Microsoft KB Archive/245608

= File Formats Supported by Windows Media Player Versions 6.0 and Later =

Article ID: 245608

Article Last Modified on 5/7/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.0
 * Microsoft Windows Media Player 7.0
 * Microsoft Windows Media Player 7.1
 * Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.1
 * Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.2
 * Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.4
 * Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series
 * Microsoft Windows Media Player 8.01
 * Microsoft Windows Media Player 8.01
 * Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series
 * Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series
 * Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series

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This article was previously published under Q245608



SUMMARY
This article describes the file formats that Microsoft Windows Media Player supports.



MORE INFORMATION
Windows Media Player supports the following file formats:

Windows Media Player 6.0

 * Windows Media formats

File name extensions: .asf, .asx, .avi, .wav, .wma, .wax, .wm, .wmv, .wvx
 * RealAudio and RealVideo (version 4.0 or earlier)

File name extensions: .ra, .ram, .rm, .rmm
 * Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG)

File name extensions: .mpg, .mpeg, .m1v, .mp2, .mpa, .mpe

Note MPEG 2 requires third-party software or hardware decoders.
 * Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)

File name extensions: .mid, .rmi
 * Apple QuickTime (version 2.0 or earlier)

File name extensions: .mov
 * Macintosh AIFF Resource

File name extensions: .aif, .aifc, .aiff
 * Intel Video File

File name extensions: .ivf
 * UNIX

File name extensions: .au, .snd

Windows Media Player 6.1, 6.2, 6.4, 7, 7.1, Windows Media Player for Windows XP, and Windows Media Player 9 Series
 Windows Media formats

File name extensions: .asf, .asx, .avi, .wav, .wax, .wma, .wm Audio Visual Interleave

File name extension: .avi Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG)

File name extensions: m3u, mp2v, .mpg, .mpeg, .m1v, .mp2, .mp3, .m3u, .mpa, .mpe, mpv2

Note MPEG 2 requires third-party software or hardware decoders. DVD Video

File name extension: .vob

Note DVD playback requires third-party software or hardware decoders and is supported only in Windows XP. Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)

File name extensions: .mid, midi, .rmi Apple Macintosh AIFF Resource

File name extensions: .aif, .aifc, .aiff Sun Microsystems and NeXT

File name extensions: .au, .snd</li> Intel Video File

File name extensions: .ivf

Note Intel Video File support requires the Intel Video 5.x codec.</li> Windows Media Player Skins

File name extensions: .wmz, .wms</li> QuickTime Content

File name extensions: .avi, .mov, .qt

Note Windows Media Player can play back older forms of the QuickTime format only. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

316992 Windows Media Player Multimedia File Formats

</li> Algebraic-Code-Excited Linear Prediction</li> UNIX

File name extensions: .au, .snd</li> Macromedia Flash

File name extension: .swf

Note Playback of Shockwave Flash files requires the Macromedia Flash plug-in.</li></ul>

For more information about these file formats and to test your Windows Media Player client using sample files, visit the following Microsoft Windows Media Player Web page:

http://ask.support.microsoft.com/kb/316992

For additional information about file formats supported on older versions of Windows Media Player, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

191346 File Formats Supported by Windows Media Player 5.2

Keywords: kbinfo kbsound KB245608

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