Microsoft drops DVD support from Windows 8
Windows 8 will not feature DVD playback natively, Microsoft has confirmed, requiring users to install third-party software or buy the Windows 8 Media Centre Pack.
All current versions of Windows include bundled software for playback of DVDs, requiring third-party packages only if Blu-ray playback is required. Windows 8, by contrast, will mandate the installation of Windows Media Centre or a third-party equivalent before DVDs can be played.
'Windows Media Player will continue to be available in all editions, but without DVD playback support,' Microsoft's Bernardo Caldas revealed in a blog post late last night. 'For optical discs playback on new Windows 8 devices, we are going to rely on the many quality solutions on the market, which provide great experiences for both DVD and Blu-ray.'
The dropping of DVD playback support comes as Microsoft announces a deal with Dolby to, ironically enough, improve the audiovisual capabilities of its new operating system. Under the deal, all Windows 8 releases - including the ARM-compatible Windows RT - will include support for Dolby Digital Plus 5.1-channel audio as well as Dolby Digital stereo audio.
Dolby Digital Plus support will, however, be limited to downloaded or streamed content: playback of Dolby Digital Plus content from optical media will, as with DVD and Blu-ray playback, require third party software.
Dolby Digital Plus joins AAC, WMA, MP3 and PCM and M4A, ASF, MP3 and WAV containers as the bundled audio codecs for release with Windows 8. Microsoft has also confirmed that H.264, VC-1, WMV, and MPEG 4 Part 2 video will be supported in AVI, MPEG-2 TS, MP4 and ASF containers. Other formats, such as FLAC, MKV and OGG, will require third-party codec installation.
For those looking to add Media Centre to Windows 8, there's some good news: the add-on will be available for all consumer releases with the sole exception of Windows RT. Using the 'Add Features to Windows 8' menu, users can install the Windows 8 Media Centre Pack on to Windows 8 Pro; those who purchased the cheaper Windows 8 release will instead be expected to buy the Windows 8 Pro Pack, which upgrades the system to Windows Pro and includes the Media Centre Pack as a bundle.
While the upgrade adds DVD playback support, it's only operational through Media Centre itself; even with the Media Centre Pack installed, Windows Media Player will be unable to play back DVDs. The upgrade also adds DBV-T/S, ISDB-S/T, DMBH and ATSC broadcast recording and playback where compatible hardware is present, and direct playback of VOB files.
What Microsoft isn't yet sharing is the price, stating only that the upgrade will 'be in line with marginal costs.'
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Discuss in the forums ReplyTo be fair I use Cyberlink power DVD due to Bluray....perhaps it doesn't matter.
Unless I've got it completely wrong, DVD playback doesn't have the same security constraints as, say, blu-ray. In that no-one has to pay a "fee" to get the security details to pay them.
This is why there are many free DVD solutions, but few if any free Blu-ray players.
So Microsoft are basically saying "lets remove something that costs us nothing, so that we can look like miserable gits".
You know, I laugh at Apple sometimes and the way they take people for idiots. Seems the people at Microsoft are no better.........
It looks like MS finally realized that they had got it right with Win 7 after the crap with Vista and though, Hey lets go mess it all up again.
I wonder what goes on in these peoples heads some times
or Vista millenium :D
You have to pay fee, see http://www.dvdcca.org/css.aspx
They all use DeCSS.
No, they decided it is not worth for them to pay for licences which not many use anymore. If you want DVD playback, you will either get yourself a paid player, or solve it for yourself somehow (VLC, XBMC, other players).
Other than windows and office all microsoft software is rubbish, the media centre and media player only play a couple of formats anyway.
I don`t think i know anyone who actually uses media centre.
I did, out of curiosity ... and I went back to XBMC after something like 5 minutes.
I'd agree if it makes it cheaper but all it really means is like games it'll be the same price but with expensive DLC for the full experience.
And I don't understand this line: "For those looking to add Media Centre to Windows 8, there's some good news:". What good news? I have to buy the more expensive version of windows to get what I already have?
And why would pro(fessional)s want Windows Media Centre? Or Metro for that reason. Surely these should be in the Standard "Home" edition?
Long gone are my dreams of having the OS support blu-ray and DVD playback.
Who the hell plays DVDs through their Windows PC anyway, with torrents and streaming coming out of our ears....I have literally *never* watched a DVD through my PC. I have external DVD and Blu-ray players for that. If you really do want to then download VLC (or similar) for absolutely nothing.
Meanwhile, surely most of us media-centre owning types are running XBMC these days anyway? I know I am.
I'm quite happy to have such things stripped out of the OS....and, if you remember, one of the biggest complaints about Vista was the media services running in the background all the time which nobody ever used.
There's just no pleasing some people...
Oh, and saying "Other than windows and office all microsoft software is rubbish" is such plain stupid.
Well, I really prefear having the choice so I won't complain if corsoft removes every single software that isn't mandatory to run Windows. Now, except Window 7, everything I use are free softwares (myPaint, Gimp, Netbean, Notepad++, etc etc etc).
Free DVD playback software is easy to find and often already on peoples computers as they are great media players anyway.
Well, whatever, I only use my Blu Ray drive to rip DVDs and Blu Ray disks anyway, not for watching.
Still, win8 is going to have to be a hell of a lot better than 7 if you want me to upgrade from Vista.
No, you don't *have* to pay for it. You pay for it if you want WMP to play it for you. You don't have to do anything.
;)
I would presume it's to avoid the possibilities of our overlords deciding whether MS are working to guidelines by waiting for MS to release their OS with all sorts of built-in capabilites that negate the need to purchase further programs to do something (in this case) as innocent as playing back a dvd movie. It's just MS playing it safe so they're not hit with any fines, in my opinion.
It's all about choice... pffft :P
Amen, brother!
;)
I had no problems with Vista after the initial install and driver setup, a process that very nearly had my foot going through my PC. After that it was smooth sailing. Only reason I jumped to win 7 on release was it was only £45. Worth every penny.
I, like others here, see no reason at all to leave windows 7. Metro looks nice for tablets but not for a desktop. Whenever I get a laptop/tablet hybrid device I will give it a go but not until then.
What really intrigues me is what the cost of the "OS" will be without the pack at its levels? And what the Media Pack will cost and bring to the table?
I do and I think it's brilliant... it even passed the wife test, and that's saying something.
I mean, WTF. Is Microsoft hell-bent on destroying itself?!?
Not going to happen.
na, by the time Win9 is out, Steam for Linux will be out and there will be a ton of games on it. I wont ever need Windows again by then!!!!!!
I don't really think that'll be the case, to be honest. Remember, we might all build our own machines, but those people buying a turd-of-a-computer from PC World and the like get machines with pre-installed software coming out of their ears. If you've ever bought a Sony Vaio, HP, Dell or similar computer....you can spend a day just removing the s**t you don't want off it. Those machines always come with DVD playback software.
This change isn't going to affect anybody.
1) I never use WMP, as I find it to be annoying... VLC+iTunes is so much nicer
2) I don't plan to purchase Win8 anyway -_-
Yes. Just like so many versions of windows before it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Plus!
I made a heavy switch over to Ubuntu this time last year and my desktops dual boot with Win7 when either i need to run Solidworks or kill something.. The metro UI has put me off Win8, so too little too late frankly.
Microsoft seem to be at the cutting edge in there R&D but nothing filters down to the consumer..
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Ta-da.
as long as the savings are passed to the customer im all for it, somehow i cant see it though
My kids will only know how to surf to a network drive.
LoL... Ahh, to be one of the privileged, eh?
:p
As far as I'm concerned it's an obsolete media.