Microsoft omits DVDs from Windows 8 media player, but its fixable. Each new version of Windows has dropped some features and added new ones. New Windows 8 features include its touch centric interface, the Modern UI, and everything associated with it. Its obvious when new things come in, but not as obvious when things go missing, such as a Windows 8 media player. By submitting your personal information, you agree that Tech. How to Reinstall Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player WMP is a digital media player developed by Microsoft for playing audio and video files and viewing. Microsoft provided support for Windows XP for the past 12 years. But the time came for us, along with our hardware and software partners, to invest our. Target and its partners may contact you regarding relevant content, products and special offers. Best Blogspot Template. You also agree that your personal information may be transferred and processed in the United States, and that you have read and agree to the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy. One of Microsofts major omissions in the operating system has been the Media Center app and along with it, the coderdecoders codecs that allow for DVD playback in Media Player and in vanilla Windows 8 generally. First, lets look at some background. Tell me about the issue and Ill help you find the solution you need. Microsoft omitted a Windows 8 media player in its standard operating system release, so users will need to add Media Center or find thirdparty products for Windows 8. DVD playback on Windows requires a codec, software that provides the system with a way to decode the encrypted audio and video. The codec also performs navigation across the disc. Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 For Xp' title='Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 For Xp' />Windows XP didnt include such things by default, but there were many third party applications, such as Cyber. Link Power. DVD. The Windows Media Center app was also developed in part as a way to add DVD playback to Windows desktops. With Windows 7, the DVD codecs were included as a standard part of the OS, along with Windows Media Center. However, the codecs have been omitted for Windows 8 DVD playback, and the Windows Media Center app is no longer provided by default, either. Why do this There are several reasons, the first of which is cost. When Microsoft included the codecs for DVD playback in Windows, it had to pay a licensing fee not a huge one, but it was one of the many small things that could drive up the price of a copy of Windows. Eliminating the codecs for a Windows 8 DVD player kept costs down and made for more parity across the different OS versions. Another reason for the omission of a Windows 8 media player was lack of use, according to Microsoft. Our telemetry data and user research show us that the vast majority of video consumption on the PC and other mobile devices is coming from online sources such as You. Tube, Hulu, Netflix or any of the other myriad of online and downloadable video services available, said a Building Windows 8 blog post. Globally, DVD sales have declined significantly year over year, and Blu ray on PCs is losing momentum as well. Diploma Resume Format. Longtime students of Microsofts decision making process will recognize the same reasoning as for the companys removal of the Start button Microsofts telemetry said it simply wasnt being used. This wont reassure users myself included who still watch DVDs, and now Blu ray discs as well, on their PCs. Fortunately, there are a few possible solutions to this Windows 8 problem 1. Buy Media Center for Windows 8 as a separate add on. Media Center wasnt completely discontinued as a product. Rather, it was simply removed from Windows as a bundled item. Latest bug fixes for Microsoft Windows, including fixes for some possible DoS attacks. Windows Media Player Description. Windows media player is the evolutionary multimedia player from Microsoft renowned for its stability, ease of use, sleek user. A user can always add Media Center back into Windows 8 by way of the Add features to Windows 8 Control Panel option, albeit at a cost. For a limited time before Jan. Media Center add on was offered as a freebie, but now its available for 9. Media Center is also available as part of the Windows 8 Pro Pack, which costs 9. Note that Media Center only allows Windows 8 DVD playback through Media Center, so this might not be the best option for many users. Buy a third party DVD playback application. Many third party commercial applications exist for DVD playback on desktops and laptops. Chief among them are Cyber. Link Power. DVD and Corel Win. DVD, whose codecs can also be used by Windows Media Player to play back DVDs in that application as well. The disadvantage with these applications is that theyre fairly costly far more so than Media Centers 1. Use a noncommercial program that provides DVD playback. Some free and open source applications, such as the VLC media player, can perform DVD playback. However, they have their own pitfalls. In VLCs case, they dont make their codecs available to the rest of the system. Also, the legality of the program may be questionable in some areas, since VLC is developed in France, and laws about intellectual property vary between jurisdictions. Another possible reason for why Microsoft has been scaling back and repackaging multimedia support in Windows is because its positioning the Xbox 3. Xbox One as its main media device in the home, especially for disc based media. PCs are taking a backseat, and many notebooks and even desktop systems now ship without an optical drive. Whatever the reason, it helps to know that you have options for restoring Windows 8 DVD playback if you need that capability.