Want DVD Playback on Windows 10? That will be $14.99, thanks!
Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system ships without DVD playback capabilities. When you insert a video DVD into the drive of a computer running Windows 10 you will realize quickly that the DVD won't play on the computer.
Instead, you get an option to search the store for suitable applications or use another program installed on the PC itself (when you right-click and select autoplay for instance).
Microsoft promised to provide a DVD playback solution for Windows 10 to users of the operating system but did not quite mention when it would arrive and how it would look like. The only thing that was clear was that DVD playback support would come in form of an application that the company wanted to make available in the official Windows Store.
The Windows DVD Player application by Microsoft Corporation is now available for $14.99 in the store.
Not all users have to pay money to get the application as Microsoft makes it available for free for users who upgraded from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 with a supported version of Media Center included.
While it is unclear how you'd check if you are eligible for the free version after the upgrade, you will notice if you are eligible as the DVD app will get downloaded via Windows Update automatically in this case.
If you are not eligible, you may pay the $14.99 to add official DVD playback to Windows, or, and that is probably something that most users will prefer, use a third-party alternative instead for that.
The app, apart from being on the pricey side of things lacks functionality that Windows Media Center and most third-party solutions offer such as VOB playback. All it does actually is play video DVDs or ISO images and that's about it.
So what about other options?
If you want to go down the free route, you can grab any of the following programs for DVD playback and a lot more: VLC Media Player, SMPlayer or KODI
The main advantage all of these programs offer is consistency (and a better price point). If you get Microsoft's DVD application, you can use it only to play DVDs. If you want to watch a video file instead, you need to use Windows Media Player or another app for that.
With those applications listed above, you get everything in a single package including DVD playback but also support for the majority of video files, audio files and more.
Should you get the Windows DVD Player if you want to watch DVDs on your Windows 10 computer? No, because there are better free alternatives available.
MPC-HC plays DVDs, BlueRays and any other media format and comes in portable version too.
99.999999 percent of Blu-ray movies DO NOT play on open source players.
They play perfectly fine – actually way better than commercial software players if configured properly. What will not play, are the menus, interactive/java features etc. All videos, including their audio and subtitle tracks will play great. My vote’s on either MPC-HC / MPC-BE.
I quite like Windows 10 in general but I can’t help but think there is something a bit unethical about selling a feature-poor product based pretty much entirely on the hope that those ignorant of the plethora of free options will be your customers.
I just upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7 Home Premium through the Reserved Update Program. The updates were downloaded gradually over a 5 day period and installation took exactly 1 hour.
The finished installation came complete with a Free DVD Player. I did have Windows Media Centre on my Windows 7 operating system but it was never installed as I had it disabled through the Program and Features Module.
It seems as though some early upgrades have no DVD player but the later ones do.
I can’t see this move garnering MS many fans. And it’s some crummy standalone DVD-only app, to boot (gee, can ya throw in Blu-Ray at least?). To add to that, yeah, there are umpteen capable media players that are free and arguably *much better* than WMP. And 15 bucks seems high for an old format, to further state the obvious.
Just seems like a bad move all around. They might make a few bucks off of the less-savvy, but if anything it’ll keep MANY people from using their media player at all. Definitely a head scratcher….
Here I play DVDs with MPC-BE (Media Player Classic – Black Edition) 64-BIT (I like to write 64-BIT, looks nicer than x64 :)
Very nice player, technically and aesthetically.
Now, moving from smile to frown : Microsoft. Ouy Ouy Ouy as Latins put it when it comes to bad feelings.
What is this? Big DaddySoft wants more money? Windows 10 license fee will beat all records, the OS includes an Advertizement-ID together with a myriad of information collectors and they want even more for their half-finished product?
Remember Mad Magazine and its “Our price: 69cents. Cheap”? Problem with Microsoft is that it’s not its license fee which is cheap but rather the company’s behavior : the NEW Microsoft has arrived. Determined, ambitious. Google and Facebook were getting ahead with their inquisition to advertizement to big money scheme. Microsoft was late, old fashioned. No longer : Microsoft the Mighty is going to show them what its got between the codes : eagerness.
Meanwhile, Windows 10’s expectations are collapsing and their users are invited to provide another 15 bucks to get a basic OS service. But, hey, what’s 15 bucks when the OS is free? Nothin’.
I don’t understand what you meant: “Windows 10’s expectations are collapsing”
user expectations? Microsoft’s expectation(s)?
What was “expected”… and “collapsing”? in what sense?
I meant both : Microsoft expected more upgrades, a greater enthusiasm and the users a better product, polished and less intrusive.
My feeling is that the success at this time of Windows 10 is 5/10. Far from what was expected on both sides.
My bet is that Microsoft will change many aspects of the OS in order to avoid a Windows 8 type fiasco : they’re playing big, very big with this product. Of course I can mistake.
that would be windows as a service for you.
Frankly, even though I could get the MS player for free, I won’t.
The alternatives, like VLC, are far superior and now there is less crapware to uninstall from Windows.
Credit to them for catering to those who prefer to have microsoft only software by offering that add on, and they can’t just be after the money, or they’d have made the Windows DVD Player application a subscription service.
um, i would say the dvd player is from microsoft as well, no?
Good says I. Less bloat I have to try and kill off. Now we need to convince them to charge for the OneDrive, Xbox, et al apps so we can get rid of them too
I call it a con to charge money for such a basic thing as playing a dvd. Even if they would give me $14.99 I would not use their mediocre apps.
I will stick with MPC, VLC and Media Monkey even though I use 8.1 and certainly will not “upgrade” to 10.
Clickbait article. Microsoft has to pay royalty fees to offer this product, and this is a product that people use less and less, which means that developing, maintaining, and supporting the app becomes even more expensive.
If you want to pay zero by using gratis software that works around the law without being exactly illegal, then go ahead. But at least learn the facts before giving your opinion if credibility matters to you. Microsoft is just complying with US law.
And since when did US law apply to the rest of the world?
Microsoft is an American company with headquarters in the United States, they have to follow US law. VLC, for example, is French, and French law does not recognize software patents, which is why VLC gets a free pass by integrating DVD playback functionality without paying anything.
So what you’re saying is that an American law is harming an American company, and we are supposed to care about that why exactly?
He’s not saying you should care, per-say. He’s stating why they are charging for the use of a basic DVD play-back software.
Only reason you would care is because it affects your user-experience.
Oh my. I feel bad for people unaware of VLC or other free video players, that will pay for his. tsk-tsk
So this is what Windows X is all about.. I’ll pass and keep 7, thank you.
The other players only provide “free” DVD playback because of multiple factors, like VLC being based in France, for example. Royalty fees are still a thing and Microsoft has to pay them in order to provide this app in the first place.
They always had to pay royalties, but now that Win 10 is “free” they will all at once charge the users for a mediocre and basic app. What a con!.
Most people won’t play DVD’s on their PC’s. And the few that do will be getting less and less as time goes by. Would be dumb for them to provide a DVD player for everyone and have to pay tons of license fees for no reason.