[Forbodium]

Is there anything available for the Mac that I can play wmv files with other than Windows Media Player?

[Jacke]

VLC can do it as long as it isn't Windows Video 9/Windows Media 10.

[Millennium]

VLC can do older versions, but not newer ones. Even on Windows, though there aren't any actual alternate players. They all tap into the Windows Media OLE controls, so you're still using the same code; it's just a different wrapper around that code.

[Anand]

So there is nothing?

[King Bob On The Cob]

http://www.flip4mac.com/
They are beta testing now.

[The DJ]

Originally posted by King Bob On The Cob:
http://www.flip4mac.com/
They are beta testing now.

Just to clarify some things. This company is probably a member of the standards body where VC-1 is being submitted to (VC-1 is the WMV9 codec spinoff for HD-DVD). As such they have access to the standards sourcecodes. They can use these codes and standards like any other member, however they are not yet allowed to share it with outsiders. Since in the Open source world it is all about sharing, no one has been allowed yet to take it's knowledge and create a free and opensource codec based on this information from the standard yet.

In time when the standard is finalized, it will be possible for people like ffmpeg (which is also used in mplayer and vlc) to use the specs. It will still take quite some development time after that, but rest assured that there WILL be a Free and Open Source decoder in the end.

It's just that the members get an advantage over outsiders to bring this to the market and make money of it.

Also to prove that it IS possible, as long as you have the specs.
http://nanocrew.net/blog/technology/wmv9linux.html
This was created by a VLC developer who DOES have access to the specs and sources. But because he is a member, he cannot yet release these sources.