Any hope for WMV files?

Learning new iMac. 6 days old. Going wonderfully well except......

My friend's video-jokes won't play. Joecartoon on the web, for example, has video, but doesn't have sound. Videos (probably wmv's) from most web-sites either don't come up or come up in tiny unenlargeable windows with compromised images and sound. Searching here brought up a few ideas, but the impression I'm getting is there's a problem without a solution at this point. Am I mistaken about that?

With PC I've been accustomed to downloading/playing whatever's available. With the new iMac, I'm encountering these limitations. Am I missing something obvious? Is my new iMac going to be unable to play these common-as-nails WMV clips?

do you have windows media player downloaded?

TBoblp said:

do you have windows media player downloaded?

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"Genius" at Apple Store downloaded MPlayer OS X 2. It enabled play of WMA audio files. It also allows play (apparently) of audio portion of WMV files. I get sound-track but no video on those. Many others remain scrambled, as described.

Rob said:

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/video/windowsmediaplayerformacosx.html

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Looks promising. Downloaded. However, clicking on the icon on my screen brings up this message: "There is no default application specified to open the document 'Windows Media.sitx'" Options are "cancel" and "choose application".

Sorry if I'm being a dope. Can you tell me what to do next.

Flip4Mac released a beta of their universal binary Quicktime plugin a few weeks ago, so the public realease should be very soon.

You need StuffIt Expander. http://www.stuffit.com/mac/expander/index.html


But the WMP file is a .bin file... http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/mac/mp9/default.aspx

Rob said:

.....the WMP file is a .bin file... http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/mac/mp9/default.aspx

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The "readme" file for this product is dated November 2003. I see nothing anywhere indicating suitability for Intel-Macs -- only OSX sort of generally. Everything I've seen so far that is OK for Intel-Macs says so conspicuously so I am suspicious. Am I in the right place?

I have iMac with Intel running OS X 10.4.6

Yeah... they discontinued it. But it is free.

It will run slow, but at least it is free. If you want a link to one that costs, just let me know.

No, Windows Media Player won't play videos embeded on the web, it will ask you if you want to open it up in the player if you go to a site that has a .wmv. You can get the beta other places, but since can't talk about it here. There is always Google.

well can you download the video files to your desktop? b/c if so, iSquint will convert them to .mp4, which is then SUPER easy to watch...

biggyme13 said:

No, Windows Media Player won't play videos embeded on the web....

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Extremely disappointed to be learning this. Feeling like I just bought a car that looks, sounds, and works wonderfully except it stops running if I take it past my own driveway. Had no idea I'd be giving up something so basic with the switch. Looks like I'll be keeping the PC afterall.

Can I look forward to a time my iMac will allow me view these clips on the web? And those my friends send to me? etc., etc.?

Someone else already posted this but I will repeat, Flip4Mac will soon have the Universal Application released. Then you should be able to play them fine. Have you in the mean time tried VLC? Not sure if it will work with all Windows stuff, but give it a shot. Its' free and Universal now.

Edit, I just tried VLC on a few WMV's that I have. One worked and the other 2 had no sound. I can play they all perfectally on my G5 iMac with Flip4Mac. Will do some checking and try to find out when the Universal will be released.

That should solve your problems. I am amazed it's taking them this long. Microsoft dropped support for Windows Media on the Mac and handed it over to the Flip4Mac player.

Also I had no problem viewing JoeCartoon on my imac g5.

Rob said:

Yeah... they discontinued it. But it is free.

It will run slow, but at least it is free. If you want a link to one that costs, just let me know.

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Yes, I would like a link to something that works.

I knew Macs didn't come with Word and that I would have to buy that so I did. I would be willing to purchase a product that would give my iMac WMV capability also. Just wish I'd known about the shortcoming going in so I could have considered it. Feeling like this is Mac-version of chasing drivers. Right now, I'm not feeling at all like "everything just works."

dtravis7 said:

Someone else already posted this....Flip4Mac will soon have the Universal Application released. Have you in the mean time tried VLC? Not sure if it will work with all Windows stuff, but give it a shot.

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Guess I'll have to wait.

As to VLC and other suggestions, I don't know if they will work but, more to the point, I didn't make this switch to chase all over the web and try-this and try-that trying find some combination of somethings that will make my machine do what its supposed to. That's what my PC required. That's what was burning up so much of my time. That's what I was hoping to leave behind when I made the switch. I really don't care for the research and experimentation. I just want my stuff to work. I thought that's what Macs offered. Learning that this particular shortcoming requires me to hop back on that merry-go-round is very disappointing.

Remember Windows Media is a Microsoft Video Format. It's not Apples fault that Microsoft closed it off to Mac users and put the burden on another company.

There are MANY web sites on the net that REQUIRE IE or they will not let me use them. More Microsoft at work and this is on WINDOWS. Firefox will not let me use them, View Videos, play games. I have to use IE which I will not use as my browser.

I know this has you upset, but hang in there. Help is around the corner.

asolo said:

Guess I'll have to wait.

As to VLC and other suggestions, I don't know if they will work but, more to the point, I didn't make this switch to chase all over the web and try-this and try-that trying find some combination of somethings that will make my machine do what its supposed to. That's what my PC required. That's what was burning up so much of my time. That's what I was hoping to leave behind when I made the switch. I really don't care for the research and experimentation. I just want my stuff to work. I thought that's what Macs offered. Learning that this particular shortcoming requires me to hop back on that merry-go-round is very disappointing.

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You can't blame Apple for not having a piece of software that plays file using someone elses format. Plus, keep in mind that they just recently switched to Intel processors so all software code needs to be updated. Even though certain programs may run slow if its a PowerPC app at lease it will work with Rosetta. Could you imagine if Microsoft switched to PowerPC chips? it would take them decades for them to switch the code. Give it a little time and WMV files will be able to play with no problem. Flip4Mac should be coming out with something.

I can't give out links to .torrent files, can I?

But can I post the link to the direct file? Even though its not public yet.

I don't think that would be a good idea.

dtravis7 said:

Remember Windows Media is a Microsoft Video Format. It's not Apples fault that Microsoft closed it off to Mac users and put the burden on another company.

There are MANY web sites on the net that REQUIRE IE or they will not let me use them. More Microsoft at work and this is on WINDOWS. Firefox will not let me use them, View Videos, play games. I have to use IE which I will not use as my browser.

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I understand. I just didn't know. I wish I had. Disappointing to learn after the purchase.

However, your analogy about web-site's requirements isn't very good. It is a requirement you resent but if you relent and do it their way you can still get the content. I'm in a situation where I am quite willing to do it their way -- even to purchase a product, such as I and everyone else have done with Office:mac -- except there is no way via purchase or otherwise to accomplish this task. Easy, simple access to this common-as-nails content by any means is simply closed off to my iMac. That is the source of my disappointment.