Yesterday Microsoft announced the launch of wmplugins.com, a premier resource and catalog of enhancements from 20 different companies and Microsoft for extending the Windows Media® Player 9 Series experience for Windows® XP. Plug-ins are a key new capability in Windows Media Player 9 Series for Windows XP that allow any developer to customize and add great new enhancements to the player. More than 100 enhancements are available today on the Web site. These new add-ons offer enthusiasts the ultimate customizations of music playlists, new audio and CD-burning features, new visualizations with personal photos that the user can enjoy while listening to music, new Xbox™ skins and powertoys to adjust advanced settings for Windows Media Player 9 Series.

"We are incredibly impressed with the quality and range of plug-ins already available from the development community for Windows Media Player 9 Series," said Dave Fester, general manager of the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft. "Now Windows XP customers have one easy place to find out how they can get the most out of these exciting new enhancements."

Also on the site are a series of new enhancements for Windows Media Player 9 Series from Microsoft, including these:

• Tweak MP Plug-in Powertoy. This new plug-in offers easy access to more-advanced settings for the Windows Media Player 9 Series media library, CD burning and full-screen modes including enabling queue-it-up on double-click in Windows Media Player Media Library, enabling and disabling automatic volume leveling on CD burning, enabling and disabling automatic playback of CD on insertion when player is open, and advanced control of full-screen options and animations.
• New official Xbox Live skins. Created by The Skins Factory Inc. for Microsoft, these skins include enhancements for the Windows Media Player 9 Series such as cross-fading and equalizer settings. The Official Xbox Live (TM) Plus! Party Mode also adds an additional skin for Plus! Digital Media Edition.
• New themed visualizations. New 3-D visualizations showcase the new look and style of Windows Media Player 9 Series:
  • A new interactive equalizer set on a 3-D liquid pool moves to the music.
  • Picture It!® Visualization II turns your media player into a picture gallery displaying and animating photos to music. (Both require a 3-D accelerator card with 16 MB of memory or more.)
  • Softie the Snowman II puts visualizations in a wintry mood with 3-D enhancements and more animation.

All plug-ins and enhancements are immediately available today. The wmplugins.com site is community supported and offers a free catalog and rating service for each enhancement designed for consumers and developers alike.

In addition, enhancements from third-party companies such as 4Front Technologies, Anark Corporation, Averett & Associates, CyberLink Corporation, Inscriber, InterVideo Inc., QSound Labs Inc., RCS, Saltmine Inc., The Skins Factory, Sonic Solutions, SRS Labs Inc., Tattoo Media Inc. and VoiceAge Corporation are available on the site today. Other companies that intend to add their own enhancements in the near future include Ahead Software Inc., AnalogX, Caption Colorado LLC, Dolby Labs Inc., MoodLogic Inc. and OverDrive Inc.

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Last Updated: January 24, 2003