Microsoft is getting ready to launch Windows 8 later this year but it will come without support for DVD playback and Media Center. Microsoft says that television and DVD use on a PC is ”in sharp decline”.

No native DVD playback in Windows 8
Microsoft says that the coming Windows 8 will have no native support for DVD movie playback.


Windows 8 will not natively support DVD playback

Microsoft will also leave out the Media Center platform from the standard version of Windows 8. Only the more expensive Media Center version will support the features.

Microsoft claims that they would have to pay a significant amount of royalties to include the options, and goes on to claim that television and DVD use on PCS is ”in sharp decline”. Instead, Microsoft will make online media the focus for Windows 8 that still supports formats such as H264, VC-1, mpeg4, mp3 and more.

Users can obviously still use free or paid DVD software such as VLC to watch DVD movies – or upgrade to the Media Center version of Windows 8. But it certainly seems like the end of physical discs is nearing.