changes according to criteria you've specified. It also updates itself each time you open it. For example, if there is a certain artist you like to listen to, you can create an auto playlist that will automatically add new music by that artist when it appears in the Player Library. You can use auto playlists to play different combinations of music in your Player Library, burn grouped items to a CD, or sync to a portable device. You can create your own auto playlists, as well as regular playlists, in the Player Library. Watch this video to learn how to create or change an auto playlist in Windows Media Player (1:45).

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Getting started with media streaming
Like many people, you probably have a lot of music, video, and picture files in your Windows Media Player Library. There might be times, however, when you want to enjoy your songs, videos, or pictures when you're not sitting at the computer. For example, you might want to listen to your music from another computer in your kitchen or view your pictures on a digital picture frame in your living room. Media streaming, called media sharing in earlier versions of Windows Media Player, makes these experiences possible.

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Add or edit media information in Windows Media Player
You might have items in your Windows Media Player Library that have missing or incorrect media information, such as song titles, track numbers, artist names, album titles, or genres. Incorrect information might have been added when you ripped the tracks from the CD or because you used another program to rip your CDs. Whatever the reason, the Player relies on media information to organize the items in your Player Library, so it's beneficial for all items in your Player Library to have accurate and complete media information.

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Windows Media Player 12
Designed by media lovers, for media lovers. Windows Media Player 12 plays more music and video than ever-including Flip Video and unprotected songs from your iTunes library!

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