Windows 10 DVD Player Free For Some

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If you have Windows Media Center installed on your upgrade eligible version of Windows, you will get the Windows 10 DVD player for free. If not, be prepared to cough up $15.

True to its word, Microsoft has now made the Windows DVD Player available for all, but while some Windows 10 upgraders will get it for free, others will have to pay $14.99 for the same piece of software. Which camp do you fall into?
 
they give away software worth billions -- but then charge that much for a piece of software that's free just about anywhere else.

Even if they legally *had* to charge for it ... make it $1 as call it a day. Are they really expecting millions to cough up 15 dollars to watch a DVD on their pc?
 
Disgraceful.
It should be free for everyone who upgrades, at minimum.
 
VLC is free and better, who even cares about this anymore?
 
Rumor has it that MPC-HC or VLC will let you play DVDs.
 
So, if you are upgrading from Windows 7, make sure you install Windows Media Center before you upgrade to Windows 10.

If you are on Windows 8/8.1 and didn't get the free Windows Media Center when you upgraded from 7, you are out of luck.

Any thing else ?
 
cccp/media player classic has dvd playback capability.
The bigger question is who uses windows media center?
 
If you're using a MS product to play DVD's.. you're gonna have a bad time.
 
does it play Blu Ray too? If not, then I can just use XBMC...er KODI...or use one of the commercial licenses I have (don't remember the name, because I never use them).
 
rewted said:
If you're using a MS product to play DVD's.. you're gonna have a bad time.
Click to expand...
Especially since it doesn't support media center anymore. At least with media center, if it's working, it could function as a limited but usable interface.

Media Player has always been fail for playing DVDs, even with official DVD playback support, so I don't even why anyone would want to do that.
 
yup, vlc is amazing. So lightweight and quick loading, I use it at work as well for viewing work vids because I can do more with the video more easily.
 
I fall in the whats a DVD camp lol, na i don't really use disc's no more. Have a Bluray in my main computer must have used it twice lol.

And i have removed my DVD writer from my Laptop and put a hard drive caddy in so that has no optical drive. Rather use Media Centre classic and stream whatever i want. Saves time looking for discs.
 
For those upset or complaining about it - when was the last time you watched a DVD using Windows Media Player on your computer?

I'm guessing the number is very low and couldn't justify licensing for EVERYONE when only 1% or less actually do watch a DVD movie on their PC with WMP.

Everyone in here probably used VLC or other software, anyway.

I'm more upset about the price - $15! I don't care that they took it out, and if I HAD to, I'd have VLC.
 
nilepez said:
does it play Blu Ray too? If not, then I can just use XBMC...er KODI...or use one of the commercial licenses I have (don't remember the name, because I never use them).
Click to expand...

It just works with DVDs. Big fan of PowerDVD for BD playback and has 3D BD support and it's been great with Windows 10.
 
Ur_Mom said:
I'm more upset about the price - $15! I don't care that they took it out, and if I HAD to, I'd have VLC.
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Yeah, kind of cheesy and something I don't really think they really want people do use. It was just a way to appease some folks that needed an in the box DVD playback solution.
 
So this is the point behind free windows 10? You get the OS for free, but we'll nickel and dime you on everything else? Solitaire without ads, that'll cost ya, want to play a dvd on your computer? that'll cost you more. With others, it's not a huge deal for me, but the stench of what might come is what worries me.
 
Ur_Mom said:
For those upset or complaining about it - when was the last time you watched a DVD using Windows Media Player on your computer?
Click to expand...

But that's besides the point.
It used to come with Windows for free, and now they want an extra $15 for it.
Waaaa!
 
sfsuphysics said:
So this is the point behind free windows 10? You get the OS for free, but we'll nickel and dime you on everything else? Solitaire without ads, that'll cost ya, want to play a dvd on your computer? that'll cost you more. With others, it's not a huge deal for me, but the stench of what might come is what worries me.
Click to expand...

Wait until they decide charge you and extra $15 of you want to use a physical keyboard and mouse :)
 
There are plenty of free DVD solutions out there, so I couldn't care less. I haven't watched a DVD in 5-6 years anyway. At this point a piss-poor online stream is DVD quality.

$15 for a Blu-Ray player? That's a bit different. The free BD solutions are lousy at best and PowerDVD is expensive.
 
Eh, people still use their laptops to watch DVD's on long airplane trips.


Still I'm going to side with MS on this one, more than likely the reason for the charge is due to some royalty licensing garbage, that well, MS doesn't want to pay, and to be honest, I don't blame them.


Yep, I agree, VLC is the proper end all solution. But well, MS for whatever reasons, probably can't come out and say that, even if it true.
 
I'll make sure I uninstall media center before I upgrade then. One less store app to uninstall later.
 
heatlesssun said:
It just works with DVDs. Big fan of PowerDVD for BD playback and has 3D BD support and it's been great with Windows 10.
Click to expand...

I have PowerDVD, but it seems like every time I reinstall windows/ PowerDVD, I struggle to get 5.1 audio back. It just becomes easier to use AnddvdHD with Kodi.
 
While nice, PowerDVD15 is $85. It's also rather bloated across all versions, too.

With disk-based media becoming less and less important to most users, you'd think someone would come up with a solid/lean Blu-Ray playing media player for a lot less. Kind of like the Leawo player, only a lot more polished.
 
Domingo said:
While nice, PowerDVD15 is $85. It's also rather bloated across all versions, too.

With disk-based media becoming less and less important to most users, you'd think someone would come up with a solid/lean Blu-Ray playing media player for a lot less. Kind of like the Leawo player, only a lot more polished.
Click to expand...

I think i run version 7 or 8. It works fine...then again, I also run AndDVD HD, so I probably wouldn't notice if it was incompatible....well that and I still mostly run Kodi.

Personally, if I buy a movie, it's on disk. I don't pay for files. I want a physical backup that's in the highest available quality, and that's Blu Ray.
 
$15 Windows 8 upgrades and free Windows Media Center keys are working out nicely but who still plays DVD or even bluray physical disks. I just buy bluray to have the right to stream them from internet.
 
Good to know. Looks like I'm getting Windows 10 DVD Player for free for each of the four Windows 7 Ultimate x64 installs I have. :)
 
nutzo said:
But that's besides the point.
It used to come with Windows for free, and now they want an extra $15 for it.
Waaaa!
Click to expand...

DVD's are obsolete technology.

It's like complaining Windows no longer cones with a program for block duplicating floppy disks.
 
sfsuphysics said:
So this is the point behind free windows 10? You get the OS for free, but we'll nickel and dime you on everything else? Solitaire without ads, that'll cost ya, want to play a dvd on your computer? that'll cost you more. With others, it's not a huge deal for me, but the stench of what might come is what worries me.
Click to expand...

Don't forget the data mining. Win10 is free because it is adware/spyware. I don't need that.
 
DVD's are the only way some people in crappy Internet service area can get movies...they are far from obsolete. Maybe they could distribute them on USB memory if the bulk cost of 4/8GB comes down enough (more for blu disk though).
 
nutzo said:
So, if you are upgrading from Windows 7, make sure you install Windows Media Center before you upgrade to Windows 10.

If you are on Windows 8/8.1 and didn't get the free Windows Media Center when you upgraded from 7, you are out of luck.

Any thing else ?
Click to expand...

Actually WMC is installed out of the box on Windows 7 IIRC. From the article:

If you’re upgrading from Windows 7 Ultimate, Professional, Home Premium or Windows 8.1 with Media Center, then you will get Windows DVD Player for free.
Click to expand...

If it's one of those versions of 7 Microsoft already paid the licensing fees so you can have the codec. Same for the people who installed Media Center on Windows 8.1. If you never installed it, then the royalties weren't paid for the codec, so Microsoft won't pay them for you.

This is one situation where other companies would just tell everyone if you want it, go ahead and pay for it as we no longer include it in the OS. I'm glad they are able to keep offering the codecs if you are upgrading without having to pay for it again.
 
I'm going with everyone else above:

1) DVDs are obsolete. I can't remember the last time I played a physical movie disc.

2) I run K-Lite and MPC-HC. Which is free. It works perfectly on everything. It is a master media player that handles everything I have. Music, video, audio, everything. It's traditional with sensible PC controls.

I wouldn't WANT Microsoft's DVD player if they paid me to have it.
 
Advil said:
I wouldn't WANT Microsoft's DVD player if they paid me to have it.
Click to expand...

Yet tons of people make note of the lack of Windows Media Center in Windows 10 whose unique feature was CableCard support with is extremely rare beyond cable boxes where as DVD playback is a dime a dozen feature. But DVD playback is the main thing that Microsoft said people used WMC for and for those with WMC doing an upgrade they get it for free.
 
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