Windows Media Center’s replacement, DVD Player, now available on Windows 10
Several months before the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft announced that it would be killing off Windows Media Center entirely as the software isn’t compatible with the company’s latest operating system. According to Microsoft’s Gabriel Aul, the Windows team wasn’t going to try and fix Media Center due to decreased usage.
However, Microsoft still wanted to give Media Center users a way to access the software’s most used functionality, DVD playback, in Windows 10. And as promised, the company has begun rolling out a dedicated Windows DVD Player application for previous Media Center users who have upgraded to Windows 10.
The DVD Player app will be automatically downloaded through Windows Update if you are eligible to receive it. Only those who have upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate, or from Windows 8/8.1 with Media Center or the Pro Pack, will get the app for free as these OSes included Media Center previously.
For those upgrading from a version of Windows that didn’t come with Media Center, or for those that perform a clean install of Windows 10 on their system, the Windows DVD Player app will not be automatically downloaded to their device. Microsoft will eventually publish the DVD Player app in the Windows Store for those that want it, although it won’t be available for free, with pricing yet to be announced.
The DVD Player app won’t satisfy many Media Center fans who used the software for its other functionality, but it does give users an easy way to play back DVDs without having to purchase a separate app. That is if you still use DVDs, with many people having switched to streaming media over the past few years.
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