Windows 8 won't play DVD's

[AlanJohn]

Staff edit. Full quotes are not really the thing to do. Some rewriting examples

Citing the licensing fees (one has to pay the MPEGLA and others to use the technologies in DVDs if you are selling it*) and increasing obsolescence of the format (up to and including the rise of tablets, netbooks and other laptop like devices without onboard DVD drives) Microsoft has said they will not be including DVD support with standard versions of the upcoming Windows 8 (naturally media center versions will have).
It is but a simple install for any end user (any number of programs have very good DVD parsing ability including popular alternatives Media Player Classic and VLC) and most OEM machines, if they have DVD drives, will tend to include a basic player (usually powerDVD).
Basic media player will still be available (no word on any European editions without it yet) and DVD support, if desired for Windows Media Player, can be purchased from the upgrade options that were formerly known as Windows Anytime Upgrade.

Microsoft is however supporting other, newer formats, including H264, VC-1 (what WMV eventually became), MP4 container and the likes of AAC and WMA audio. Microsoft does sit on several bit video patent boards and has a stake in H264 (it backs it for HTML5 video over WEBm) and it had a big hand in creating VC-1 and WMA.

*this and CSS protection is why many Linux and BSD distributions that have not licensed such things for use will kick DVD and certain codec support to "unofficial" repositories or have distributions that are not supposed to be shipped in areas with software patents.

Users will either have to pay to upgrade to the ‘Media Center’ or download extra, third-party software if they do want to play films.
Microsoft had previously announced that, unlike Windows 7, Windows 8 will not come packaged with the Media Center software as standard.
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Windows Media Center available to Windows 8 customers via the Add Features to Windows 8 control panel (formerly known as Windows Anytime Upgrade). This ensures that customers who are interested in Media Center have a convenient way to get it.
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Source

Fuck you Microsoft, I'm switching to Linux.

 

[raulpica]

Well done, MS. DVD-Video needs to be killed off. It's an obsolete support anyway.

If this shaves off even $10 on a Win8 copy, I'm all for it.

 

[EnigmaBlade]

I'll still be able to play DVD's using programs such as VLC... right?

 

[emigre]

What's a DVD?

 

[prowler]

I'll still be able to play DVD's using programs such as VLC... right?

>Users will either have to pay to upgrade to the ‘Media Center’ or download extra, third-party software if they do want to play films.

 

[triassic911]

Wow Microsoft, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.

 

[cobleman]

Why do they even call it windows 8 it should be called windows tablet.
I really dont like it, it looks more like a big Iphone.,

 

[Pong20302000]

lol so basically we dont get media player is gone unless you want to pay for it YAY
VLC is standard on any install i do anyway

 

[EnigmaBlade]

I'll still be able to play DVD's using programs such as VLC... right?

>Users will either have to pay to upgrade to the ‘Media Center’ or download extra, third-party software if they do want to play films.

Ah.. sorry about that, can't believe i didn't notice it D:
Still, it's a pretty stupid move by MS. Does anyone even think it's worth going to windows 8? it seems kind of a waste to me..

 

[RupeeClock]

I'll still be able to play DVD's using programs such as VLC... right?

>Users will either have to pay to upgrade to the ‘Media Center’ or download extra, third-party software if they do want to play films.

Which is why anybody with sense will be doing anyway, the only microsoft software actually worth using is their operating system.
Everything else, is all provided much better, and often free by other companies. You name it, somebody's one-upped Microsoft.

HOWEVER, removing DVD support from the base operating system is idiotic. For office and education environments where the user will not have freedom to install software, this will hinder non-privileged users.

Imagine if Apple started charging you money for iTunes itself, this is what Microsoft is trying to do with Windows Media Player.

 

[Saddamsdevil]

IMO, this is a step against DRM, and thus a step in the right direction.

 

[prowler]

Wow Microsoft, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.

Microsoft have always done this. Try do a standard install and play a video file in Windows Media Player, it'll ask you to buy codecs.

And tell me when was the last time you used Windows Media Center and not third party software?

 

[kthnxshwn]

Surprised to see people actually use DVDs still.

 

[prowler]

Imagine if Apple started charging you money for iTunes itself, this is what Microsoft is trying to do with Windows Media Player.

You mean Windows Media Center. Windows Media Player is still included...

 

[spotanjo3]

It doesn't matter. I hardly used it. I have my own dvd player in my 3 years old PC and PS3 bluray.. however, I almost never used them. I am using mostly avi files with gom player and MPC. No big deal.

 

[FireGrey]

Cause it's so hard to download a DVD player on your PC.

 

[triassic911]

Wow Microsoft, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.

Microsoft have always done this. Try do a standard install and play a video file in Windows Media Player, it'll ask you to buy codecs.

And tell me when was the last time you used Windows Media Center and not third party software?

You're right, I always use VLC player. However, casual computer users seem to always use Windows Media Player/Center. It seems regular people are going to be screwed when Windows 8 comes out...

 

[air2004]

Who the hell uses media center anyway ? VLC is where its at

 

[SifJar]

I'd say at least 90% of users won't even notice. Most manufacturers will ship some other DVD playing software with computers already (e.g. PowerDVD or whatever), and provided that practice continues (and in light of this news, it will probably become even more abundant if anything), users won't even realise Windows itself doesn't support DVDs. Any tech savvy user will also be able to download any number of DVD playing pieces of software such as VLC or probably even some software to add DVD support to Windows Media Player (You already need to add codecs to play the vast majority of content in WMP, what difference does it make if you need to install some stuff to get DVDs working as well?).

In short, it doesn't matter. It should hopefully make Windows 8 a tiny bit cheaper than it otherwise would be, and that is unmistakeably good.

 

[raulpica]

Who the hell uses media center anyway ? VLC is where its at

VLC is total crap, the codecs are bloated and work crappily most of the times.

Media Player Classic is where it is, when it comes to media players.