PC-Freebies

Your netbook came installed with Windows Media Player already so why do you need another media player application? For starters, WMP can’t play all of the most commonly used formats.     There is no shortage these days of media players. It seems that there is not a single application up to the task of playing all formats. Quicktime for .mov, Windows Media Player for .avi and .wmv files and so on. Media Player Classic looks just like the old version of windows media player, but can do so much more. Media Player Classic, when combined with a codec pack such as the Combined Community Codec Pack that has a codec for virtually every type of file, it can play any file thrown its way.

Key highlights of Media Player Classic include:

• MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 playback. These are the most common video types out there. They play without incident in Media Player Classic.
• DirectShow, QuickTime and RealPlayer architectures. These are lesser known file types but still play within Media Player Classic.
• Matroska and Ogg Containers. Even lesser known file types such as these will still play within Media Player Classic.
• Record live TV with TV tuner

The audio options are also excellent with Media Player Classic. It gives the user the option to output the audio stream in stereo or multi channel surround.

Media Player Classic has an easy to use interface, various custom settings, and is a lightweight installation. It has been able to play every type of file we could throw at it without bogging down our machine. Do yourself a favor and upgrade your cumbersome Windows Media Player to the Media Player Classic.

Current Version: Build 1.1796.0  Installer Size: 1.9 MB   DOWNLOAD LINK

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Choices of instant messenger applications have become plentiful over the past decade.  If you are looking for a clean UI and basic features including superb voice quality than look no further and try Google Talk.  This free software allows you to see real time availability and status of your friends and family online.  Send instant messages and voice chat with them with the click of the mouse.

Some stellar features of Google Talk included with this ap are:

• The ability to text chat with your friends from GMail.
• Free PC to PC voice chat.
• Send and receive voicemails.
• Unlimited file transfers with no restrictions on size.
• Email notifications directly on your desktop.

Google Talk is by far the cleanest IM application that can easily be understood by novices.  While this software isn’t the most feature complete, it does the job beautifully for rich PC voice calls and simple communications through text.

Current Version: 1.0          Installer Size: 1.53MB          DOWNLOAD LINK

The two dominant audio/video applications of Windows Media Player (WMP) and iTunes have much to gain from premium free software like VLC Media Player, especially when it comes to video playback.  VLC is capable of reading most audio and video formats on the market today, including optical media like DVD’s, VCD’s and Audio CD’s without the need of additional codecs, which can be a nightmare to find.

Some features of VideoLAN’s VLC Media Player are:

• Supports a huge array of video formats including proprietary ones.
• The ability to play incomplete videos and movies.
• Minimalistic user interface with only the features you need.
• Extensive hotkey support.
• Support for streaming protocols including networks.

While VLC doesn’t have the graphical appeal as WMP and other video playback applications, it does shine by supporting a myriad of file formats, and they simply just work in VLC, with impressive speed and performance.

Current Version: 0.9.9          Installer Size: 15.90MB          DOWNLOAD LINK