Windows 8 won't support DVD, Blu-ray playback by default

Jos

Posts: 3,073   +97

Microsoft has pounded another nail in the coffin for optical media with the revelation that it won't be including DVD playback support by default in Windows 8. With a post on the Building Windows 8 blog yesterday, the company explained that DVD and Blu-ray playback as well as watching broadcast TV on PCs is in decline, and thus it no longer feels that the cost of licensing specialized decoders across all copies of Windows is justified.

Windows Media Player will continue to be offered in all versions of Windows 8 and allow playback for internet video and other files, but without DVD playback capability. Instead, those who need the functionality can purchase the Windows Media Center upgrade separately, or use third-party software.

The Windows Media Center update will be available to Windows 8 customers via the Add Features to Windows 8 control panel (formerly known as Windows Anytime Upgrade), bringing full integration with DVD playback, broadcast TV recording and playback, and VOB file playback. Exactly how much the upgrade will cost should be announced closer to Windows 8's launch, but Microsoft says "it will be in line with marginal costs".

While the move might seem a bit drastic it probably will be just a minor annoyance considering there are tons of free third-party video players out there that support DVD playback, including the popular VLC. Moreover, Windows 8 will run on a variety of form factors that don’t have optical drives to play DVDs, including tablets and ultrabooks, so the decision to avoid paying licensing fees for these devices seems reasonable.

That said, faithful Media Center users will still be disappointed with news that it will be sold as a separated add-on, rather than being integrated into the OS as was the case with the last two releases of Windows.

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There will be a way to get it free for the faithful, but otherwise VLC is just fine.
 
Its funny, when Microsoft include a software in Windows (ex: IE) people are saying it is killing the small developers or competition. Now that Microsoft is not including a software that most people don't use, people are still complaining. Make up your mind people.
 
So it'll be cheaper than Win 7 then, without that additional licensing to pay for? Put your hands up if you think that saving will be passed on to the consumer. I'm a fan of Microsoft, but I really think they're going to struggle in the future.
 
i am all for having Media Center do all the DVD, broadcast, and what not. and frankly nobody uses Window Media Player anyway (most people either use MPC HC, or VLC). but the fact that you have to pay extra for media center does not sit well with me.
 
I'm glad to see optical media go, it's really verging on obsolescence these days. For the price of one Blu-Ray burner drive one can get about eight 16 GB USB drives, which are faster, easier to carry around and generally more reliable. Not to mention that they can be written many times over without special software.

All software should be distributed like this, BD-ROM endures merely because it's highly controllable by media moguls.

The days of optical media are gone in my book, Microsoft's move is kinda bold, but they're merely adapting to the rapidly changing world of computing. I salute them.
 
I think Balmer's Ouija board is channeling Jobs and he's finally getting his revenge. I'm happy to see Microsoft alienating users so much. Maybe that will push people to discover new OSes based on Linux or Mac. More people on competing OSes means more software is made for multiple platforms and more competition for Microsoft. Competition is great for consumers. Keep up the good work Microsoft!
 
I have had windows 7 from launch day and never used the media center, whats wrong with vlc player?
 
DVD's and Blu-ray's should die already, just saying, besides whos really going to upgrade to 8? the only way i switch to that [/sarcasm]iWindows 8[sarcasm] is if i get forced by games of some other software's :\
 
@Cota the blu rays will probably be around for a while. I mean it's Sony's main format for the ps3...
 
why the **** is the title of this article so........idk. what are we reversing the technological time? no dvd or blu ray? on my computer? what kind of garbage is that.
 
why the **** is the title of this article so........idk. what are we reversing the technological time? no dvd or blu ray? on my computer? what kind of garbage is that.

I'm sure people said the same thing about floppy disks at some point
 
I am all for having Media Center do all the DVD, broadcast, and what not. and frankly nobody uses Window Media Player anyway (most people either use MPC HC, or VLC). but the fact that you have to pay extra for media center does not sit well with me.

]If this year was 2009, (or thereabouts), then this would be valuable information. Windows Home Premium, includes "Windows Media Center" an no extra charge. I have seen that version of the OS for as low as $80,00.

As to whether "nobody uses WMP", I do, and it works just dandy. I just use it in a funny way, I actually buy CDs for the home, and use WMP to rip them losslessly to the HDD, (WAV files). Then, from there, I can print CDs with full text (ImgBurn), mixes, custom CDs with added or dropped tracks, etc. And, Windows keeps perfect track of the files, and includes web access for the track info and album art.

I realize many people believe it's hip to be, "too enlightened" and, "too advanced". to employ a M$ software solution. I even use VLC myself for DVD in versions of Windows that don't support DVD.

Keep in mind however, VLC support od Blu-Ray, is allegedly sketchy, ATM.

But for the rest of this nonsense with Windows 8, I just ordered a fresh copy of Windows 7, for something I may build in the future.

All of that said, it's beginning to appear that Windows 8 "Metro", should have a big, steaming pile of crap, set as its desktop wallpaper.

I'm glad to see optical media go, it's really verging on obsolescence these days. For the price of one Blu-Ray burner drive one can get about eight 16 GB USB drives, which are faster, easier to carry around and generally more reliable. Not to mention that they can be written many times over without special software.

All software should be distributed like this, BD-ROM endures merely because it's highly controllable by media moguls.

The days of optical media are gone in my book, Microsoft's move is kinda bold, but they're merely adapting to the rapidly changing world of computing. I salute them.
You seem to view yourself as some sort of "tech savant". Can you put your entire DVD and / or Blu-Ray collection on USB drives and carry it around with you? If so, you're not really working at acquiring media.

It's people like you I get the biggest kick out of, when they're trumpeting how they have it all together. As long as you have internet $50.00 a month internet to pay your bills online, you can save 45 cents for the cost of a stamp.

Here's some bad news for you sunshine, the "media moguls" are doggedly working to acquire control of the web. Every other month there's another censorship attempt. The plot's the same, just the acronym changes. So, when DVDs are outlawed, only outlaws will have DVDs. Put that in your flash drive and run it.

Anyway, After the the initial purchase of a decent burner, you can burn hundreds of Blu-Ray discs, for about a buck or so a pop. Which kind of relegates your cost assessment analysis to "crapthematics"
 
Great... my Blu-ray Drive will be obsolete, I infer.
How did you come to that conclusion?

What I think is going to happen, Windows 8 is likely the reincarnation of Vista anyway. Buy a spare copy of Win 7. Keep it in your drawer. Hopefully it'll "get lucky" and you'll find a computer for it to mate with.

I'm not exactly what all this fuss is with Blu-Ray non-support anyway. Windows 7 doesn't support it. Were we hoping for 8 to have free software included?

It's the lack of DVD support that's rather more disturbing.
 
"That said, faithful Media Center users will still be disappointed with news that it will be sold as a separated add-on, rather than being integrated into the OS as was the case with the last two releases of Windows."

No, I won't be disappointed because this clinches it...I won't be upgrading to Windows 8.
 
They might as well remove mouse support as well, since the disaster that is the metro interface doesn't work with it anyway. Windows 8 is going to be a disaster...
 
Well PS3s/other blu ray players offer blu ray and regular dvds, maybe that's more to Sony's and others advantage?
 
"Anyway, After the the initial purchase of a decent burner, you can burn hundreds of Blu-Ray discs, for about a buck or so a pop. Which kind of relegates your cost assessment analysis to "crapthematics"

Man, you need to chill. It's just an opinion, I didn't promote it as the universal truth or something. And as far as I'm concerned, it's just as valid as yours.

I've seen it all happen before.. People burning hundreds of CD's of crap only to have them decorate their tool sheds as soon as the next optical media support came along. Which will probably happen to the huge blu-ray collection you advocate when 4k video will become the standard... And that day doesn't seem so far away. And as for gaming... My internet speed is way above puny optical media speeds, so why would I want to install stuff from the little circle that makes my computer vibrate like a tractor ?

See, not everyone does things the way you do them, just as sure they don't do it my way. So learn to chill and ignore what seems to be "background noise", from your perspective.
 
so why would I want to install stuff from the little circle that makes my computer vibrate like a tractor ?
Spoken a true "expert" from Newegg. I used to enjoy wholeheartedly them running their mouths about how "noisy" brand "X" hard drives were. Then you buy them, put them in, and can't hear them. So, when I became a man, I put aside such childish opinions. You should get out of the house more, change a tire with an impact gun. try a couple of shot bursts with a jack hammer. It'll desensitize you to the "horrific noises" that an optical drive makes.

See, not everyone does things the way you do them, just as sure they don't do it my way. So learn to chill and ignore what seems to be "background noise", from your perspective.
Trust me, I know full well how to chill, just not as the Cylons say, "by your command".......
 
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