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thelostone
08-05-2012, 09:34 PM
Found this and if true have microsoft made one big cockup?
DVD is starting to go the way of the VHS tape and film reel. But we've still got hundreds of DVDs in our house, and always pack a few in our laptop case for viewing on those long flights. That's why this news is so frustrating: The upcomingWindows 8 operating system (which you can download and preview now) is dropping the ability to play DVD content.According to Windows engineering team member Steven Sinofsky (emphasis his), "Windows Media Player will continue to be available in all editions, but without DVD playback support. For optical discs playback on new Windows 8 devices, we are going to rely on the many quality solutions on the market, which provide great experiences for both DVD and Blu-ray." In other words: If you want to watch that Bridesmaids DVD on your next plane trip, you're going to have to pay extra for software that will let you play it, even if your laptop already has a DVD drive. And don't think getting Blu-ray is an option ? you can't play that straight from the box, either.
If you're left scratching your heads, the rationale behind dropping DVD support is simple: It's about the bottom line. Says Sinofsky, "traditional media playback scenarios, optical media, and broadcast TV, require a specialized set of decoders (and hardware) that cost a significant amount in royalties." Windows 8 will allow customers the option to install a Windows Media Center upgrade to allow DVD playback at extra cost, though Microsoft is not saying exactly how high that cost will be.
Will the move confuse customers when Windows 8 hits stores this October? Almost certainly. Will not including DVD playback hurt sales of Windows 8? Probably not at first, but we're willing to bet the change adds to the level of frustration people sometimes have with a new operating system. And when combined with some of the other frustrations of Windows 8, such as a tablet experience being shoehorned into a PC format, Microsoft may very well be playing with fire. There's a reason why so many people are still running Windows XP on their computer, after all.

pande_monium
09-05-2012, 12:56 AM
I think there may be a valid rationale behind this... Already we see loads of free media players like VLC, etc which do a fantastic job at not only playing dvds, but also playing a host of other formats like flac, mp3, mp4, ogg, etc... and other tasks like streaming, etc.

So, why waste time in creating a utility, which, without a doubt, some people will moan about (whilst others will not)? Instead, why not divert our attention to areas which can be more fruitful and beneficial to the end user experience - like creating a better operating system with lesser bugs/issues!

Surely, that's more beneficial in the long run... my personal opinion!

To be honest... once you've installed a DVD player, how often do you actually change it, or, wonder what you paid for it? In fact, that's true for all software... isn't it... or is it just me pmsl

BraveHeart
09-05-2012, 01:06 AM
Whats a dvd player ? pmsl

BraveHeart
09-05-2012, 01:10 AM
Media player boxs all the way man, ive not owned a dvd player in years now to be honest, plus my tv, and boxs etc play movies directly from usb sticks too, do they actually still sell dvd players, lol ??? that was a rubbish joke, i know they do, but really, what do they cost, must be about ?5.99 now or summit cause I remember the last one I bought years ago was about 20quid man.

BraveHeart
09-05-2012, 01:15 AM
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. 14quid, more expensive than i thought, lol, that was just a quick search though, i bet they are available for less than 10quid somewhere.

Diablo13
09-05-2012, 01:16 AM
Personally once the early adopters have bought it on release, I think Win 8 will bomb sales wise in the long term?
Win 7 works very well for most of us, so why replace it with a new OS which has such basic restrictions of use on it?
From what I have seen of Win 8, which isn't a lot admittedly, its best suited to tablet pc's, mobile phones and future games consoles which may have a touch screen on the controller?
I really think Microsoft are making a big mistake with this OS because they are relying on the current sales of tablets to sell it?

BraveHeart
09-05-2012, 01:22 AM
Found this and if true have microsoft made one big cockup?
DVD is starting to go the way of the VHS tape and film reel. But we've still got hundreds of DVDs in our house, and always pack a few in our laptop case for viewing on those long flights. That's why this news is so frustrating: The upcomingWindows 8 operating system (which you can download and preview now) is dropping the ability to play DVD content.According to Windows engineering team member Steven Sinofsky (emphasis his), "Windows Media Player will continue to be available in all editions, but without DVD playback support. For optical discs playback on new Windows 8 devices, we are going to rely on the many quality solutions on the market, which provide great experiences for both DVD and Blu-ray." In other words: If you want to watch that Bridesmaids DVD on your next plane trip, you're going to have to pay extra for software that will let you play it, even if your laptop already has a DVD drive. And don't think getting Blu-ray is an option — you can't play that straight from the box, either.
If you're left scratching your heads, the rationale behind dropping DVD support is simple: It's about the bottom line. Says Sinofsky, "traditional media playback scenarios, optical media, and broadcast TV, require a specialized set of decoders (and hardware) that cost a significant amount in royalties." Windows 8 will allow customers the option to install a Windows Media Center upgrade to allow DVD playback at extra cost, though Microsoft is not saying exactly how high that cost will be.
Will the move confuse customers when Windows 8 hits stores this October? Almost certainly. Will not including DVD playback hurt sales of Windows 8? Probably not at first, but we're willing to bet the change adds to the level of frustration people sometimes have with a new operating system. And when combined with some of the other frustrations of Windows 8, such as a tablet experience being shoehorned into a PC format, Microsoft may very well be playing with fire. There's a reason why so many people are still running Windows XP on their computer, after all.

ohh man, sorry, lol, just realised that I think your talking about pc dvd players, hahahhaha, I just seen "dvd player" and just jumped to the conclusion that you were on about the ones for the living room etc, I need to slow down and read posts more carefully, pmsl, lol, but still, an interal dvd player for a pc must be just as cheap anyway is it not ? I havent bought one of them in mega years either as the ones I have on my pc's are like brand new as they very seldom even get used at all apart from maybe installing windows or summit and even at that you dont even need a disk to install windows either, so I think they will be going down the swany soon same as everything else eventually does like you said with vhs etc.

BraveHeart
09-05-2012, 01:32 AM
Personally once the early adopters have bought it on release, I think Win 8 will bomb sales wise in the long term?
Win 7 works very well for most of us, so why replace it with a new OS which has such basic restrictions of use on it?
From what I have seen of Win 8, which isn't a lot admittedly, its best suited to tablet pc's, mobile phones and future games consoles which may have a touch screen on the controller?
I really think Microsoft are making a big mistake with this OS because they are relying on the current sales of tablets to sell it?


I will give windows 8 a try once the full version is out and not any the stupid pre release rubbish and all that, its worth a wee try just to see what like it is I guess, nuffin to lose apart from a bit of time sitting on my donut waiting on it install, lol.

Ive never been a lover of windows 7 as some of you will know and I have a few reasons why as you will also know if you can remember me moaning about it forever, lol, so yea, why not, windows 8 will get a little blast on my machine when its officially released, and if its rubbish I shall just go back to windows 98 se, pmsl

Diablo13
09-05-2012, 01:36 AM
"so I think they will be going down the swany soon same as everything else eventually does like you said with vhs etc."

You always need some method of storing hard copy of programs, games, photos etc, to either transfer to another machine or back up data for long term storage.
Electronic backups like usb sticks and external hard drives can fail, so putting backups of photos or music collections on a disk which can be put in a drawer for years and never touched till you need it, are still a very good idea?
If you sell programs or games, you need a reliable and cheap method of distributing it, something which is light weight and can stand up to a battering in the post. There is nothing to replace discs of some sort for many of these reasons, at the current time.

I will give windows 8 a try once the full version is out and not any the stupid pre release rubbish and all that, its worth a wee try just to see what like it is I guess, nuffin to lose apart from a bit of time sitting on my donut waiting on it install, lol.

But will you buy it to try it Braveheart?
I guess not, so that wouldn't count as a sale for MS, but if you did fork out ?140 or so for it, then hated it I think you would be more than a little peeved! :cry:

BraveHeart
09-05-2012, 01:47 AM
"so I think they will be going down the swany soon same as everything else eventually does like you said with vhs etc."

You always need some method of storing hard copy of programs, games, photos etc, to either transfer to another machine or back up data for long term storage.
Electronic backups like usb sticks and external hard drives can fail, so putting backups of photos or music collections on a disk which can be put in a drawer for years and never touched till you need it, are still a very good idea?
If you sell programs or games, you need a reliable and cheap method of distributing it, something which is light weight and can stand up to a battering in the post. There is nothing to replace discs of some sort for many of these reasons, at the current time.


Depends on what your saving/backing up I suppose, for me what I do is all my family photos etc all get backup up on to two seperate hard drives and also onto a paid for photo website (photobox), so theres no way I will ever lose them unless both my hard drives got melted in a furnace at the same time (you never know, lol), but as a backup if the furnace happend or my pc was stolen then I know they are all stored on a remote website too, so if I was so unlucky that all 3 went at the same time then I would just say ta ta to them, but I also have all the original copies (glossy prints) in another house too, but I dont have a 4th backup of the ones took by phone cameras etc apart from them being on the photobox website.

But I do understand what you mean mate about the easyness of having things saved on a dvd disk/s, same could be said though of those tiny little mini sd cards though, saves you having to carry about a dvd disk, know what I mean, same difference I suppose, I know that through time, years, dvds will become unreadable even if not used and stored away as they degrade naturally, but I would imagine SD and mini sd's etc do too, I dunno though.

BraveHeart
09-05-2012, 01:58 AM
But will you buy it to try it Braveheart?
I guess not, so that wouldn't count as a sale for MS, but if you did fork out ?140 or so for it, then hated it I think you would be more than a little peeved!

Me buy anything MS, errrrm, pmsl, course I will buy it like I buy all versions of windows pmsl

pande_monium
09-05-2012, 02:10 PM
Personally once the early adopters have bought it on release, I think Win 8 will bomb sales wise in the long term?
Win 7 works very well for most of us, so why replace it with a new OS which has such basic restrictions of use on it?
From what I have seen of Win 8, which isn't a lot admittedly, its best suited to tablet pc's, mobile phones and future games consoles which may have a touch screen on the controller?
I really think Microsoft are making a big mistake with this OS because they are relying on the current sales of tablets to sell it?


Yes, well, everything is moving that way already.

Apple's OSX Lion has the Launchpad and Mission Control which are tablet oriented as well. That's probably moving in the direction of having 1 operating system for all kinds of hardwares - PCs or Tablets or Phones... albeit scaled versions of course. With the 2 biggest OS manufacturers going this route, there's not much scope left to guess what the future holds.

I think you're also missing the all important, multi-touch trackpad (or touchpad... whatever!). With operating systems like this, the multi-touch aspect comes into play and takes full advantage of the OS's capabilities. You don't really need a touch screen or tablet PC to use these features.


But will you buy it to try it?

Apologies for trimming your question to make it generic Diablo... but please allow me to answer it too.

I don't think anyone buys something to try it... people buy stuff to use it. If in the even that they do not like it, they either return it, and in the case that its not returnable, complain about it till they eventually give up and live with it. But, that's the nature of things today. Mostly, people rely on reviews and being able to "try" it out at shops, friends' place, demo copies, etc.

However, things are evolving... the fact that MS has opened its doors for Win8 and is allowing us to test drive it now before they release the full version... is them actually saying - Try it before you buy it !!

digdug
09-05-2012, 02:23 PM
but still, an interal dvd player for a pc must be just as cheap anyway is it not ?

I think your missing the point here lol
Windows 8 & windows media player will no longer play DVD's even if you have the hardware in your machine :)

Spinifex
09-05-2012, 02:26 PM
Also i read that most new cars in a couple of years will be doing away with a cd player aswell since cd sales have dropped in recent years.
like meself a usb dongle plugged in to where the glove box is full of mp3s there is no need for a cd of mp3s or just 20 silly tracks lol

p.s its deffo a time for a change anyway, if we didnt make the changes now we would be stuck in the dark ages. lets face it 95% of us nowadays are tech savy and if your mum or dad or grandad/mum isnt you normally are yourself and do it all for them so its no wonder really.

how many times have you found yourselves rescanning your elderly parents tv's or showing them how to use a dvd player lol

Pejazzle
09-05-2012, 08:27 PM
Diablo I've tried Windows 8 Consumer Preview and it's bloody dreadful! They are basically slapping a tablet interface over a desktop one, it's Windows 7 underneath with very few little tweaks which you could get with windows update. Windows 7 is absolutely fine there is no incentive that I see for anyone to move to Windows 8. If you want all that fancy "Metro" look you can download software that looks and does the exact same thing.

It's like most people on XP are fine with it and see no big reason to change to 7, but at least there are a lot of changes on 7 but 8 is just ridiculous.

That's my opinion anyway.

Diablo13
09-05-2012, 10:22 PM
"Also i read that most new cars in a couple of years will be doing away with a cd player aswell since cd sales have dropped in recent years."

And yet car manufacturers are not even installing DAB capable radios in cars, not even on most high end models?
With the demise of FM in only three years time, its about time they got their fingers out because I much prefer DAB radio, but I had to get an aftermarket unit to get it.

But I am going off topic.


Despite their huge uptake recently, tablets, while being more portable do not have the all round capabilities of a laptop, though they can match or exceed them in price?
I agree MS are looking for an all format operating system, as to if that will ever work properly that is another question. You mentioned yourself pande that there are already several OS's,....... which are not even compatible with each other on the same type of hardware.
For a universal system to work, some OS makers must necessarily go to the wall, something they will obviously fight strenuously for years to come!

For me there are no useful advantages to Win 8, so why would I want to pay for, or even install for free something I have no need for?
I think the majority of the consumer market will view it in the same way?

alanjg007
09-05-2012, 10:59 PM
I have to agree. Windows 8 is not going to be installed on any pc here unless its a touch screen. No burning reason to. The cynical person in me believes that in previous years the operating system has increased hardware buying/profits. If microsoft thinks that they are going to increase sales of touch screen technology then the operating system would have to be something special, which the people in this thread says its not.

RIP m$ or is win8 the next vista? they are due for a M.E or vista!

pande_monium
10-05-2012, 02:17 AM
And yet car manufacturers are not even installing DAB capable radios in cars, not even on most high end models?
With the demise of FM in only three years time, its about time they got their fingers out because I much prefer DAB radio, but I had to get an aftermarket unit to get it.
My apologies mate, but this couldn't be farther from the truth... we are currently in the process of changing my wife's car. We're looking at medium range cars like Honda, Toyota, Volkswagon, etc... and most medium trims have DAB included by default. Only the basic trims don't have any frills. Moreover, all audio systems, regardless of the trim, have some type of interaction with idevices, mp3 players, usb drives, memory cards. This is a clear indication of the direction we're moving in.


Despite their huge uptake recently, tablets, while being more portable do not have the all round capabilities of a laptop, though they can match or exceed them in price?
I agree MS are looking for an all format operating system, as to if that will ever work properly that is another question. You mentioned yourself pande that there are already several OS's,....... which are not even compatible with each other on the same type of hardware.
Agreed mate. But, Win8 / OSX Lion are perhaps the first steps MS/Apple are taking towards making a "1 OS, different trims" strategy for different hardware products.
Like it or not... change is here to stay. Touchscreens will replace all current forms of VDU's. Keyboards will be a thing of the past... replaced by voice recognition. Mice, etc will be replaced by gesture and motion recognition. Of course, it'll take time... these things don't happen overnight. To reach common households, it will take at least 5-7 years... but that's like a blink of an eye in technology terms.
Just 5-7 years back, did you even think of a smartphone with a 12Mp camera + GPS + editing excel, word, etc at one go? But, its a reality today... isn't it?


For me there are no useful advantages to Win 8, so why would I want to pay for, or even install for free something I have no need for?
I think the majority of the consumer market will view it in the same way?
Perhaps initially, they will... but eventually, change will overturn everything... equilibrium is all about meeting half-way. At this moment you and them are at opposite extremes. But, mark my words, in a few years time, you'll be readily accepting a different incarnation of this very product. Is that bad? Not at all... merely, a handshake between 2 parties.


I have to agree. Windows 8 is not going to be installed on any pc here unless its a touch screen. No burning reason to. The cynical person in me believes that in previous years the operating system has increased hardware buying/profits. If microsoft thinks that they are going to increase sales of touch screen technology then the operating system would have to be something special, which the people in this thread says its not.
As I said earlier, what you are completely disregarding is the TRACKPAD! Don't underestimate your laptop's multi-touch trackpad. It can easily replace the current level of OS upgrades on offer without the need for a touch screen.


RIP m$ or is win8 the next vista? they are due for a M.E or vista!
Our failures define how good our successes will be, my friend. Without Vista, there would be no Win7. Similarly, without Win8 or Win9 or Win10... there will be no WinXX.

Diablo13
10-05-2012, 07:32 AM
"Perhaps initially, they will... but eventually, change will overturn everything... equilibrium is all about meeting half-way"

If that were really true pande, there would not be so many people still using Win 98 and XP so many years after they have been superseded?
Now forcing people to change, for no good reason to them, but merely to increase your profits, is a different argument altogether!
I am all for the advance and increased functionality of new tech, just so long as you don't expect everyone to want to buy it, especially nowadays when people have more important priorities!
Win 8 seems to me to be based more on the spectacular looking special effects seen in films and tv programs, rather than any actual useful advance? Purely because it looks good!
Just because new technology is available doesn't mean you want or need it, like 3D tv's, tablets, android or super multimedia phones, or hybrid cars, non of which I have any real need or use for.

Incidentally I based my DAB radio in cars observations on my asking about it at a Peugeot main dealer last week, where I was told that not even their top of the range motors costing over 22 grand came with DAB radios fitted and they were aware of no plans by Peugeot to introduce them.

Pejazzle
10-05-2012, 12:35 PM
I'm sorry Pande but in my experience most trackpads are absolute dog sh*t and doesn't in any way replace the touching of the screen which is what Windows 8 "Metro" is aimed at.

Viper123
02-06-2012, 01:02 AM
Was I right in reading somewhere that it will not be able to do full multi-tasking as well now and the current desktop is just another Metro "app"?

Andy Lau
07-06-2012, 12:31 AM
I think all dvds and cd are going to be extinct and everything going to be one the cloud