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]

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]

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?

[CraigF]

case in point, your argument is against DRM, not aol/microsoft/etc. same thing could happen with itms.

[Burnett]

Originally posted by ArcCoyote
...
Boycott WMA.

When I bought a MP3-Stick, some time ago, the man wanted to tell me, that WMA is a lot better than MP3!!!

[Kado]

I never used wma and I have no intentions of start using it!
I always get the latest version of Winamp! So if it is Winamp 5.08e... So be it!
The only thing I change in Winamp it self is it's splash screen!

[d3x7r0]

Originally posted by Kado
I never used wma and I have no intentions of start using it!
I always get the latest version of Winamp! So if it is Winamp 5.08e... So be it!
The only thing I change in Winamp it self is it's splash screen!

LOOOOL Now There's some splash screen LMAO

It's a pity some people come arround here just to talk crap (pardon my french). If they don't like winamp they don't have to use it

[nybergh]

Does this WMA "controversy" (haha, the www is a hysterical place) affect Winamp's ability to play WMA files with DSP?

edit: and tell the guys at aol's marketing departement that I want another of those free mp3's soon. This Silvertide song has been bundled for ages.

[DJ Egg]

Basically, if you need to play any drm-protected WMA's, then you will need to install 5.08e Full.

If you don't have any drm wma's, then you can uncheck "WMA Support" in the installer options, thus keeping in_wm.dll and wmahelp.dll from 5.08d and earlier
(or you could just backup in_wm.dll and replace it after installation).

First time users will need to install 5.08d first (see link in first post in thread) to obtain the previous versions of the WMA Support files, and then uncheck WMA Support in the installer for all future upgrades.

This way, you will still be able to use alternate output plugins and dsp/fx plugins for unprotected wma's.

Hmm, maybe we should zip them up and post a link somewhere...?


Alas, this is the price you pay for buying into proprietary protected formats, especially when there are so many alternate methods available.

This is also the price that all Winamp users have to pay due to some idiots posting "Napster DRM crack with Winamp" articles all over the net.

There's heaps of software available for capturing any audio going through the soundcard and saving it to file, eg. Total Recorder, Virtuosa, Messer, SoundForge, Audacity, TuneBite, Creative Recorder, etc etc, which is all the Output Stacker workaround did. It's not exactly anything new.... :/

Microsoft saw it as a breaking of their WMA license agreement, and there was nothing that Nullsoft could do about it except to comply.

The license agreement states that Winamp should not be able to be used for converting their beloved WMA format into any other format.

Hopefully, this will further deter people from purchasing crippled DRM formats.
So, afaict, it's a good thing.

It's just a shame that users who've got any non drm wma's and listen to mms:// streams also have to suffer as a consequence . . . not to mention if they're using older systems with Win95/NT4 and can't use DirectSound Output (ie. stuck with waveOut Output only), or if they'd been using any alternate Output Plugin previously (eg. SqrSoft, A3D, KB5.1, etc) . . . though as stated above, there is no need for those users to install the updated WMA support components.

[DrO]

billyvnilly: see my edit to the start of the thread but yeah, effectively this change does mess up the basic system requirements if windows media is to be played. if not then it's the same as is already stated. bit of a shit basically and personally i think that they should have locked the output to out_wave (like it was before the restriction was lifted) as well as out_ds *shrugs*

-daz

[DJ Egg]

Yup. The minimum system requirements for WMA playback are now:
DirectX v8.0a or higher (9.0c recommended)

Basically, this is because DirectSound Output requires DX v8.0a or higher to work.

Effectively, this now means that there is no support for WMA on WinNT4
which only supports up to DirectX Media 6.

Win95 users will need to upgrade to DX v8.0a.
(Win95 supports no higher version than this).
Note that even microsoft no longer provides a download for 8.0a, and also no longer supports Win95.

But then again, there was no official support for Win95 or NT4 before anyway, heh.

Again, this only applies to playing back drm-protected wma's with the new in_wm.dll from Winamp 5.08e. Playback of any non-protected wma's does not require the new dll, and therefore older systems/OS'es will still be supported.

[nybergh]

I have no DRM protected WMA:s and I've been using the direct show filter for playing WMA:s for some time. What I do is that when I'm about to add some WMAs to my libary I disable the direct show filter handling of WMA, which means the crippled WMA plugin is activated to collect the metadata from the WMA: s. When the files are in the database, I put the direct show filter back on.

This doesn't happen very often, WMA is dreadful, but I have some downloaded rare bootlegs and stuff only in WMA

[priestlyboy]

Lol, you can ALWAYS use if you have the software for it.. Record windows sound output with the "What You Hear" option in your Record Audio Playback and turn off all noises on your computer *which i do defaultly* and record WMAs that way.

I never done it for WMAs though since I despise them but I thought I'd make some noise :P.

/Ieremiou

[ujay]

@ priestlyboy.
The changes have nothing to do with preventing you converting DRM files, they are there purely to cover AOL's ass. That is, the recording now needs to be done after the signal has left Winamp, not before.
Personally I think AOL has made a bad choice in the way it has been implemented and the output could just as easily have been tied to both DirectSound and wave output. Maybe I'm wrong.

UJ

[DrO]

Originally posted by ujay
Personally I think AOL has made a bad choice in the way it has been implemented and the output could just as easily have been tied to both DirectSound and wave output. Maybe I'm wrong.

i think the same as well as i mentioned a few posts up

-daz

[newb2k]

Yeah, boycott DRM-shit in every possible way!
I still cant believe why anybody buys music & itunes and other stores....

but back to winamp: does this limitation only work with napster-wma or with wma @ all?

what about drm-wma made by friends unable to use mp3-compatible rippers, is there any change in using these files (with old and new version, i did not test it yet, just like 2 know)

Another questions: has AOL(Time Warner) anything to do with winamp/nullsoft directly?
on some pages it sounds like AOL "updated" the drm on their own?!

regards

[DJ Egg]

No, Tag Loomis made the changes, one of the only two coders currently left on the Nullsoft team.

As explained above, this has nothing to do with AOL, Nullsoft, Winamp...
The changes were made under strict orders from Microsoft,
because their WMA License Agreement states that Winamp cannot be used to convert their beloved WMA format into any other format.

Again, I think it's already been explained above, but to expand a bit further....
The changes made apply to all wma files (whether drm or not), and to no other format. If you try to play a wma file with any other Output plugin selected, you will get a pop-up box saying "please use DirectSound Output to play Windows Media content".

If you keep in_wm.dll from v5.08d or earlier, then you will still be able to use alternate output plugins with non-drm wma files (and naturally, you won't get that error message box).

If you've got drm-protected wma files, then you need in_wm.dll v2.04 from Winamp 5.08e to play them, otherwise they will be unplayable.

This is because the previous remote/online licensing acquisition has been revoked, and therefore Winamp will no longer be able to acquire the drm licences unless the new in_wm.dll and wmahelp.dll are present.

However, I'm not sure if this also applies to local content, ie. wma files encoded by WiMP with "copy protect music" checkmarked in the options. Though if it does, then all I can say is that it serves those people right for not unchecking that option first, and also for ripping to WMA in the first place. Sad, but true. :/

[iron2000]

So e build is basically a WMA fix?
If so I'll skip this one too.

[SadEye]

Originally posted by 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.

AGREE

[dead-beat]

well all i have to say is that i think winamp is top quality beats any other player i have ever used and its free with no advertisments

hardly anyone i have shown winamp to has ever gone back to windows media player

and who in the hell uses windows media player to rip music anyway thats just asking for trouble cd ex for me and if i was going to download music it would have to be raw mp3 or i wouldnt bother i dont want to have to keep worrying about being able to play my files mp3 can be played by anything thats supposed to play mp3 and i can copy it to whereever i want

i hope this protection stuff falls on its ass!

[Michgelsen]

Just a question. Can you still use the disk writer plugin to convert the wma to a wav and then convert the wav back to an mp3 with lame?
Or do you suffer huge quality loss then? Or can't it be done at all?

[DrO]

you can't play wma with anything other than out_ds selected

-daz

[Michgelsen]

wma with drm that is? I don't have any protected ones, but I do have a few normal wma's and I can convert them to wav without any problems and I do have 5.08. (the letter I'm not sure of, it just says:
Winamp 5.08:
* Created new eMusic bundles
in the update log, it's not "e", that I'm sure of.

Am I missing the point here?

BTW I never saved any dlls, if I update I do a clean install.

[siebe83]

Nope... All wma files will only work with DirectSound output selected, unless you have the same system setup as Nunzio ().

You probably have an earlier 5.08 version. The changes to in_wma were done in 5.08e. If you want the old in_wma plugin back (from 5.08d) after you have installed 5.08e, you can get it here:
http://forums.winamp.com/showthread....76#post1602176
With that version of the WMA input plugin you will be able to convert to other file formats using the Disk Writer plugin except for DRM-protected files (which won't play at all).
Or just copy the files that DrO mentioned in the first post of this thread before you upgrade. Or upgrade to Winamp 5.08d instead (only difference between d and e is this WMA shit).

[Michgelsen]

Oh ok well I'll keep my 5.08 version then, I don't have any drm files and will not have in the future either I think.
Thanks for clearing things up.

[dianek93]

Ok, could someone help me with this... I have NO CLUE how to do the DirectSound thing so I can play WMA's. I use them because the are smaller in size than mp3's, and converted them all myself using a converter. I just downloaded the update not realizing it would make me unable to listen to ANY of the music I have on my computer. I always thought updates made a program better... (Yes I understand the liscencing trouble though). So can someone please tell me, pretty much step-by-step, HOW to fix this? Thanks.

[siebe83]

Open preferences (Ctrl+P) > go to Plug-ins: Output > select (i.e. click on) 'DirectSound output'
That's all... If it still doesn't work, please define where you get stuck and what happens exactly.

If you want to use another output plugin while playing WMA files and you do not have DRM-protected WMA's, install Winamp 5.08d.

[edit]
@DrO: good idea!

[DrO]

to make things easier for people, i'll be putting up an installer for the older in_wm bits and that so that still the new(est) Winamp version can be installed then back-graded for the wma handling. should be done later today/tonight

-daz