Windows 7 Media player will not play back BluRay disc's

Anonymous
2009-10-25T16:16:04+00:00

I just installed Windows 7 premium home,full retail 64 bit version. I was surprised to find media player does not support BluRay playback. I read the previous post in this forum and see, as far back as May, that Microsoft was aware of the codec issues with BluRay playback on Win. 7

What is Microsoft doing to solve this glaring issue. BluRay has been around for a long time and I'm sure thousands of Windows 7 customers are going to be in the same boat as me. There are NO codec available through a Google search ( 64 bit) and I would be very reluctant to use one off the internet anyway (Virus issues)

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Music, photos, and video

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Anonymous
2009-10-28T13:18:41+00:00

Hi Patrick,

As we know that Blu-Ray is a patented technology so it requires appropriate codecs to be purchased and hence we cannot include it in our Operating System.

To play a Blu-ray Disc, you need to use a non-Microsoft program that supports Blu-ray playback and a device capable of reading Blu-ray Discs.

Check the below link:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/MPEG-and-DVD-video-frequently-asked-questions

Hope this information is useful.

Amrita M

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-10-30T22:07:14+00:00

    Different people probably have different criteria, and at different times too.

    Definition and audio are definitely my top concerns for a good movie experience.

    Price for a good buying experience.

    Being able to watch a movie regardless of the format becomes my top concern when I am discovering movies. And since Blu-ray is only a standard for a specific disc format, not for HD, I can watch HD in many different ways, like streaming from Netflix or Amazon Prime, or downloading free HD rips from the dozens of "scene release" sites. I even watch low res cams or telesync copies when the movies are not available for watching yet.

    But I'd definitely "pirate" much less if I could play Blu-ray from my computer to my TV out of the box, like I can for DVDs. The Blu-ray license should apply only to hardware, not block software innovation and thus slowing down the whole roll-out of the Blu-ray technology. Oh well...

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-10-30T20:35:49+00:00

    I did not mean to detract from the importance of integrating Blu-ray compatibility into Windows. That should be done.

    I just mean to say that if you are having trouble affording or using Blu-ray software, it is not the end of the world. Regular DVD provides the critical thing, which is not high definition. The critical thing is the content.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-10-29T22:12:16+00:00

    By your own reasoning, Blu-ray is more important than DVD, since a Blu-ray player is compatible with both DVDs and BDs so you can access absolutely all content. And you'll be able to watch Caprica in HD too once it releases in Blu-ray.

    Watching Blu-rays on laptops was not too important so far because of the small screens, but now that more and more HDTV wireless adapters are available for laptops with the second generation Intel Core processors, the lack of an integrated solution will be sorely lacking in Windows 7/8.

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-10-27T20:00:44+00:00

    Susan, I've been watching Blu-rays since they first came out. There's no question that they're better than standard DVDs, but they're not the most important thing, which is content.

    For example, a few days ago I completed my viewing of the series Caprica. The disks were standard DVDs--it has not been released on Blu-ray--but I've been watching science fiction since I was a boy in the 1950s, and Caprica turned out to be the best yet.

    So, just as the sundae beneath the cherry is more important than the cherry, DVD is more important than Blu-ray. But  I like cherries and I want them. If only they didn't have to be pitted.

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