[ AOL Media Player Goes BETA ]

[B3NKobe]

Article Link: Beta News (http://www.betanews.com/article/AOL_Media_Player_Beta_Goes_Public/1113409554)


AOL Media Player Beta Goes Public
By Nate Mook (%20nmook@betanews.com), BetaNews

AOL has finally let loose its new media player beta to the general public. As first reported by BetaNews (http://www.betanews.com/article/AOL_Fine_Tunes_New_Media_Player/1102621903), AOL Media Player (AMP) runs independent of the company's client software and is one of many new efforts to expose AOL products and services to Web users outside its "walled garden" of subscribers.

AMP was previously slated to be a component of AOL's Fanfare suite, which has since been disbanded. Although AOL client tie-ins will remain, AMP is now a full-fledged application, complete with media library, video support and CD ripping to MPEG4 AAC or Microsoft's WMA formats.


Like iTunes and Winamp 5, AOL's other media player, AMP also features customizable smart playlists, integrated streaming audio from Radio@AOL, and audio CD burning.

Despite the overlap, AOL says the new player is not meant to replace Winamp 5 - despite Winamp's development team dropping to just a few employees. AMP is targeted to more mainstream consumers, while Winamp users aren't likely to visit AOL's other Web properties, the company says.

BetaNews has learned that commerce integration will play a key role as AOL targets the mainstream Web. Taking a note from iTunes and Windows Media Player, future revisions of AMP are expected to include the ability to buy music from within the player.

The public release of AMP is the third beta, and includes some portable device support. Windows Media based devices do function with AMP, although AOL is still working on iPod support.

AOL Media Player Beta 3 is available for download via FileForum (http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/AOL_Media_Player/1113358781/1).

[B3NKobe]

As much as Id like to download this and try it I wont, ill stick with my nice Windows Media Player 10. These were some comments I found on the download page from betanews:



Reviewer: netwiz562 - Version:Beta 3
Definetly a resource hog. MusikCube (www.musikcube.com (http://www.musikcube.com/)) is much cleaner and has a low-footprint.

Reviewer: photonboy - Version:Beta
3 My volume playing videos was strangely muted compared to other Media players despite bringing up the proper audio decoders.

There was also an AOL link in my taskbar which I could not get rid of. (Maybe not damaging, but I just hate not being able to completely close a program)

Despite my low rating, I think the product has potential within its targeted audience. I doubt that will ever include myself. I quickly uninstalled the program.

Reviewer: simonjames - Version:Beta 3
The player seems to lack many options, no visualisations, and no equiliser. Like Real Player, it adds mp3's that are in playlists (hence doubling your actual mp3 count for nothing).You seem to have to be a member to get radio and video options.

The task manager counts a total of 60 000K mem usage counting all AOL processes, compared to 10 000 for WMP10 and 3500 for foobar2000. That seems like a large amount just to play an mp3.

6 times the resources of WMP10 and about 1/5 the features, it gets a 2 just because it actually works. Hope it gets a mem. usage cut and feature increase when its out of beta.

[[uber]]

I'm not a fan of AOL products simply for the fact that they embed their identity so deep in you pc.... And try to cancel a service....ha

[redViper]

does anyone know if the tools to create AOL video (the player they have on some of their sites) is available for download??