Microsoft pinching the pennies: no Blu-ray in Win 7

Geoff Spick
06 March 2009, 3:03 PM


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Windows 7 won't be able to play Blu-ray movies without third-party software support.


Blu-ray licenses cost about US$30, a charge that Microsoft doesn't want to add to the overall bill for Windows 7. And, we assume that the OS maker wants to keep the price down as much as possible, so as not to outrage the millions of Vista users who forked out for their short-lived system.



As a result, if your spanking new PC comes with a Blu-ray drive, you won't be able to enjoy Indiana Jones or the latest Will Smith blockbuster without some third-party media software.

We expect the usual suspects like WinDVD (currently up to Version 9 with Blu-ray support) or PowerDVD will come packed in (as a Lite or Trial version) with the Blu-ray drive. So all is not lost, though it's annoying that Windows 7 won't be able to play BD discs without an extra install.



Above: WinDVD to the rescue -- but how long will Windows users have to wait to get a version of their OS that can play Blu-ray? Or is Blu-ray simply a 'too little too late' technology that Microsoft shouldn't have to plough money into?

Will it really matter in the long run? With movies increasingly purchased as a download it looks like Blu-ray will have a shorter lifespan than its proponents had hoped for, but for the large number of users without suitably fast broadband, downloading high-definition quality movies is out of the question, leaving Blu-ray the only option, one that Microsoft has just neatly stepped around.

This situation may change in the future as the Blu-ray conglomerate is trying to find ways to get the cost of the license down, but for now ensure you have the software to play BD movies on your PC before rushing down to the video store.

What do you think?


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Me In Oz (User):

Here is another example of the 'susepct' media coverage MS has to deal with on a weekly basis !

This a product that is still in beta right ? Who knows, they may include it and surprise everyone, but hey, lets start roasting them now !

If they include it, they'll be blamed for being overpriced and supplying 'bloatware'. If they don't then they'll be deemed 'stingy' !
You release regular updates to improve your product for the users and you get blamed for poor code. If you don't like auto updates, turn it off.
You just can't win when you are on top of the heap I guess :)

06 March 2009, 3:21 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (User):

Quoting Me In Oz:
This a product that is still in beta right ? Who knows, they may include it and surprise everyone, but hey, lets start roasting them now !


MS read the media too... And the opinions of journalists have changed MS product releases before. If everyone just sat back and accepted the pre-releases weren't releases, then nothing would get changed and we'd have a buggy piece of crap software no one wants.

OK, so the process didn't work for Vista ;-)

07 March 2009, 9:42 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

AndyCee (New user):

Quoting Me In Oz:
This a product that is still in beta right ? Who knows, they may include it and surprise everyone, but hey, lets start roasting them now !

I have to agree with Me In Oz. Give us a citation, or a link to follow up, or even show Microsoft's reply when you asked them about blu-ray support in Win7.


07 March 2009, 10:48 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (New user):

I cant really see an issue this is just a continuation of the greedy fiasco we have seen with DVD playback. Nothing new here, different hardware same Hollywood greed.

Bundled media players will be shipped with media drives. Media playback is an issue but hardly a new one and far from being a Microsoft only problem.

06 March 2009, 3:31 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

todd_h86 (New user):

XP didn't play DVDs without a 3rd party app..... not like its a new thing and anyway its not like Blu ray has taken off like the rocket it was meant to be. I wouldnt mind having to buy a program to watch blu ray movies with (and as the article says, the blu ray rom will be bundled with software). Whats the problem? Bash an OS before its released! Yay we are big big men here!

Even if it could play Blu Ray out of the box, I would still install a 3rd party app just because I'm not a fan of Media Player. Media center is ok, but takes too long to get into if you just want to watch a movie on your laptop or screen

06 March 2009, 4:21 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

petert (Advanced Forumologist):

If a Blu-ray adds US$30 to the cost then by the time we bought a copy in Australia, it would probably be more like AUD$50 or $60 because of the exchange rate, GST, adding an extra margin just because they can etc. It is probably better value to leave it out.

06 March 2009, 4:25 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Halcon (User):

The bundling of a DVD/Blu ray Disc, would be a great solution, but this has not been included, as the article says, cost.
So who is to blame, Microsoft, DVD/Blu-ray Disc software makers or Hollywood studios?
Any one of these is making outrageous profits, because not all of the drives have support for the latest media format.
So to have the privilege of watching in the comfort of your computer screen you have to rush to the nearest Harvey Norman store and buy the overpriced WinDVD or PowerDVD software. :(

06 March 2009, 5:38 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (User):

Quoting Halcon:
So who is to blame, Microsoft, DVD/Blu-ray Disc software makers or Hollywood studios?


Considering the entire purpose of requiring any licensing is related specifically to the DRM, it's not hard to answer that!

I personally MAY buy a bluray drive some time in the next 12 months, but I will only be using it for burning my larger backups (video mostly). Until the whole keys and DRM crap is sorted, I'm not buying a Bluray video.

07 March 2009, 9:54 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anon34345 (New user):

Quoting Tin:
Until the whole keys and DRM crap is sorted, I'm not buying a Bluray video.

That is what ANYDVD HD is for:

http://www.slysoft.com/en/anydvdhd.html





10 March 2009, 10:37 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Discosis (New user):

No wonder Apple left it out too.

06 March 2009, 8:27 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

jake (New user):

another reason for them not including bluray payback is because microsoft has to pay sony for the bluray license that you were talking about in the first sentence

07 March 2009, 2:49 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

sandra_madness (New user):

This article is such a non-event. Someone thought it was an obscure chance to bag windows. I am sure various Linux distros are going to genrously pay the $50+AUD licensing fee and still provide the OS free and as Discosis says "No wonder Apple left it out too"

APC, good journalists please..

07 March 2009, 4:59 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Dan Warne (Regular user):

What a ridiculous comment. Linux is a free operating system; Windows isn't. Linux is focused on open source with no proprietary/patented technology. Bluray is entirely built around proprietary/patented technology.

07 March 2009, 9:45 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Halcon (User):

Quoting Dan Warne:
What a ridiculous comment... Blu-ray is entirely built around proprietary/patented technology.

That's right, and Sony won the battle over the so called "High Definition" to Toshiba, just for the big cash grab.
I have been given a Sony Blu-ray player recently in Christmas, I bought some titles in that format, to me, I see no much difference in the image quality.
Everything is almost same as DVD, One or two audio languages added and no more.
Same title in DVD cost less than it's counterpart, do we have to bother buying a player/burner combo to the computer system? NO way!
This "high-Def" moniker stinks, Sony is another greedy company wishing to brainwash the lot with false promises of video nirvana.


08 March 2009, 7:17 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

epaalx (New user):

Quoting Halcon:
Everything is almost same as DVD, One or two audio languages added and no more.


Umm, you need a high resolution monitor (preferably 1920x1080) to notice the difference between high and standard definitions. You'll also need to clean the glasses.


08 March 2009, 11:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Halcon (User):

Quoting epaalx:
Umm, you need a high resolution monitor (preferably 1920x1080) to notice the difference between high and standard definitions.


I have a Samsung T260 Computer Monitor that support HD content and a Sony XBR 52" LCD Television Set connected to the Blu-ray player via HDMI.
A far better value is the DVD and HDD recorder combination machine from LG and Samsung (You will have bang value for your money on any of them).

09 March 2009, 12:27 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Dan Warne (Regular user):

Quoting epaalx:
you need a high resolution monitor (preferably 1920x1080) to notice the difference between high and standard definitions.


I would agree if you were talking about a TV, but on a laptop monitor you can certainly tell the difference between high-def and standard-def, even if you don't have a full 1920x1080 resolution monitor. For example my MacBook Pro has 1680x1050 and high-def TV episodes look WAY clearer than standard-def ones at fullscreen.

09 March 2009, 3:11 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (New user):

Quoting Halcon:
That's right, and Sony won the battle over the so called "High Definition" to Toshiba, just for the big cash grab.

Another conspiracy theory? Back in reality land however the fact of the matter is that any Blu-Ray win over HD was a result if consumer purchasing decisions.
Yes there are a myriad of arguments about supply channels, movie house endorsement, better marketing etc, but end of the day more Blu-ray was leaving retailers shelves than HD format.
It's no different than the history of the Beta/VHS format wars, VHS won.
Regardless of which camp had won that war there would have been license fees for players so it's really a moot argument, when we are focusing on whether MS should or should not include a player license with its OS.


09 March 2009, 9:27 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

McBanjo (New user):

The only issue I have with this is integration. Sure, PowerDVD has features to link with Windows Media Centre, but it'll still never meet the seamless integration Vista offers with DVD. Microsoft will hopefully be offering this as an optional extra for those who wish to pay for it, rather than relying on feature-overloaded third-party software to clog up our systems.

07 March 2009, 10:20 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Michael J (User):

You don't really NEED blue ray support in windows 7. Surely there are free blue ray players available?

07 March 2009, 12:24 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

AndyCee (New user):

Quoting Michael J:
Surely there are free blue ray players available?


Heh, you'd be suprised. Technically, there weren't any free DVD players around, but the encryption was so poor it was broken early on in the piece, now every TD&H can play DVD's.

Blu-Ray encryption is better (though technically broken). Right now, you need software which has a license to play Blu-ray discs in order to play with the encryption, and Sony don't give those licenses away for free.

07 March 2009, 10:58 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

The Big Baboo (New user):

I don't care :) I'm still going to be watching my DVD's and maybe if I decide to buy any in the future BlueRay movies on my Home Theatre system that this whole thing does not concern me one iota

07 March 2009, 12:25 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Pazin (New user):

well if we look at this logically blu-ray will be the next best type of video, if microsoft doesn't intend to ressurect hd-dvd in some way.

most people who want to watch hi-def 1080p movies in the future will need this in windows.

but im sure there will be a crack for some program if it costs money, and there will always be 3rd party programs.

also this is where linux, mac and many others currently in development can pick up from windows.

"YET ANOTHER MISTAKE BY WINDOWS"

07 March 2009, 1:43 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

AndyCee (New user):

Only speaking for myself - I don't care. Well, enough to post but that's it =).

I can't afford a TV good enough to show the difference between DVD and Blu-Ray. If I did, I wouldn't pay the extra price for BR over DVD. If for some reason I started to, that won't be influenced by the codecs on my laptop.

07 March 2009, 11:01 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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