WinAmp 3.. garbage

[DarkAngel]

It any of you are planning to download WinAmp the latest version 3.0, don't waste your time. This version is the worst version EVER in terms of stability and it's demand on your computer resources (sluggish performance, if it don't crash first). I like some of the new features, such as the compact Winshade Mode and it's support for various video formats- avi, wma, mpg etc. but even the video support is sh*ty at best- the colours in the video is a bit off and it played one of my Simpsons video upside down :) and it don't stop there, for some reason WinAmp 3 seem to insist on accessing the internet ever time you launch it, hmmm.
Sorry i didn't read the reviews and the user oppinions on this release before i downloaded it. Now i will have to find and install the old 2.xx version...damn it!

Platforms Windows Me and 2000.

[Ropy]

That's why I went back to WM and now using v9. No problems here. ;D

[owen]

It's a bit(well alot) slower but it's much prettier that the version 2. :) Don't download it if you have a slow machine or you like to close and open it many times.

It has a sloppy media library as well. In this aspect musicmatch is better. If you have a fast machine it's worth a look otherwise I wouldn't recommend it either.

[GodKid]

must admit.. it did just go down the tubes..

All the reasons I used to love Winamp and hate WMP just came flowing into this release.. it seems even more of a resource hog than WMP... no.. i'm lying.. it isn't that bad.

Gotta admit.. WMP 9 beats winamp this time, no lama for me... especially on xp, WMP's new mini-mode (plays from the taskbar) just beats everything else on the market

my cents dat

[Nastrodamus]

aaahhhh bwoy,

Finally,

Microsoft get praises for something.

[Arch_Angel]

I have been using winamp 3 since last year and I like it. It's pretty good. It was sluggish when I had my win 98 128mb ram computer. But installing it on my new win xp computer, it works great.

I agree with owen that you need a faster computer to run it. It has never crashed on me. It will try to connect to the internet if you are listening to a music cd. It tries to connect to the CDDB database, to get the titles of the songs on your cd. You can turn it off. There is also an option in the preferences that you could uncheck, where it checks for a new version everytime you start winamp.

I have had no problems with it. I have also played a few videos full screen using the video player it has. No problems there.

But that's just my experience.

[Xenocrates]

This version is the worst version EVER in terms of stability and it's demand on your computer resources (sluggish performance, if it don't crash first).


- Yeah, WA3 has a mean processor and memory overhead. Thank God for Windows XP hibernation. Waiting for this thing to load can be a pain. But defragging your hard drive every now and again can help you much.



I like some of the new features, such as the compact Winshade Mode and it's support for various video formats- avi, wma, mpg etc.


- Actually, there's a LOT more than that to WinAmp3. Apparently you've forgotten such features as the bug-free cross fade mode and mixing certain parts of different songs into one continuous stream of music - no gaps. Previously, you needed a plugin to do this with WA2. And that plugin has MANY bugs! Additionally, WA3's skins are the most DOPE set of skin exchanges you will find for ANY software out there. If you have not yet tried the MMD3 skin for WA3, you haven't seen anything yet. And you will also notice that the skins for WA3 are not limited to the physical shape of the window. That allows for ENDLESS possibilities for the size and shape of WA3. 80% of the processor overhead that WA3 uses is based on the SKIN you currently have loaded, not the software itself. The MMD3 skin uses up a LOT of processor time.

Once you get it open, you really can't compare WA2 to WA3. There is no comparison, whatsoever.



but even the video support is sh*ty at best- the colours in the video is a bit off and it played one of my Simpsons video upside down :)


- This is not a WA3 problem, this is a problem with the video codecs you have installed. If you are using the NIMO codec packs, that would explain why you have this issue. For optimal video / audio playback in Windows, you need the following:

- DIVx Codec (Video)
- xVID Codec (Video)
- AC3 Codec (Audio)

Don't install the NIMO codec pack if you have already installed DIVx and / or xVID. You will get a driver incompatibility issue where NIMO overwrites some of the DLLs used by DIVx and xVID. These packs are incompatible with each other (regardless of what you read on the net) and will cause a LOT of problems such as upside down video playback, green tinting (off-colours), sound but no Video, video but no Sound, amongst a host other hideous abnormalitites.



and it don't stop there, for some reason WinAmp 3 seem to insist on accessing the internet ever time you launch it, hmmm.


- So does WA2. The difference is that WA2 allows you to disable this feature while you are installing it. WA3 accesses the internet for the same reason as does WA2 - anonymous usage statistics. You can disable this function in WA3's settings.



Sorry i didn't read the reviews and the user oppinions on this release before i downloaded it. Now i will have to find and install the old 2.xx version...damn it!


- Actually, you should be glad you didn't. Most of the people who have posted negatively about WA3, posted in ignorance. If you have the processor power to deal with it, WA3 is a much better multimedia tool to use. Remember, the same thing was being said about WA1 when it was first released in 1992-93. It required a Pentium class processor (which was pretty damn expensive at the time) when the fastest commercial PCs then were 486 DX4 machines. This was merely because MPEG Layer 3 decoding requires the use of a relatively complex algorithm, one that required a 586 based chip for optimal performance. Most 486 machines played MP3's with skips. Pentium processors didn't.

Remember fellas, it's new software that drives hardware development. WA3 is a superior piece of multimedia software. The load times may be excessive, but for the features that it comes with, I ain't going back to WA2 unless I'm on a machine that just CAN'T handle it. Don't discredit it because of these minor flaws man. They're not even funtionality flaws.

[DarkAngel]

But defragging your hard drive every now and again can help you much.

Defragging didn't help either. and yes it's the same problem in W2k.



Actually, there's a LOT more than that to WinAmp3. Apparently you've forgotten such features as the bug-free cross fade mode and mixing certain parts of different songs into one continuous stream of music - no gaps. Previously, you needed a plugin to do this with WA2. And that plugin has MANY bugs! Additionally, WA3's skins are the most DOPE set of skin exchanges you will find for ANY software out there. If you have not yet tried the MMD3 skin for WA3, you haven't seen anything yet. And you will also notice that the skins for WA3 are not limited to the physical shape of the window. That allows for ENDLESS possibilities for the size and shape of WA3. 80% of the processor overhead that WA3 uses is based on the SKIN you currently have loaded, not the software itself. The MMD3 skin uses up a LOT of processor time.


Yeah Xeno i had the mmd3 skin it's really cool !!
I had the default skin loaded and the same problem,
oh btw i don't think my system is slow it's a 1.2 Ghz processor, 256 mb of memory and a 40 G hardrive,and Winamp is sluggish even when it's the only application running. If winAmp needs more power than that, they can take their media player and ....




This is not a WA3 problem, this is a problem with the video codecs you have installed. If you are using the NIMO codec packs, that would explain why you have this issue. For optimal video / audio playback in Windows, you need the following:


One would suspect that it was not having the proper codex that was the problem, but i installed the NIMO codex pack a few months ago on my system, in fact i watch a lot of movies so i have to keep up with the various codex releases. Not surprisingly the same movies play well in Windows Media Player without the colour distortions- In The Simpsons margie hair is like purple when viewed in WinAmp ;D. and when you watch other movies it's the same problem.



WA3 accesses the internet for the same reason as does WA2 - anonymous usage statistics. You can disable this function in WA3's settings.


Thanks for remaining be of that.

Basically i am just very disappointed with this release, i have always been a big fan of Winamp in fact for many years now winamp was my default mp3 and then CD player i didn't even bother to try the others because i just hate clogging up my system with various applications that does the same thing.
Guess i will have to wait until version 3.1, hopfully they would have sort out the bugs by then.

[Xenocrates]

If winAmp needs more power than that, they can take their media player and ....

- ROFLMAO!!! ;D ;D ;D

I gotta admit, that WAS funny!

Yes my yute, the NIMO codec is notorious for causing problems with video playback. Interestingly enough, Media Player 9 seems to alleviate many of these issues. But the safest bet is to use the DIVx, XVID, AC3 codec set.

But I tell you this, I'm running WA3 on a Pentum II 300MHz PC running Windows NT with 96mb RAM and a 2Gb HD - at work :o - don't ask. But it Works fine! When I'm rendering images for web pages, I have to close it down though.... ;D I can only run WA3 here when there are no other applications running.

But If it weren't for the resource hoggish nature of WA3, I'd swear it's the best MP out there - hands down.

[matronyx]

WA2 is the best for winwoes!!!
Have always used it even before it was free, never had problems with it and continue to use it today.

WA3 is too buggy and bloted 4 me.

My config has always been topazamp skin with nullsoft crossfade.

[wheelman]

Winamp 2.xx lite for me
default (base) skin
winshade mode in the top right corner stopping right at the minimize button.
System Tray only.

I use media player 6 for movies, works best for me, opens up alot quicker and i can configure it easier. (how do u let the version that comes with XP stay ontop?

[owen]

There are so many bad things about media player that I can't wouldn't recommend it over WINAMP3 . I often have nightmares about turning on my computer and see all my 9 mp3s converted into WMA files. I only use it for video. I often prefer to use mplayer2. I have both WA2 and WA3 installed. MMD3 rules.