With all of the recent chatter about new MacBook Pro models sans optical disc drive, it’s not hard to imagine that a discless future lies ahead. Apparently, Microsoft agrees, as they’ve let slip that Windows 8 will not only ship without Media Center but also without DVD player software as well.
The Verge is reporting that Microsoft has decided to make its Media Center software a paid upgrade in Windows 8, and that includes the ability to play DVDs. Claiming that optical disc use on computers is “in sharp decline,” Redmond will ship its latest operating system later this year without either of these once-major features.
The reasoning behind the move is merely dollars and cents -- as in, the “significant amount in royalties” that Microsoft is required to pay to include optical media playback support. Instead, Windows 8 will focus more heavily on online media, with support for H.264, VC-1, MP4, AAC, WMA, MP3, PCM and Dolby Digital Plus codecs.
Sure, the primary use of Dolby Digital these days is for playing back AC3-encoded audio from video DVDs, but apparently nobody told the folks in Redmond. Media Center itself will be available only as an additional purchase after installing Windows 8, available from the new “Add Features to Windows 8” control panel -- although the company isn’t saying how much that will set you back just yet.
Could Apple follow suit with the same sinister scheme in OS X Mountain Lion? That doesn’t appear to be the case thus far, and Cupertino historically isn’t one to try to gouge its users with extra costs (notable past exceptions include QuickTime Pro and that odd accounting quirk that forced iPod touch owners to pay for iOS updates).
Meanwhile, the market for free and inexpensive third-party DVD player software on Windows is likely to get a nice boost later this year, while OS X Mountain Lion users will continue with business as usual -- at least for now.
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Danielt876
May 04, 2012 at 7:16pm
@xXhallelujahXx, the optical drive will be 100% functional. The only difference is that Windows Media Center will not be included with Windows 8. WMC is similar to Front Row for OS X.
xXhallelujahXx
May 04, 2012 at 1:42pm
Sooooo a windows user wants to upgrade to windows 8. They go to their local electronics store and purchase a windows install disc, pop it into their pc, upgrade and lose functionality of their dvd drive! That's just crazy! I can see them wanting to phase out the physical media as a lot of people get/use downloaded files, but maybe they should at least have the option that if you buy the upgrade disc it'll still give functionality to you optical disc drive. And if you download their windows 8 upgrade file, then be prepared to lose funtionality. I dont get this whole purchasing upgrade business. How hard could it be to copy over the code from windows 7 to add this. Although I'm sure their would be some decent free alternatives to download...
macsrwe
May 04, 2012 at 12:23pm
As I understand it, that "odd accounting quirk" was a direct result of Sarbanes-Oxley, not an Apple-originated charging policy. Thank your politicians (as always) for gouging you, not Apple.
