# WMV Done Right, by Microsoft!



## kainjow (Jan 10, 2006)

Microsoft is now distributing Flip4Mac's WMV QuickTime components for free! Previously shareware, Flip4Mac's WMV software makes WMV and WMA playback on the Mac transparent.

This is huge news!

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/flip4mac.mspx


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## fryke (Jan 10, 2006)

Wow! That's really great. Downloaded and installed. Thanks!


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## fryke (Jan 10, 2006)

Oh, it's erh, playback only, of course. not a full version of Flip4Mac.


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## kainjow (Jan 10, 2006)

fryke said:
			
		

> Oh, it's erh, playback only, of course. not a full version of Flip4Mac.


That's what their $10 shareware version is too. The version that lets you export is $100 I believe. I doubt M$ would want to license that version  And for 99% of users playback is all they want anyways.


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## fryke (Jan 10, 2006)

That's right.


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## btoth (Jan 10, 2006)

When I close a WMV movie that's playing in QuickTime, QuickTime crashes and displays the Send Error Report window.  Does the same for the web-plugin too, tried it on Amazon's site and a few others.

I tried removing the DivX plugins, but there's apparently no conflict there.  Anyone else with the problem?


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## kainjow (Jan 10, 2006)

btoth said:
			
		

> When I close a WMV movie that's playing in QuickTime, QuickTime crashes and displays the Send Error Report window.  Does the same for the web-plugin too, tried it on Amazon's site and a few others.
> 
> I tried removing the DivX plugins, but there's apparently no conflict there.  Anyone else with the problem?


I think it's a problem with QT 7.0.4. Try reverting back to 7.0.3


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## btoth (Jan 10, 2006)

kainjow said:
			
		

> I think it's a problem with QT 7.0.4. Try reverting back to 7.0.3




Most likely.  Figures. =)


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## fryke (Jan 10, 2006)

You mean like reinstalling Tiger and updating only to QT 7.0.3?!


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## sirstaunch (Jan 10, 2006)

kainjow said:
			
		

> Microsoft is now distributing Flip4Mac's WMV QuickTime components for free! Previously shareware, Flip4Mac's WMV software makes WMV and WMA playback on the Mac transparent.
> 
> This is huge news!
> 
> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/flip4mac.mspx


Excellent, because it was annoying to only get half the video with a scrolling message saying it will only play half the video etc etc


			
				btoth said:
			
		

> When I close a WMV movie that's playing in QuickTime, QuickTime crashes and displays the Send Error Report window.  Does the same for the web-plugin too, tried it on Amazon's site and a few others.
> 
> I tried removing the DivX plugins, but there's apparently no conflict there.  Anyone else with the problem?


Crashed QT7.0.4 after I saved it as a .mov, played ok though


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## btoth (Jan 10, 2006)

The Flip4Mac forums make mention of the issue with QuickTime 7.0.4:

http://www.flip4mac.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=29&threadid=822&highlight_key=y&keyword1=7.0.4

Worth waiting for, since even though it does crash when quitting, it still loads files that Media Player itself seemed to have trouble with.


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## simbalala (Jan 10, 2006)

btoth said:
			
		

> When I close a WMV movie that's playing in QuickTime, QuickTime crashes and displays the Send Error Report window.  Does the same for the web-plugin too, tried it on Amazon's site and a few others.
> 
> I tried removing the DivX plugins, but there's apparently no conflict there.  Anyone else with the problem?


Same here.

I'll watch something in QT via Flip then quit QT and I get a QT unexpectedly quit message. I haven't figured out how to make the browser plug-in work yet.


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## MisterMe (Jan 10, 2006)

simbalala said:
			
		

> Same here.
> 
> I'll watch something in QT via Flip then quit QT and I get a QT unexpectedly quit message. I haven't figured out how to make the browser plug-in work yet.


The Internet plug-in picked it up automatically on my system. The streaming video from one of my favorite sites had stopped working under *WMP 9*, but now works perfectly with the *Flip4Mac* plug-in.


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## andychrist (Jan 10, 2006)

Gosh darn, and I just payed ten smackers for the Flip4Mac Player the other week.

When, when, when will I ever learn?


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## Captain Code (Jan 10, 2006)

AHHHH, I just bought this a few months ago.


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## symphonix (Jan 11, 2006)

Well, looks like MS has sorted out WMV for us. Now all they need to do is fix up WMF. ;-) http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/10/2230212&tid=201&tid=172


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## sirstaunch (Jan 11, 2006)

sorry to the two and anyone else who have paid


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## Captain Code (Jan 11, 2006)

I got an email from Flip4Mac saying I'll get $20 off any upgrade to their other versions since I bought the player already.


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## kainjow (Jan 11, 2006)

I too bought it a few months ago. Oh well. It's worth it have then


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## Lt Major Burns (Jan 11, 2006)

i think it';s nice of them to even think of you.  most businesses wouldn't.


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## Captain Code (Jan 11, 2006)

Yeah it is good of them to offer this.  It's not as if I'd spend a lot of money on the plugin anyways, it was only $10


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## sirstaunch (Jan 12, 2006)

There is an revert back to QT7.0.1 at apple 
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/quicktime701reinstallerforquicktime704.html
if you can't wait for the fix


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## Reality (Jan 12, 2006)

I'm wondering though. Why would M$ even offer this to us? Did they buy out the company that made it or something?


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## norulez (Jan 12, 2006)

Actually there is a small update on the flip4mac site (dont use the MS link).  Its for version 2.0.1.  I had the same problem as you and this update fixed it.  Just let it install over your existing version.


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## RGrphc2 (Jan 12, 2006)

Microsoft silently discontinued WMP for the mac...i guess cause nobody was using it and this plug in allows us to play WMA files in quicktime


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## Captain Code (Jan 12, 2006)

They knew their WMP sucked the big one so it's easier and cheaper for them to pay the little bit of money to license the Flip4Mac plugin.


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## Shookster (Jan 12, 2006)

They want their WMV format to have a large market share which means supporting it on other platforms. It's a lot easier to buy out a small third party plugin and release it for free than it is to build and maintain their own app.


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## Mat (Jan 12, 2006)

Good find kain.  WMP really did suck the big one, this makes things much easier.  Good work.


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## snl_k (Mar 25, 2008)

hey,

how do i use flip4mac. i d loaded it but when i go to my fav site to watch live channels it gives me teh same no plug-in msg and when i click go it takes me to windows.com/mediaplayer....can some1 help me out here


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## snl_k (Mar 25, 2008)

i got the latest version of flip4mac. i think its 2.2.4 or something. im not sure but its freakin complicated to get that thing to run. how do i do itttT????


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## MisterMe (Mar 25, 2008)

snl_k said:


> ... but its freakin complicated to get that thing to run. how do i do itttT????


Download and install it. *Flip4Mac* is a codec. Is is accompanied by *WMV Player* which adds Window Media versions of the standard QuickTime content file icons. With few exceptions, *Flip4Mac* just works for non-DRMed WMV files of WMV9 and earler formats. Nothing on the Mac plays WMV 10 or WMV 11. Also nothing on the Mac plays DRMed WMV.

If this post has not yet addressed your issues, then you need to be a bit more specific about your needs. Non-specific complaints about how "freaking complicated" *Flip4Mac* is will get you nowhere--because it isn't.


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## ksv (Apr 1, 2008)

I have yet to see any WMV based broadcast / internet tv work with flip4mac though, a factor which makes flip4mac a quite unimpressive piece of software that was hardly worth paying for before Microsoft made it free.


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## Lt Major Burns (Apr 22, 2008)

flip4mac does what any third party application can do: offer support for WMV9.  WMV9 DRM and WMV10 (inc drm) is a totally closed microsoft ware.  i believe that microsoft view it as a bonus for using windows.


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