Windows Media Player isn't available for Windows RT 8.1. For Windows Media Player 12 for Windows 8.1 N and KN editions, get the Media Feature Pack. Go to the DVD playback for Windows page to find out how to add DVD playback to Windows 8.1. Included in Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Pro, but doesn't include DVD playback. Go to the DVD playback for Windows page to find out how to add DVD playback to Windows 10. To do that, select the Start button, then select Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Manage optional features > Add a feature > Windows Media Player, and select Install.ĭVD playback isn't included. In some editions of Windows 10, it's included as an optional feature that you can enable. Included in clean installs of Windows 10 as well as upgrades to Windows 10 from Windows 8.1 or Windows 7. (If you've got a Mac, you can download Windows Media Components for QuickTime to play Windows Media files.) Use this table to find the right version of the Player for your system. After all, it’s an open source player, so if you do like it you can always donate a few bucks to the developer.Windows Media Player is available for Windows-based devices. And when it comes to pricing, you can’t go wrong with free.

I find myself using it more and more every time I play an HD movie.

Overall MPC-HC is a really groovy media player. Or in other words, the media player will use your video card instead of your CPU to render the media. If you’re wondering why the system footprint is so low, even while playing HD video, the credit goes to MPC-HC’s DXVA technology which allows it to use GPU acceleration. This includes the useful ability to manage aspect ratios, and if you are on widescreen this can come in handy. The player has a ton of options that can be completely customized, and there’s different skins that can be applied to customize the look and feel of the player’s toolbar. It can also play a ton of different types of video formats, though not quite as many as VLC from my experience. It has a low system footprint, and it can play high definition content without a hitch. MPC-HC is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows systems.

Media players classic