Winamp 5.08e released

[DrO]

Download here:

Winamp 5.08e - Full (4.36mb)
Winamp 5.08e - Lite (742kb)
Winamp 5.08e - Pro (Requires A Valid User Key, 4.36mb)
Winamp 5.08e - Silvertide Bundle (7.89mb)
Winamp 5.08e - Silvertide+EMusic (Basic) Bundle (7.93mb)
Winamp 5.08d - Silvertide+EMusic (Full) Bundle (7.96mb)
Winamp 5.08e - EMusic (Basic) Bundle (4.41mb)
Winamp 5.08e - EMusic (Full) Bundle (4.43mb)

Winamp 5.08e:
* Updated Windows Media DRM License
* All previous updates in the the 5.08 build (more info)


What files are updated in the 5.08e build

out_ds now v2.2.11 (was 2.2.10)
in_wma now v2.04 (was 2.03)
wmahelp.dll has been updated


What do the changes do?

From the tests done, if the output plugin is not the directsound one (out_ds) you receive a 'Please select DirectSound output plugin to play Windows Media Content' warning message and playback will advance to the next track. This DOES NOT affect any other media formats from the tests done in the last hour, it's ONLY WMA (and variants) that are affected (but that's proprietry formats for you )

So in summary, if DirectSound Output is NOT selected then you can't play Window Media files without it prompting you to select DirectSound Output. All OTHER FORMATS are not affected by the changes to any of the plugin/dlls listed above.

That's the effect of the 5.08e changes in those dlls. To play them you need to be using DirectSound Output (thank the idiots for this)


But i don't want to upgrade...

There's an easy to use installer now (as of 9/03/2005) which will make the 'downgrade' easy to do. Now you can install the latest version of Winamp and then run the 'downgrade' installer afterwards (which is much easier then having to download and run two Winamp installs everytime for those who are going to use this).

Winamp 5 Downgrade Installer

All the downgrader does is it gives you the option to restore in_wm.dll, wmahelp.dll and out_ds.dll from Winamp 5.08d

-daz

Updated to include summary info 23/02/2005
Updated to include installer and made a few alterations 9/03/2005

[d3x7r0]

still the file isn't up yet

[DrO]

it's working fine for me for all of them

-daz

[d3x7r0]

Ok for me they do too now

But just a second ag they said: file not found on the server :S

[bob0r]

* Updated Windows Media DRM License
Does that mean we can play WM audio and video files with DRM?

Or does this mean we are more limited?

[Kanpai]

Any kind of DRM update is a pretty clear reminder of how awesome 5.08D is. I'll hold off on updating, i think.

[DrO]

Basically it means any drm files will now work again. However in the tests i've just done, if you're not using direct sound output then you'll get a warning message of 'Please select DirectSound output plugin to play Windows Media Content' which isn't good for those on older machines without decent directsound handling

i'm updating the initial post to indicate this

-daz

[baronng]

Winamp was dead long time ago already

why brother 'upgrading'?

The so called new version would only take away features
/introduce bugs

Maybe Winamp 5.09 change log would looked like
- User must use the 'AOL the great output plugin', or you'd get error playing all media file
- user friendly spyware added
- winamp logo updated (to AOL's one)
- etc...
and hay, let's not forgot the most important update that has been exist for long time:
- Lots lots lots lots Critical Security bug fixes
- Lots lots lots lots of small bugfixes

[Hexlord]

Boycott this version!

[DrO]

Originally posted by baronng
Maybe Winamp 5.09 change log would looked like
- User must use the 'AOL the great output plugin', or you'd get error playing all media file

what a load of crap. the reason for the new build is down to the stupid use of drm files courtesy of microsoft's proprietary file formats and people working around it to get non-drm files. for most of the later 2.x builds in_wm was locked to only output via wave output and then in 5.x this was unlocked so people could use dsps, etc on the wma files which is when people started making advantage of the drm work around. so it's down to people being fucking stupid and posting how to do this work around which is now why there's a 5.08e build

boycott/bitch/do whatever you bloody want to do but to say i'm pissed off with all these negative comments is an understatement. no one is forcing people to use Winamp, it's free the last time i looked yes? and unless you use out_wave then there's no difference in how it deals with wma in 5.08e. if you don't have wma files then remove the support altogether and everyone is sorted.

so what if AOL effectively owns Winamp, just about all the bitching i've seen about this 'OMG WINAMP SUCKS COS AOL OWNS IT NOW' shit been about from people using the 2.x builds which funnily enough were paid for by AOL and is why Winamp is free in the first place (remember it was shareware before 2.5). if you don't like that people then so be it but that's how it is and how hard Nullsoft worked to keep the AOL name away from the player.

but hey what am i to know, i've sunk the best part of the last year and a half of just about all of my freetime into trying to code plugins for it and have used it ever since it was made free by the AOL funding back in 1999. so boycott it and kill it as you seem to be doing such a good job off, those bitching will only have themselves to blame in the end, bye

-daz

[ArcCoyote]

It's not as easy as not upgrading.

WMA is a proprietary, optionally DRM protected format. The format owners maintain control over it.

The Winamp 5.08d DRM license was revoked following the Napster DRM workaround. It's not authorized to play new files, and if the WMA codec phones home (Winamp's WMA decoder just uses the codec) files you already have might stop working as well.

If you have DRM protected WMA files, you have to update to 5.08e. If you don't any new WMA/DRM files (MSN, Napster, etc..) will not play in Winamp.

It's not a matter of boycotting Winamp. Winamp has to play ball with the WMA codec or the WMA codec won't work with it at all.

Boycott WMA.

[gaekwad2]

Originally posted by baronng
Winamp was dead long time ago already

why brother 'upgrading'?

The so called new version would only take away features

You don't understand, Microsoft/the record industry took away the ability to play drm-wma with the old plugin.

AOL/Nullsoft had no choice, the alternative would have been a player that doesn't allow people to play their precious downloaded songs (encoded in crappy 128k wma standard).

If you only have drm-free wma files then indeed the old version is better, if you don't use that shitty format at all then it doesn't make any difference.

Originally posted by Hexlord
Boycott this version!

Boycott drm instead!

[baronng]

anyway
winamp was dead since justin and the last member of the original development team left last year

[ArcCoyote]

WMA sucks in many ways

I got rid of WMA a long time ago. I made the mistake of ripping a lot of my CDs to WMA when WMP seemed like a better player. When I went back to Winamp WMA wasn't a problem because none of the files were DRM protected, but once I got an iPod, what a mess. Half my library was crippled.

dbPowerAmp is very good for converting WMA to MP3 or any other format. It won't work with DRM protected files, but keep in mind the WMA usage license from MS explicitly forbids the transcoding or capturing of ANY WMA into other formats! Nero won't do it, and Winamp wasn't SUPPOSED to do it. (which is why DSP plugins don't work with WMA)

Even die-hard MS fans dislike WMA. Notice how WMP 10 can rip to MP3?

[billyvnilly]

wait hold-on...AOL owns Winamp?

@DrO, so does this upgrade effectively change the minimum requirements for WA (regarding out_ds) do you know if they will treat it as a minimum requirements for this plugin alone, or does it change the min for WA use overall?