Editing Windows Media Player (section)

===Format support===
The player includes intrinsic support for [[Windows Media]] codecs and also WAV and MP3 media formats. On [[Windows XP]] and above with WMP 9 Series and later, the [[WMA Pro|Windows Media Audio Professional]] codec is included which supports multichannel audio at up to 24-bit 192&nbsp;kHz resolution. Windows Media Player 11 includes the Windows Media Format 11 runtime which adds low bitrate support (below 128&nbsp;kbit/s for [[WMA Pro]]), support for ripping music to ''WMA Pro 10'' and updates the original WMA to version 9.2.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

Support for any media codec and container format can be added using specific [[DirectShow]] filters or [[Media Foundation]] codecs (Media Foundation codecs only in Windows Vista and later). The player will not play MP3 files that contain compressed [[ID3]] headers ("tags"); trying to do so results in a "The input media file is invalid" error message. MP3 playback support was built-in beginning with version 6.1 and audio CD playback was natively supported with version 7.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

DVD playback features minus the necessary decoders were integrated into Windows Media Player 8 for [[Windows XP]]. The player activates DVD and Blu-ray playback functionality with support for menus, titles and chapters, parental controls and audio track language selection if compatible decoders are installed. MPEG-2 and Dolby Digital (AC-3) decoders were included beginning with Windows Media Player 11 on Windows Vista (Home Premium and Ultimate editions only) and Windows 7 (Home Premium, Ultimate, or Enterprise editions) to allow DVD playback without additional software. However, the decoders were subsequently removed in Windows 8 and Windows 10 due to licensing costs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dvd-playback-options-for-windows-927ebe85-7837-4149-4323-f55a9e3c4e36|title=DVD playback options for Windows|website=Microsoft|access-date=March 27, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021193849/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dvd-playback-options-for-windows-927ebe85-7837-4149-4323-f55a9e3c4e36|archive-date=October 21, 2020|url-status=deviated}}</ref>

Windows Media Player 12 adds native support for [[H.264]] and [[MPEG-4 Part 2]] video formats, [[Apple Lossless Audio Codec|ALAC]], [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]] audio<ref name="ArsWMP12">{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2008/10/hands-on-windows-media-player-12s-surprising-new-features.ars |title=Hands on: Windows Media Player 12's surprising new features |access-date=March 25, 2009 |author=Peter Bright |work=ArsTechnica |publisher=Condé Nast Digital |date=October 30, 2008 |archive-date=March 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327041159/http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2008/10/hands-on-windows-media-player-12s-surprising-new-features.ars |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[3GP]]{{clarify |post-text=got no codec available for 3GP|date=November 2015}}, [[MP4]] and [[QuickTime File Format|MOV]] container formats.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/02/26/windows-7-rc-to-natively-support-to-mov-files |title=Windows 7 RC to natively support .mov files |access-date=March 25, 2009 |work=Chakkaradeep Chandran |publisher=Neowin.net |date=February 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120703025255/http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/02/26/windows-7-rc-to-natively-support-to-mov-files |archive-date=July 3, 2012 }}</ref> Windows Media Player 12 is also able to play [[AVCHD]] formats (''.[[M2TS]]'' and ''[[.mts]]'').<ref name="Win7CameraSupport">{{cite web|url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/E/6/5E66B27B-988B-4F50-AF3A-C2FF1E62180F/GRA-T538_WH08.pptx|title=Windows 7 next generation camera support|format=PPTX|work=Download Center|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227083315/http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/E/6/5E66B27B-988B-4F50-AF3A-C2FF1E62180F/GRA-T538_WH08.pptx|archive-date=December 27, 2008}}</ref>

As of [[Windows 10]], Windows Media Player 12 can play [[FLAC]], [[HEVC]], and [[SubRip]] subtitle, and [[Matroska]] container formats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2014/11/native-mkv-flac-and-hevc-support-in-windows-10/|title=Native MKV, FLAC And HEVC Support In Windows 10|website=Lifehacker Australia|date=29 November 2014 }}</ref> Although the [[WebM]] file type is not officially associated with Windows Media Player 12 (the default player is [[Microsoft Movies & TV]]), playback of [[VP9]] video in [[WebM]] container is possible on Windows 10 version 1809 and later.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vacuumbreather.com/index.php/blog/item/81-windows-10-1809-built-in-apps-what-to-keep|title=Windows 10 1809 Built-In Apps: What to Keep|website=Vacuum Breather|access-date=2022-06-09|archive-date=2023-04-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410115828/https://www.vacuumbreather.com/index.php/blog/item/81-windows-10-1809-built-in-apps-what-to-keep|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Windows Media Player Mobile====
Windows Media Player Mobile 10 on [[Windows Mobile]] 6.5 supports [[MP3]], [[Advanced Systems Format|ASF]], [[Windows Media Audio|WMA]], and [[Windows Media Video|WMV]] using WMV or [[MPEG-4]] codecs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc907938.aspx |title=Formats supported by Windows Media Player Mobile |work=[[MSDN]] |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |date=April 8, 2010 |access-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-date=November 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118154735/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc907938.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>