A New Player on the Scene

The digital music battle just got hotter with the introduction of URGE, the collaborative effort between MTV Networks and Microsoft, which seamlessly integrates a new digital music store and content from MTV, VH-1, and CMT with the latest version of Windows Media Player 11.

This isn’t the Windows Media Player you’re accustomed to. Microsoft has revamped the player by improving ease of use and adding new functionality. WMP11, when in Library view, benefits from a total design overhaul that resembles the layout of Windows Explorer. Universal back and forward buttons make navigation a simple affair, so you’ll never get lost when scouring your library.

The simplified navigation also extends to the overall library redesign. Each media type (music, pictures, videos, recorded TV) has its own dedicated category view, so they’re no longer crammed together in a universal list. This is a welcome addition that streamlines the layout.

The collapsing architecture found in previous incarnations of WMP has been removed for a much more intuitive three-pane setup that operates similarly to frame-based Web pages. Selections in the left pane drive the center pane view, eliminating the long scrolling lists that plagued past versions of WMP. Clicking the Now Playing tabs switches to the traditional WMP view. Here you can alter a song’s playback speed and even tinker with audio settings such as utilizing SRS WOW effects for fuller sound.

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