winamp 2.8 will play most of those...Windows Media Player (yeah, I know, but...) will play all but the Real files, MusicMatch Jukebox is also very nice and will handle all but Real files

MusicMatch gets my vote hands down. It rips, It burns, and it is easy to create playlists. The problem is the lack of skins for it, and it won't work with Real.

Winamp doesn't rip. (Or at least, last time I checked...which was a long time ago. Maybe I need to look back into this?)

WMP makes it way to cumbersome to make playlists.

Real is "Steal your email address sell it to everyone, make you pay thru the nose until you bleed" trash.

Quicktime is nice but not very compatible with the various file types out there.

Good luck with your decision.

Last time I checked CoolPlayer it only ran .mp3. Don't know about Sonique. I'd figure it's more versatile (looks better anyhow). As for Real Audio... is there any app other than RealAudio Player itself that can run that?

Except for video...

Winamp3 don't runs well MOV files.
I recommend Quicktime for .mov files (and other video formats, inlcuding Internet video streams), except for playing Real files; in this case, it's better the Real Player.
For any sound format (and for easy of use and addons/plugins) the better is Winamp3; if your don't have a hifh powered computer or you wish a ammediate to use music player, you can use WInamp 2.x, that have more addons/plugins than other players, including Winamp3 (you can rip and master too with WInamp).
For WMA files... ehem... who are interested with this kind of files, that stereo formats sonds like a mono streams (i don't have smell due to a disease, and maybe for this i have more listening sense)?

I run winamp 2.8 becasue i use litestep and i dont see my media player half the time, and i use WMP for my videos, works great for what i need it for. And yes there is aplugin in winamp that allows u to rip. Its just kinda hard to use

For audio playback, I recommend XMPlay http://www.un4seen.com/music/music_xmplay.html unless you wish to spend money on an audio player, then you cannot go past Steinberg's myMP3 pro for unsurpassed audio quality and features http://www.steinberg.net/en/

For video I use WMP or Quicktime 6, haven't found anything out there yet that betters these two.

for playlists i use JetAudio http://www.cowon.com/English/engjetaudio0.htm

it handles every audio and video format i have ever thrown at it, including real, divx, and WMF.

the only thing to watch is that for video files, you need to rename "video.wmf" to "video.wm" for it to pick it up.

for simple mp3 playback at work i use coolplayer.

and for just one off files windows media player picks them up.

i use power dvd http://www.gocyberlink.com/english/products/product_main.jsp?ProdId=28

also, having installed it under winXP, media player suddenly learned how to play DVD's to.

What are some of these guys talking about??
Best Media Player: WinDVD (It roxs) it's damn good quality, and it's not slow... Or else you could use DivX but i personaly recommend WinDVD 4 (it's not free, except for you who cracks like me
Best Sound Player: Musicmatch Jukebox it's incredible.... there alot you can play with it and other good capacities that just knocks the other players of. Use Musicmatch Jukebox FFS!
(recommended)

PS. i just had to write this strange msg

MPEG: Elecard
MP3 and CD: STP3
Everything else: WMP9

Good grief....I loaded Kjofal....and now I have the Chipmonks singing Foxy Lady.....something's wrong with the sample rate or something...

hayjoe....whereyougoinwiththatguninyourhand....this is not good....poor, poor Jimi....