Enhanced Content Provider Services Area Group Box

The Send Unique Player ID to Content Providers check box controls whether Windows Media Player passes an identifier to streaming media servers to enable the servers to monitor the connection and adjust the stream to improve playback quality. You may need to select this check box to get high-quality streaming audio. Windows Media Player uses Internet Explorer’s cookies discussed in the section “Handling Cookies” in Article 2, which you can access quickly by clicking the Cookies button.

Select the check box in this group box if you want Windows Media Player to share your Windows Media Player usage data with Microsoft so that they can learn how real users use the program. The data is shared anonymously.

History Area

Select the Save File and URL History in the Player check box if you want Windows Media Player to save information about the files and streams you’ve played. Clear this check box if you’d prefer not to keep this data. Click the Clear History button to clear your current file and URL history, or click the Clear Caches button to clear the details on the CDs and DVDs you’ve loaded recently.

Security Page Options

The Security page of the Options dialog box  contains the following options:

Run Script Commands When Present    This check box controls whether Windows Media Player runs script commands embedded in digital media content. Scripts can be malicious, so it’s best to keep this check box cleared.

Run Script Commands and Rich Media Streams When the Player Is in a Web Page    This check box controls whether Windows Media Player runs scripts or streams when the player is embedded in a web page. Selecting this check box increases your security but may cost you functionality.

Play Enhanced Content That Uses Web Pages without Prompting    Select this check box if you want to suppress prompting about enhanced content delivered via web pages. Normally, it’s safer to have Windows Media Player prompt you before it starts displaying web pages.

Show Local Captions When Present    Select this check box if you want Windows Media Player to display any available Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange SAMI captions during playback. SAMI is closed captioning for Windows multimedia files.

Zone Settings Windows Media Player shares Internet Explorer’s security zones discussed in the section “Choosing Security Options” in Article 2, which you can access quickly by clicking this button.

DVD Page Options

The DVD page  appears if your computer has a DVD drive and decoder installed. This page offers these options:

DVD Playback Restrictions    To implement parental control on DVDs played on the computer, click the Change button. Windows Media Player displays the Change Rating Restriction dialog box, as shown next. Select the maximum permitted rating in the Prevent Others from Playing DVDs That Are Rated Higher Than drop-down list, click the OK button, and then authenticate yourself to User Account Control. 

Language Settings If you want to change your default languages for DVDs and videos, click the Defaults button. Windows Media Player displays the Default Language Settings dialog box, as shown next. Choose the languages in the Audio Language drop-down list, the Lyrics, Captions, and Subtitles drop-down list, and then DVD Menu drop-down list, and then click the OK button. The Title Default setting gives you the primary language with which the DVD was encoded.

Advanced Click this button to configure speaker settings.

Network Page Options

On the Network page , you can choose which protocols to use for receiving audio and video streams over a network. Unless you know your protocols well enough not to need advice on configuring them, you probably shouldn’t mess with the default selections.