Recommend me a media player...

So, two things have happened lately which have led to me staring to rip my cds. I have been noticing lately that all my 15 year old cds are kinda getting scratchy and fragile. Thus, backing everything up on my hard drive, which in turn meant I got an external hd for xmas.

I have never bothered to use anything other than Windows Media Player before...but now that I have a ton of music to manage it is giving me fits. My biggest problem is having things in two places. If I have a cd on both the external and internal hard drives, it shows all the tracks twice under the same album name. Also, occasionally my cds are extra special sucky and if Media Player can't rip them, it causes the computer to freak out forcing a hard reset.

So, I would assume there is a better option out there. I feel really old and out of touch having to ask about this...but I have never jumped on the download bandwagon, I never got an mp3 player other than my phone, and have clung to my cds.

Help!

So, two things have happened lately which have led to me staring to rip my cds. I have been noticing lately that all my 15 year old cds are kinda getting scratchy and fragile. Thus, backing everything up on my hard drive, which in turn meant I got an external hd for xmas.

I have never bothered to use anything other than Windows Media Player before...but now that I have a ton of music to manage it is giving me fits. My biggest problem is having things in two places. If I have a cd on both the external and internal hard drives, it shows all the tracks twice under the same album name. Also, occasionally my cds are extra special sucky and if Media Player can't rip them, it causes the computer to freak out forcing a hard reset.

So, I would assume there is a better option out there. I feel really old and out of touch having to ask about this...but I have never jumped on the download bandwagon, I never got an mp3 player other than my phone, and have clung to my cds.

Help!

My self i use Winamp, free simple and great.

edit: also tons of free plugins and codecs.

Either Winamp or Zune Software.

Zune software is the better of the two, but that requires you to buy a Zune. Which is also a good decision.

My bad, you don't need to purchase a Zune. You can just download the software from the website.

I recommend Winamp for media playing, Exact Audio Copy for ripping.

As for seeing everything twice, just don't add the media from one of the locations to the media player's library.

"Either Winamp or Zune Software.

Zune software is the better of the two, but that requires you to buy a Zune. Which is also a good decision."

"keyhunter said:

"Either Winamp or Zune Software.

Zune software is the better of the two, but that requires you to buy a Zune. Which is also a good decision."

This is just not true.  You can use the Zune software without owning a Zune.  That's like saying you can't use iTunes without an iPod, it's just not true.

and the Zune software is pretty good about managing albums, it's not flawless, but it's one of the better softwares out there that I can think of."

"Either Winamp or Zune Software.

Zune software is the better of the two, but that requires you to buy a Zune. Which is also a good decision.

My bad, you don't need to purchase a Zune. You can just download the software from the website."

Use vlc its the best free one it plays video also.

"keyhunter said:

"Either Winamp or Zune Software.

Zune software is the better of the two, but that requires you to buy a Zune. Which is also a good decision.

My bad, you don't need to purchase a Zune. You can just download the software from the website."

Zune Software is inferior to Winamp, to speak nothing of Winamp Pro.

Get Winamp, and consider buying or uh... acquiring Winamp Pro for way better features/functions. Even the free Winamp outclasses other shit."

Am I the only one that uses iTunes here? Maybe because I own an iPhone and am forced to own it...

"Am I the only one that uses iTunes here? Maybe because I own an iPhone and am forced to own it..."

iTunes is considered a poor choice for Windows - I agree. I only use it for my iPod.

Itunes.

"Jayge said:

"keyhunter said:

"Either Winamp or Zune Software.

Zune software is the better of the two, but that requires you to buy a Zune. Which is also a good decision.

My bad, you don't need to purchase a Zune. You can just download the software from the website."

Zune Software is inferior to Winamp, to speak nothing of Winamp Pro.

Get Winamp, and consider buying or uh... acquiring Winamp Pro for way better features/functions. Even the free Winamp outclasses other shit."

What is the diff between free and pro again? was it not only the ability to rip cds?"

"Use vlc its the best free one it plays video also."

"Levio91 said:

"Use vlc its the best free one it plays video also."

I agree. VLC all the way. For video, that is. However, for music and keeping your library in order, I have to admit i-tunes is handy. It also rips very well.

Winamp is fine, but I always found its interface rather irritaing. However, I was alone in that form everyone I knew - they all used it and loved it!

You should maybe try a few and see what works for you. Most of them are free download, so you can try them, then lose the ones you don't like."

Thanks yall :)  I think I will go download Winamp and Itunes and see how it goes.

I'd say iTunes

Creative mediasource player is really good, it has an id3 editor, eax effects and time scaling.

"Songbird seems good."

I second Songbird.  You can download stuff with that :)

"Use vlc its the best free one it plays video also."

I really like the Zune software.