Some of the unique features of Media Player 11 (for Windows Vista) are a deeply integrated music library for both online and offline content, a new and improved interface, the ability to connect to additional hardware easily, and integrated, easy-to-use tools for following the process of any task (downloading music, burning CDs, synching music, or streaming video, just to name a few). Media Player 11 has a new integrated feel, too?one that makes online, network, and offline content indistinguishable.

Many of the improvements are due to the redesigned interface, which includes simplified trees, helpful shortcuts on the menus and menu bars, and an advanced and improved media library. There are now Back and Forward buttons, giving Media Player a web-browser feel; a lightning-fast WordWheel search tool for getting through the library; and Xbox 360 support.

Reliability, ease of use, and hardware support:
Windows Media Player 11 is by far the most reliable, easy to use, and complete music experience available. In my time with it, I found it to be extremely dependable. It"s fast too, and it reminded me of expensive Internet jukeboxes normally found only in nightclubs and bars. As with those high-end players, the line between what"s actually on the jukebox and what comes from the Internet is nearly indistinguishable. Media Player 11, in my opinion, is the best jukebox I"ve ever experienced.

Enhanced, user-friendly interface:
- The Media Player 11 interface makes finding the media you want easier than ever. The complicated (and sometimes convoluted) trees that once appeared in the Media Player Library are gone. Now when you select a category from the Library, the content in that category appears off to the right instead of under the category on the left. Finally, no more long album and artist listings that scroll into infinity!
- With the trees gone, Media Player 11 is easier to navigate than any of its predecessors. There aren"t any lines between the trees, album information, or CD cover art, and the default album art view now shows album art and track information in the center of the screen. All of this makes finding the information you want a lot easier.
- Along with enhanced views, the buttons at the top of the interface contain new shortcuts. Some of my favorites include adjusting format and bitrate on the fly for CD ripping, and switching back and forth from audio to data settings for CD burning. With these new shortcuts, you"ll spend more time viewing and listening to your media, and less time managing it.
- Enhanced new playback controls at the bottom of the screen. They"re large and easy to use, and intuitive enough for anyone to easily operate. No more fumbling around trying to click those small controls from the old Media Player, and no more awkward scrambling for the mute button when your boss enters the room.

Supported File Formats:
? Windows Media Formats (.asf, .wma, .wmv, .wm)
? Advanced Systems Format (.asf)
? Windows Media Audio (.wma)
? Windows Media Video (.wmv, .wm)

? Windows Media metafiles (.asx, .wax, .wvx, .wmx, .wpl)
? Advanced Stream Redirector (.asx)
? Windows Media Audio Redirector (.wax)
? Windows Media Video Redirector (.wvx)
? Windows Media Redirector (.wmx)
? Windows Media Player Playlist (.wpl)

? Microsoft Digital Video Recording (.dvr-ms)
? Windows Media Download Package (.wmd)
? Audio Visual Interleave (.avi)
? Moving Pictures Experts Group (.mpg, .mpeg, .m1v, .mp2, .mp3, .mpa, .mpe, .mpv2, .m3u)
? MPEG-1 (.mpeg, .mpg, .m1v)
? MPEG Audio Layer III (.mp3)
? MPEG Audio Layer II (.mp2, .mpa)
? M3U (.m3u)

? Musical Instrument Digital Interface (.mid, .midi, .rmi)
? Audio Interchange File Format ( .aif, .aifc, .aiff)
? Sun Microsystems and NeXT (.au, .snd )
? Audio for Windows (.wav)
? CD Audio Track (.cda)
? Indeo Video Technology (.ivf)
? Windows Media Player Skins (.wmz, .wms)
? QuickTime Content (.mov, .qt)

? File Formats That Are Not Supported
? RealNetworks Content (.ra, .rm, .ram)
? QuickTime Content (.avi, .mov, .qt)
? MPEG-4 (.mp4)