Peachy Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 It looks like Microsoft is not only making Windows Media Center a separate paid product, but DVD playback will no longer ship with either Media Center nor Windows 8 as it has been since Windows Vista. Microsoft is offering that OEM's will be able to bundle the required software with third-party media players. Microsoft argues it is trying to save the consumer money by not having to license the DVD codec and hence charge for it, therefore lowering the overall cost of a new PC. Go VLC! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Yes, go vlc! Still it's an interesting response from Microsoft, don't you think? Will actually put Microsoft and Linux on similar footing out of the box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 If VLC can ship a free DVD player, why can't Microsoft? By Ed Bott | May 5, 2012, 12:00pm PDT Summary: Microsoft’s decision to remove support for playing DVD movies in Windows 8 has caused some confusion. If the VLC media player can provide DVD support for free, why can’t Microsoft? For starters, Microsoft isn’t French. This has been all over the net. I think Microsoft has made a big mistake here, but it will give Linux a leg up on Microsoft, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patio Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Most people i know won't use the Free version...Why on Earth would they pay for it ? ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlim Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Millions of users used to being able to play DVDs on a computer won't understand what has happened and will be asking for tech support because they think the computer is broken when it will not play a DVD. IMHO, supplying codecs would be cheaper than paying for all those tech support calls coming in. I wonder how may computers running Windows 8 will be returned because the owner perceives the computer as broken? Let's hope the major manufacturers put some program on the computer that will do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/05/03/making-windows-media-center-available-in-windows-8.aspx They can not be serious about this, can they? I think WMP could play back DVD's before they were even invented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 In this post we wanted to update you on Media Center and Windows 8, specifically how we will make sure Windows 8 fully supports the capabilities of Media Center as it is in Windows 7. We took the feedback about maintaining the functionality very seriously, and we clearly understood what we’ve heard many of you saying around the value of Media Center for movies, Internet TV, broadcast TV, optical media, music, photos, and all the other scenarios it covers today. Many said in comments and email to us, that so long as the feature is available somehow it is fine. This post is how we will deliver on that and continue to support Media Center for another product lifecycle. This post was authored by Bernardo Caldas in the Windows Business Group, with help from Linda Averett who leads program management for the Developer Experience team.--Steven That was from the MSDN article that crp posted. Yea! I figured they would listen in the long run. Looks like they are trying to say they posted this on May 3rd. Hmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 That was from the MSDN article that crp posted. Yea! I figured they would listen in the long run. Looks like they are trying to say they posted this on May 3rd. Hmmm... i think zlim's point is carrying more weight than the feedback they got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 i think zlim's point is carrying more weight than the feedback they got. I agree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 imho, A rather excellent point made here, http://www.zdnet.com/tb/1-120203-2401824 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corrine Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 What worries me is not that having Windows Media Player will be a cost add-on or that it may cost more for OEMs to obtain licenses for codecs. I don't want to return to 2006 and the need to warn users about downloading codecs due to all the rogues and no longer being able to explain that under normal circumstances all needed codecs are built into Windows. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 imho, A rather excellent point made here, http://www.zdnet.com...-120203-2401824 Wow, having just read the quote from that article and had to go on to take care of some things here, I didn't realize that distinction. Home users won't get them but corporate/business users will?! Talk about being bass-ackward. I agree Corrine!! That is a very scary thought for home users. Microsoft is really taking a big leap off the reservation with this one if they are not including it for Home users. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corrine Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 For completeness, from the Building Windows 8 blog: Making Windows Media Center available in Windows 8 which includes the path Windows 8 > Windows 8 Pro Pack > Media Center. There is no indication of what the upgrade cost will be for Windows 8 license holders to "acquire" the Windows 8 Pro Pack. FAQ - DVD playback and Windows Media Center in Windows 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corrine Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 By including DVD playback support in Windows 8, Microsoft would put its PC-building partners on the hook for a total of $480 million a year in payments, in addition to the millions of dollars Microsoft would pay to Dolby for its technologies. If you’re Dell and you sell a million Ultrabooks, do you really want to write a $2 million check for DVD licensing rights that none of those customers will ever use? If you sell 50,000 PCs to an organization that orders them with no DVD drives for security purposes, do you really want to write a check for $100,000 for the DVD rights that none of those customers will ever exercise? Lots more in Ed Bott's article at How much do DVD and digital media playback features really cost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Thanks Corrine. Very sad. These changes make no sense. They will have even more issues with malware and for nothing. They could have prevented it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 This is getting more confusing. Let me give this is a shot: There are 2 different issues going on here: Playback of a DVD on W8x and availability of Media Center on W8x For DVD Playback, W8-Standard will not come with the needed resources, W8-Pro will. For Media Center just W8-Pro will not be enough. A seperate package of add-ons is required. IF this is correct, what are the chances that an organization buying 50,000 units is buying Standard and not Pro? What about Ultrathin buyers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 The fact that OEMs bundle multimedia codecs and software on new PCs just makes a Microsoft-supplied codec redundant and an added burden to consumers. As a consumer, why should I pay a few dollars more to Microsoft for something that, say, Cyberlink, pays an OEM to bundle on new PCs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 IF this is correct, what are the chances that an organization buying 50,000 units is buying Standard and not Pro? What about Ultrathin buyers? Volume licenses are typically sold only for Pro and Enterprise versions. There would be no Home version available to a company buying in bulk unless they bought a PC with Windows pre-loaded by the OEM with the Home version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 The fact that OEMs bundle multimedia codecs and software on new PCs just makes a Microsoft-supplied codec redundant and an added burden to consumers. As a consumer, why should I pay a few dollars more to Microsoft for something that, say, Cyberlink, pays an OEM to bundle on new PCs? Yes, this is Microsoft's argument for their decision. My question is, would consumers even see a price reduction on a new computer or will the OEMs just pocket the difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 (edited) Yes, this is Microsoft's argument for their decision. My question is, would consumers even see a price reduction on a new computer or will the OEMs just pocket the difference? Bingo! Peachy, you hit the nail on the head. This is not something that will truly benefit users. And even if it does initially, it will quickly be reabsorbed by OEMs. It's all slight of hand to make more for corporations without regard to end users. Case in point will be the generally highly beneficial Retail versions. This issue will be a detriment to these purchasers; a source of aggravation and additional cost above the actual Retail version itself Another level of 'lack of vision' frankly, IMHO. Edited May 8, 2012 by LilBambi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Volume licenses are typically sold only for Pro and Enterprise versions. There would be no Home version available to a company buying in bulk unless they bought a PC with Windows pre-loaded by the OEM with the Home version. So then do not include the DVD playing and costs in the Pro version and do it supply to the Home version. Doesn't that make much more sense? The people who would really save would save and the people more likely to use it would have it. The fact that OEMs bundle multimedia codecs and software on new PCs just makes a Microsoft-supplied codec redundant and an added burden to consumers. As a consumer, why should I pay a few dollars more to Microsoft for something that, say, Cyberlink, pays an OEM to bundle on new PCs? The only way to get W8 is via purchasing a new pc??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 (edited) DVD playback is something that has ALWAYS (since DVDs came on the scene of course) been included in Windows OSes ... now gone for all but the top tier Win8 and ONLY if you buy the more expensive edition plus the media center pack. Talk about making Mac OS X look even better for users. Talk about 2 steps forward, 3 steps back! No Windows 8 DVD playback will mean increased costs, and consumer confusion By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes | May 7, 2012, 6:00am PDT Summary: While Apple has a streamlined one-size-fits-all OS X edition that contains everything users needs, Microsoft is once again juggling features in order to make one edition of Windows more superior and desirable than another. ZDNet’s Ed Bott reports that DVD playback has been cut from its upcoming operating system as Microsoft tries to give consumers a reason to buy the more expensive Windows 8 Pro edition. Windows 8 users who want out-of-the-box DVD playback capability will not only have to purchase the higher-priced Pro edition, but also the optional Media Center Pack. This is bad news for consumers because it means increased costs, more confusion, and the potential for more ‘crapware‘ to be installed on new PCs. Much more in the article. Make some great points. Edited May 8, 2012 by LilBambi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 DVD playback is something that has ALWAYS (since DVDs came on the scene of course) been included in Windows OSes ... Technically only since Windows Vista. It was never in XP except in the Media Center version of XP; you still had to install a third-party DVD player to get the codec. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 (edited) Technically only since Windows Vista. It was never in XP except in the Media Center version of XP; you still had to install a third-party DVD player to get the codec. Actually I could play in Windows XP DVDs in Windows Media Player. But maybe that was because I had a mega codec pack installed on Windows XP and some of those movies didn't have DRM either. Wikipedia on Windows Media Player: DVD playback features minus the necessary decoders were integrated into Windows Media Player 8 for Windows XP. The player activates DVD and Blu-ray playback functionality with support for menus, titles and chapters, parental controls and audio track language selection if compatible decoders are installed. MPEG-2 and Dolby Digital (AC-3) decoders were included beginning with Windows Media Player 11 on Windows Vista (Home Premium and Ultimate editions only). Edited May 8, 2012 by LilBambi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I think it sucks that they are charging so much for the codecs to operating system vendors, and OEMs. But it is even worse that now consumers will have to either buy OEM computers, or buy retail version and then on top of that buy the optional Media Center pack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 True, you could play non-encrypted DVDs in WMP in XP; it was the encrypted ones you couldn't without purchasing a DVD decoder or installing a player with it already included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 True, you could play non-encrypted DVDs in WMP in XP; it was the encrypted ones you couldn't without purchasing a DVD decoder or installing a player with it already included. With my XP-Home box, I don't recall having a DVD movie not play in the WMP. and it didn't have other players installed, just the WMP (i think version 9 was the last one on that box). oh wait, there was a region code 6 DVD that would not play. I still think having the Pro editions include the DVD codecs and the Home editions not is backwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goretsky Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Hello, I wonder if DVD codec support from Microsoft Windows 7 will still be present if a user upgrades a computer from that to Microsoft Windows 8? Regards, Aryeh Goretsky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Yes, this is Microsoft's argument for their decision. My question is, would consumers even see a price reduction on a new computer or will the OEMs just pocket the difference? That Microsoft will charge OEMs more if it bundles the codecs and which the OEMs will pass on the consumers is a given. Whether or not OEMs will pocket the difference remains to be seen, but that will be determined by how desperate OEMs will be to move their inventories. In a time of stiff competition and slowing PC sales, my guess is the OEMs probably will not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Hello, I wonder if? Regards, Aryeh Goretsky If you are planning to upgrade then please note that the usage rights to the codecs purchased with Windows 7 DO NOT CARRY FORWARD to Windows 8 or to a new version of Windows. These terms are not decided by Microsoft but by Technology licensors. http://www.thewindow...enter-windows-8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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