Give the Player a New Look February 2005
It's easy to give Windows Media Player 10 a new look by changing its outward appearance. You can do this by applying a skin, changing the Player color, or adding a video border color.
Applying a SkinYou can change the appearance of the Player by applying a skin. Each skin has a distinct appearance and most skins incorporate basic Player functions such as play, previous, next, stop, and the ability to adjust the volume. In fact, some skins offer added functionality such as special audio files you can play, visualizations you can view, and other custom features.
You can select and apply a skin from the standard set of skins that is provided with the Player, or you can download skins from the Internet.
The skin you apply may not have all of the functionality that the Player supports. The functionality of a skin is determined by its creator. For example, some skins do not have a Video and Visualization pane. Consequently, you cannot view video clips, DVDs, or visualizations in those skins.
The best way to learn about a skin and its features is to apply the skin and have fun exploring what it allows you to do. Once you apply the skin to the Player, the Player is displayed in the skin each time you change from full mode to skin mode.
To apply a skinIn Windows Media Player, click the Access applications menu button  , point to View, and then click Skin Chooser. In the skins list, click the skin you want to apply. A preview of the skin appears. Click Apply Skin . This displays the Player in skin mode using the skin you chose. Now you can explore how the skin works and what it can do for you. Note You must be in full mode before you can change a skin. To return to full mode from a skin, right-click anywhere on the Player, and then click Switch to Full Mode.
To download a skin from the InternetStart Windows Media Player and connect to the Internet. Click the Access applications menu button , point to View, and then click Skin Chooser. Click More Skins . Follow the instructions on the Web page for downloading a skin.
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Changing the ColorYou can change the color of the Player when in full mode. For example, you may want to change the color to something that matches your mood, your desktop, or just to reflect who you are.
Note Changing the color of the Player in full mode does not change the color of the skins.
To change the color of the PlayerIn Windows Media Player, click Now Playing, click the Select Now Playing Options button  , point to Enhancements, and then click Color Chooser, as shown in the following screen shot. - In the Enhancements pane, do any of the following:
To change the Player to a preset color, click the Next preset link until the Player displays in the preset color you want to use. To change the Player to a custom color, move the Hue and Saturation color sliders until the Player displays in the custom color you want to use. The Hue slider adjusts the color. The Saturation slider adjusts the intensity of that color. As you move each slider, the color of the Player changes immediately to the current slider settings. To return to the default color, click the Reset link.
To use black as the Player background colorIf you find it difficult to read the text on the Player user interface, you can use black as the background color to increase the contrast. To do so, select the Use black as Player background color check box under the Color Chooser.
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Adding a Video Border ColorYou can add a border color that displays around the videos you watch using the full screen or in the Now Playing feature. You can use the basic color set or you can create custom colors.
To add a color to the video borderIn Windows Media Player, click the Access applications menu button , point to Tools, and then click Options. Click the Performance tab. Under Video acceleration, click Advanced. The box under Video border color shows the current color of the border, as shown in the following screen shot. Click Change. - Use either of the following options to select a new color:
To select a color from the Basic colors palette, click the color you want to use and then click OK to save your selection, as shown in the following screen shot. To create a custom color, click Define Custom Colors, make your color selection, and then click Add to Custom Colors.
In the Color dialog box, click OK to save your color choice. In the Video Acceleration Settings dialog box, your selection now displays under Video border color. Click OK. In the Options dialog box, click Apply. A Windows Media Player dialog box opens that prompts you to confirm that you want to apply the color change. Click Yes, and then in the Options dialog box, click OK.
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