Windows Media Center to be sold separately for Windows 8

05 May 12 01:26 by in category DVD Players & Recorders, Media Players, Movies, Software

Between growing online video consumption and declining broadcast TV & DVD consumption on PCs, along with the royalty costs in providing codecs to decode this content, Microsoft has decided to make its Windows Media Center product a separate premium add-on pack, titled “Windows 8 Media Center pack”. This pack will be available to Windows 8 Pro customers, priced at what Microsoft claims will be in-line with marginal costs. Windows 8 (home version) customers will need to purchase the Windows 8 Pro pack, which comes bundled with Media Center.

Following user and telemetry data research conducted by Microsoft, they found that the vast majority of video consumption on computers and mobile devices come from online sources such as YouTube, Netflix and other TV-on-Demand services. They also claim that DVD and broadcast TV consumption are in sharp decline, with online services growing rapidly. According to IHS Screen Digest research, online movie consumption will overtake physical video in 2012.

The Windows Media Player and Windows 8 Pro packs will be available via the “Add Features to Windows 8″ control pack, formerly known as “Windows Anytime Upgrade” in Windows Vista/7. Both Windows 8 editions will continue to include Windows Media Player, along with native video decoding support for H264, VC-1, WMV and MPEG4 video as well as AAC, WMA, MP3, PCM and Dolby Digital Plus audio.

DVD playback will no longer be supported in Windows Media Player, however, users can also use third party software for DVD and Blu-ray playback, such as Cyberlink’s and WinDVD’s player software. Those looking to play other formats such as MKV, OGG, FLAC, QuickTime, etc. will need to obtain codec packages to decode these formats like with earlier Windows versions.

It’s not clear why Microsoft has chosen to only make this add-on available to Windows 8 Pro, considering that most home users will not have the Windows 8 Pro version and also that very few companies allow staff to watch broadcast TV or DVDs on their workplace computers anyway. If Microsoft wants to avoid giving Windows Media Center fans a good reason not to upgrade to Windows 8, they should seriously make the Windows 8 Media Center Pack available to Windows 8 home users.

10 Comments on Windows Media Center to be sold separately for Windows 8

Zod
Posts: 729
Posted on: 05 May 12 03:24
Meh...

I use media player classic. Windows Media Player is too bloated. You can use VLC media player too. It works pretty good as well.
darkalien74
Posts: 21
Posted on: 05 May 12 03:27
Windows media center sucks anyway, I use the live version of XBMC, it's free, linux based, (although there is a version for windows) and plays everything I put on it, unlike windows media center.
CharmedonWB
Posts: 111
Posted on: 05 May 12 03:35
I don't use Windows Media Center...XBMC is better and largely supported.
debro
Posts: 13375
Posted on: 05 May 12 08:20
Lol@above ... the masses have spoken ...

The only reason that Windows is needed is to run AnyDVDHD .... so i can use it to play blurays with XBMC ... otherwise XBMClive all the way .. for HTPC's.

Agreed with above ... Windows Medi player is ... annyoing.
Windows media player classic with a freely downloadable media pack, or Video Lan Client will play everything .... or you can also just launch XBMC.

Windows Media Centre edition is practically dead ..
MJPollard
Posts: 52
Posted on: 05 May 12 16:37
The only people who will really care about the exclusion of Windows Media Center are the people who "just use Windows" and don't know (or care) about alternatives. The rest of us will use other software to play videos and DVDs, like Media Player Classic Home Cinema or VLC in conjunction with ffdshow. Hell, the only time I even use Windows Media Player itself is when viewing videos I've downloaded from Amazon Unbox (which is very rare); otherwise, it's MPCHC all the way for me. If/when I ever do decide to create a media center out of my old PC, however, I'll definitely look into XBMC.
MJPollard
Posts: 52
Posted on: 05 May 12 16:38
Besides, the exclusion of WMC is not the only reason to steer clear of Windows 8 like the steaming pile of bubonic plague that it is. :-)
cholla
Posts: 5393
Posted on: 05 May 12 16:44
I still have Vista & I completely disabled WMC a long time ago . If MS had left WMC out I would have preferred that.
I just don't like MS doing this because they are being cheap.
ivid
Posts: 732
Posted on: 05 May 12 19:26
Screw MS and their nickel & diming ! Yesterday I read that users will have to pay extra for DVD playback in WMP, not exactly what this article is saying.

But regardless, seriously, having all these editions of windows is BS nickel and diming. Pro, home, home premium, ultimate etc....its ridiculous. When you buy Mac OSX there is only one version and it costs $29. $29!!! And it's superior O/S technology compared to windows bloatware. I believe this even more after all the negative stuff I've heard about Win 8 and the tile interface that just doesn't fit in with the rest of the O/S. I know apple are in it for the hardware more than software but still... $29 and fully featured. At that price who cares if it couldnt play DVD (no idea if it does)
BTW, just to be clear. I don't like Mac OSX or use it, I just know its a more secure and not the bloatware that is Windows.

Windows MP is crap. I couldn't believe how ridiculous it was to get setup to stream videos from my PC to my XBOX. For no valid reason it requires all kinds of BS configuration with WMP media sharing etc.. Seriously, why not just support SMB shares and be done with it? I know I'm harping on a Xbox issues but it's still MS! Thankfully Xbox pays off DLNA and my router turns into one by plugging in a USB drive. No need for that WM crap anymore.
olyteddy
Posts: 6596
Posted on: 05 May 12 19:38
Now if we could just get them to charge extra for Internet Explorer instead of including it and making it the default...
DukeNukem
Posts: 1606
Posted on: 07 May 12 15:18
Media Player Classic Home Cinema for my PC and XBMC for my HTPC.
Screw you, Micro$oft.
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Windows Media Center to be sold separately for Windows 8

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