Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Windows 8 Won't Play DVDs Unless You Pay For the Media Center Pack

Posted by Soulskill on from the special-thanks-to-the-dvd-cca dept.

An anonymous reader writes "You may already know that Microsoft plans to sell Windows Media Center as a separate, paid pack, but now the company has revealed that Windows 8 will also stop default support for DVD playback. You'll only be able to play DVDs and Blu-rays if you upgrade to the Media Center pack. 'Acquiring either the Windows 8 Media Center Pack or the Windows 8 Pro Pack gives you Media Center, including DVD playback (in Media Center, not in Media Player), broadcast TV recording and playback (DBV-T/S, ISDB-S/T, DMBH, and ATSC), and VOB file playback. Pricing for these Packs, as well as retail versions of Windows 8, will be announced closer to the release date. To give you some indication of Media Center Pack pricing, it will be in line with marginal costs.'" In a comment, Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky elaborates: "(marginal is small, honest, and we just haven't determined the final prices yet based on ongoing work but we are aiming for single digit dollars but we don't control the truly marginal costs). We wanted to include Media Player for everyone without everyone incurring the cost even if they don't even have an optical drive."

10 of 734 comments (clear)

  1. And I bet they'll pass those savings on! by Ndkchk · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sure that Microsoft will be generous and actually pass on these savings to the consumer, right? I mean, they wouldn't just cut out a feature to save some money and then keep that money for themselves, would they?

  2. Re:Bad enough I pay for microtransactions in MMO's by Sigma+7 · · Score: 5, Funny

    How about $100 to get a C compiler, just so that you can write any program that isn't grindingly slow?

    Get off my lawn.

  3. Re:Bad enough I pay for microtransactions in MMO's by xMrFishx · · Score: 4, Funny

    Want Metro, pay for it

    Oh no man, that shit so bad you get it for free...

  4. Could this be good for, eg, VLC & other OSS? by ivi · · Score: 2, Funny

    Perhaps this will boost interest in desktop Linux?

    But can VLC do what M$ wants $$ to enable? IF so, M$ might as well give DVD playing away free.

  5. Re:CCCP by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · · Score: 3, Funny

    In Soviet Russia...

  6. Re:What the heck, is this the 1980's again? by dexomn · · Score: 5, Funny

    Somewhere PowerDVD is wringing it's hands and cackling madly in it's secret lair.

  7. Re:Bad enough I pay for microtransactions in MMO's by ByOhTek · · Score: 3, Funny

    You can get Visual Studio Express with it's C compiler, for free.
    You can get GCC through either MinGW or Cygwin for free.

    Why would you want to pay $100? If you really want, you can give me $100 and I'll send you any of these on a CD...

    --
    Self proclaimed typo king, and inventor of the bear destroying coffee table (patent not pending).
  8. Re:Bad enough I pay for microtransactions in MMO's by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 4, Funny

    "I don't think it's that they are trying to nickel and dime you."

    Of course not. It's M$. They are trying to Ten and Twenty you.

    --
    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  9. That's why the good lord invented freeware... by gestalt_n_pepper · · Score: 3, Funny

    Or in other words, frack Windows Media Center...

    Old joke. An interviewer asks a potential new programmer a question, "If you could be any piece of software, which would you be?"
    "Windows Media Player, " the interviewee responds, "I like to be left alone."

    --
    Please do not read this sig. Thank you.
  10. Re:Bad enough I pay for microtransactions in MMO's by ocdude · · Score: 5, Funny

    if it takes Linux 4hrs longer to install vs. windows, its' not cost effective.

    Dude, you're doing it wrong.