Microsoft is known for removing classic Desktop apps and replacing them with modern Store equivalents. Windows 10 already offers a modern version of Calculator instead of the classic app. The Photos app in Windows 10 also replaced the good old Windows Photo Viewer and Photo Gallery apps. Many other apps from the Windows Essentials suite were discontinued in favor of their UWP counterparts. Windows Media Player is the next app on the deathbed.
Windows Media Player requires no introduction. The app was included with the operating system by default since Windows 98. During its life span, the app received several major updates. It started as a very basic app, but got significant upgrades during the lifecycle of Windows Me and Windows XP operating systems. It got full library and jukebox management features, a graphic equalizer, visualizations, skins, and built-in codecs. Windows Media Player 10, released for XP Media Center Edition was probably the best and most functional release of this app and also visually it had the best user interface.
With Windows Vista, a number of features were dropped or broken but the app's format support and Media Transfer Protocol were still improved in some ways. The app received its last substantial makeover in Windows 7 where many streaming features were added. Early releases of Windows 10 added some codecs and container formats for Media Player and improved the Casting functionality.
Despite these steady improvements, it was clear after the introduction of Universal Windows Platform that Windows Media Player, like other Win32 apps, was on its way out. Microsoft hasn't invested in enhancing its functionality in any significant capacity. Microsoft's focus has shifted entirely to Store apps. A couple of them are already bundled with Windows 10: Groove Music, and Movies & TV - these apps are intended to succeed WMP. There's also a separate DVD Player Store app available for purchase.
In recent builds of Windows 10, a popup has been spotted by Reddit user Noam_ha. The popup window recommends switching from Windows Media Player to Movies & TV. It advertises greater compatibility with modern formats, 4K support, a mini-player, 360-degree (VR panoramic) videos, and better battery life.
But these modern Store apps do not replicate several useful classic features of Win32 apps. Just like Edge lacks many features from Internet Explorer, and Paint 3D lacks many features of the classic Paint app, Movies and TV doesn't look like a true replacement for Windows Media Player. Even basic functionality like queuing videos or online and local network streaming is missing in this modern app.
Also, Windows Media Player is more than a video player. It also handles audio files and has impressive Library management features. If it is removed, there will be a significant loss of functionality from the operating system, and the user would be forced to find another app which suits his or her requirements. Groove Music which is also a barebones Store app lacks WMP features as well.
Finally, the user interface of Movies and TV is far from looking polished and the functionality also leaves much to be desired.
It is an extremely sad trend that Microsoft is replacing fully-featured, mature Desktop apps with such simplified Store analogs. The newer apps are barely finished and look like a mockup. Even for a typical user, these changes will be very disappointing.
What's your opinion on this change? Are you happy with the direction of Store apps in Windows 10, or are you going to miss the good old Windows Media Player? Tell us how you feel in the comments.
Source: Reddit.
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WMP to watch movies? You really? ;) My copy of Windows still allows me to set other players as default! :D
MPC BE, the best. :)
MPC-HC and AIMP (WinAmp) forever!
What are they going to replace it with in the Enterprise LTB edition where UWP is removed?
Hmm, maybe it will remain available there. Who knows.
We’re counting on you, Sergey, to compile an ‘after market’ WMP app!!! ;) ;) ;)
Okay))
Been using Mediamonkey for audio and VLC for video since 2005.
Truth of the matter is:
MS doesn’t want you listening to your own mp3’s and ripping your own CD’s anymore, they want to sell you music and services from their own Store!
Their competition has been doing it for decades, and making money ‘hand over fist’, I might add!
MS wants their ‘slice of the pie’!
Just nothing to add!
I agree that this is a sad trend. Microsoft pushing out UWP apps is terrible for Desktop users. I don’t know what they are thinking. Sometimes, the default apps reverted themselves to UWP apps. It’s so annoying.
Their new CEO is only stick to the cloud and don’t give a shit for consumer products, as time passed Microsoft will just become another IBM and phase out from general users.
I still rip CDs. What would I use for that if Windows Media Player is removed?
Some third-party tool. MP3Producer, for example.
WMP is not so bad but as the article says WMP 10 was the best. Microsoft ruined the UI after 11 and annihilated it with WMP 12. I hate it now. If they can give me WMP 10, I will be happy to use it.
“Groove Music” must be the must uselees software anytime. :-/ What can you do with it? It steal file associations, without playing the associated files, as playlist files *.m3u and *.pls. “Groove Music” is a high grade crapware.
Seems that Microsoft has got a new or sveral new directors, who wish to show their great leading capacity.
The new apps are almost completely useless grove music can not play most of my music can not even find some of my music files as for it being interested with Spotify same problem can not find or play my music files ,film and TV app can not play UK DVDs or my video files
NO!!!!!!!
When they decide to remove WMP from Windows 10 and replace it with some unfinished UWP replacement, never use it and switch to third party solution like VLC and MPC or even bring it back if Sergey plans to compile WMP for newer version of Windows 10!
Time to move away from Microsoft products.
But how and where?
linux rules
Eventually Windows itself will be UWP only.
Goodbye desktop applications – they just didn’t bring in the money.
Hello micro-transactions. advertisements everywhere. forced updates, and spying galore!!!
Okay, I’m off to pay my yearly fee for Microsoft Solitaire (UWP) so I can post on the leaderboard! I just love micro-transactions!!!
I’m afraid you are correct.
Eventually, I suspect many of us shall end up on Linux.
Sergey, you’re a very good man.
I am confident that you’ll release a patch to have it re-installed and properly-enabled.
Do you realize that you’ve literally helped to undo some of the most stupid and senseless alterations made by Microsoft to Windows since it reached its zenith with Windows 7? Of course you do.
Know this: I, along with countless others, consider your work (your website) so essential towards my Windows 10 experience that not having you here would suck horribly.
I should donate you some money for your time – you’ve more-than-earned it, my friend :-)
It’s completely worthless anyway. VLC does a better job with videos, and AIMP is a lot better for audio.
If MS drops support for WMP, I would switch over to a 3rd party. Grove Music and their movie app are plain crap. I could make a better app over a weekend than their sad attempt.
I came looking for a way to migrate my large .mp3/.wmp library of CDs to Windows 10, and possibly a way to continue adding to it. I have come away with a feeling of dread, disappointment, and doom–that dudgeon was presaged when I learned with alarm that metadata services were simply abandoned, like a sack full of kittens and bricks.
[didn’t find the carriage return ;) ] …and in similar fashion, 10,000 of my photos can’t be catalogued cleanly on my new computer. They are steering us to cloud storage, and charging us; and then later to raise their prices at gunpoint.
Anyway, all I can do for now is to bookmark this great site: THANK YOU!
I have been using MP since it came out. I have gone through the growth pains and believe me there were some big ones, but that is how BIG BUSINESS is, it uses you and then turn it’s back on you for money in the end. I lost all of my files recently and since I’m in no way a computer tech , it really took me some time to get things back so since I listen to my music everyday I really missed it. I am sixty-eight and I have spent years collecting the music from the mid 50’s until current. I have them burned to disc so I am OK for now until I can no longer depend on disc.