No DVD Playback in W8

[Dos_Box]

It seems that Microsoft have decide not to include native DVD playback functinallity in W8 Media Center: Making Windows Media Center available in Windows 8 - Building Windows 8 - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

 

Windows Media Player will continue to be available in all editions, but without DVD playback support. 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.

 

To be fair, I use Total Media Theater as I have a Blu-Ray/HD DVD combo drive, but it looks as if if you don't have a third party package/codec then it's not lookign good. Besides, does anyone use their media PC to watch DVDs?

[FN-GM]

Besides, does anyone use their media PC to watch DVDs?

 

I do but it isn't windows, I should imagine a goods few people will.

[Jon_boy1984]

Not in my Home use, as I use a streaming service, but in all the schools I support quite a lot of Teachers still use DVDs.

[localzuk]

Won't make a difference at the school level for us - we're unlikely to go Windows 8, and we're on Windows XP now which doesn't have DVD support anyway.

 

For home use? I use VLC anyway!

[sonofsanta]

The licensing for DVD playback can't be that prohibitive by this point, surely? Seems odd to deliberately gimp a product.

[CAM]

Funny that this comes after the recent H.264 codec war between MS an Google. Reckon their auditors spotted something?

 

I do use Media Player though because I find it to be a very good product. I've kept an open mind on MS related things over the years and even have IE9 at home. I'd use Linux but the last time I tried getting DVDs to work, I had to battle with installing libraries or ironically pay to download the codecs from the store. Either way my PC's primary task is a gaming rig so until I can download and run any game I want from Steam with the same quality and performance as Windows, I can't use anything but Windows.

[Dos_Box]

There are a few good points on this article on The Register. Particularly where it point out a the top that more and more people use services such as NetFlix and other online streaming services. Many though still have large DVD libraries at home and in places such as schools where teachers laptops are used for the playback of teaching materials via DVD it could prove interesting! Edited May 4, 2012 by Dos_Box

[AngryTechnician]

This just makes me want to scream. I remember what a PITA it was with XP having to manage different editions of OEM-supplied DVD software (PowerDVD, how I loathe thee). VLC is fine for playback but nothing beats Media Player for simplicity. This seems like a backwards step made too early, given the amount DVDs are still used.

 

I was already annoyed at Media Center being removed in all editions (we use it all the time at home), and this just makes me even more irritated. I'd be willing to bet the planned "Windows 8 Media Center Pack" isn't something we can buy in bulk and deploy either.

 

I hate to admit it, but the case for us upgrading is getting weaker with every announcement at the moment.

[Dos_Box]

I do wonder what Apple are going to do in their PR department with this news?

 

'Mac, it just works. AND plays DVD's!'

[localzuk]

I do wonder what Apple are going to do in their PR department with this news?

 

'Mac, it just works. AND plays DVD's!'

 

Considering they are slowly but surely eliminating DVD drives from their machines... So it'd be a bit of a backfire if they tried it and then removed DVD players from iMacs.

[CyberNerd]

The days are numbered for optical media

 

If you want to stay ahead of the curve, ditch your old dvd's.

[localzuk]

The days are numbered for optical media

 

If you want to stay ahead of the curve, ditch your old dvd's.

 

I don't like it but its true. Although I have just bought 63 Stargate SG1 DVDs...

[Dos_Box]

It's a good point. I have folders full of downloaded installers, ISO's and varous media files of differing formats. I can't recall the last time I really installed anything off CD\DVD apart from operating systems. My current pet hate is some of the games the kids pay on the media PC at home are on DVD that must be in the drive when you play them. Because they are kids games there are no 'no-cd' hacks for them. I really must get around to ripping them to ISO's and mounting them locally.

[Arthur]

The licensing for DVD playback can't be that prohibitive by this point, surely?

Not sure, but I bet once you start adding decoders for Blu-ray (and its successor next year), the licensing costs will soon add up.

 

DVD: MPEG-2, AC3 & DTS, CSS

Blu-ray: H.264/VC-1/MPEG-2, AC3, TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD Master Audio, AACS, BD+, Cinavia

Ultra HD Blu-ray: HEVC + even more audio formats and DRM

[Arthur]

Microsoft have licensed Dolby Digital Plus for Windows 8 however.

 

Dolby Digital Plus 5.1-channel decoding and Dolby Digital two-channel encoding will be supported in all PCs and tablets licensed to run Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows RT editions. (Source)

[featured_spectre]

Dolby is being licensed for games usage along with "other media"...however at home I use XBMC for my blu-rays/dvds...just gonna try and make it all external and attach to my tv rather than play through my laptop, and I am happy

[Arthur]

The licensing for DVD playback can't be that prohibitive by this point, surely?

Yes.

 

How much does it cost the PC ecosystem to play DVDs?

Playing DVDs generally require MPEG-2 video compression and Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio. Even though it is possible to use other formats, the majority of commercial DVDs are encoded using these formats. In order to decode these formats, the playback device needs to be licensed to use these decoders. MPEG-2 decoder costs $2.00 per unit under current MPEG-LA terms. Dolby license is an additional cost that varies by the technology licensed, the type of device, and unit volume. While not related to Windows, Blu-Ray would be an additional cost on top of these. So when you add all this up and apply to all Windows PCs, it is an ongoing cost of hundreds of millions of dollars per year to the PC ecosystem, well over a billion dollars over the lifecycle of the operating system and yet by most predictions the majority of PCs will not even be capable of playing DVDs. (Source)