Windows XP Power Hound

Listening to Music

This section offers hints designed to increase your listening pleasure.

The MP3 Factor

As most power hounds and 8-year-olds know, digital comes in many formats, including MP3, .wma, .wav, and more. MP3 is the only format that can you play on any software player (like Windows Media Player) or physical device (like an iPod). Thus, if you want to use your PC or portable player to listen to a symphony you downloaded from a Website or rock opera from your favorite CD, you may well have to convert the files into MP3s.

Unfortunately, while Windows Media Player can play MP3 files, the program can't create MP3 files—at least not without the help of a tool, called an encoder, which converts files into the MP3 format.

Here're two options for creating MP3 files:

• MP3 Power Encoder, available for $9.95 from Cyberlink at http://www.gocyberlink.com/english/products/powerdvd/winxp_plugin.asp.

• MP3 XPack, available for $9.95 from Intervideo at http://www.intervideo.com/products/custom/ms/windowsxp/media_pack.jsp.

Tip

To find other MP3 encoders, open Windows Media Player, choose Tools → Options → Copy Music, and click "Learn more about MP3 formats."

The Graphic Equalizer

Want to try your hand at the mixing board? Windows Media Player's Graphic Equalizer lets you tweak your tunes in a bunch of ways, including raising or lowering treble and bass, changing the balance of your left and right speakers, and choosing from almost two dozen presets—canned groups of settings designed to make ...