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

Very funny Microsoft.

 The very fact that Windows comes with Media Center is a clear indication of what the end user wants to do with the software. Clearly your loyal customers could have benefited from Microsoft's massive buying power to get a deal on the license but instead moderators are telling us to buy complete replacement third party software? Which by the way is extremley expensive....anywhere from half to the full cost of an OEM copy of Windows. Tell me whats the point of having Media Center or Media Player if we are told to buy complete replacement third party software that does everything they do plus play blu-ray?

  The silly argument why should people who don't wan't blu-ray functionality have to pay for it? Well then why should people pay for Media Center? Can we buy a version of Windows that doesn't come with Media Center? Of coarse not. And what of this nonsense blu-ray is not the way of the future, digital downloads are and that we should wait for that technology to catch up? That is telling the customer what they want instead of asking the customer what they want. To say that Blu-ray playback isn't popular in pc's is bunk. HTPC's are a huge market. To say that it took time for DVD playback to be included with media player is also a non starter. DVD was the very first of its kind. Are we to believe that every time we come up with new optical technology we have to start from scratch and make all the same blunders and mistakes we made the first time?

 The simple answer. Offer the codec for a price. Help stop the ridiculous gouging of third party software vendors. $50 to $100 dollars is a ridiculous price to pay for a codec.  Make Media player a true fully featured one as advertised.

 I don't want to use third party apps. I want to use Media player! I want to use Media center!

Yours Truly;

hung out to dry ;-(

We should call this the Ultimate rip-off, I bought "Ultimate" expecting the whole media playing experience, should I buy "Ultimate Ultimate" for the Blu-Ray feature?

All the reasons mentions in this thread amount to nothing, Microsoft could have released a version of Windows 7 with the Blu-Ray license or provided an upgrade option for the customers who need it instead of forcing us to get third party codecs or player software. I already had to buy an expensive lifetime license for AnyDVD just to be able to rip CDs and DVDs and thus build the media library required for WMP, Media Center and Windows Home Server.

It's not just the capacity to play a Blu-Ray disk that is in question, it's the whole movie experience, how you index movies in the Library, how do you add genres, ratings, artwork, etc. , now I need to install a compatible third party Blu-Ray codec or player software. Talk about usability! Microsoft must still assume that Windows is used only by hackers or advanced technicians. :(

In short, as the original thread starter mentioned, Microsoft, do what it takes to add Blu-Ray support for your customers who want it. I was expecting MS to learn the lesson from the missing SD DVD support in Vista, not the same problem again, this time with Windows 7 and Blu-Ray. I am HUGELY disappointed.

MY own risk????     Me and MY customers don't want to hear this.  We want our MEDIA CENTER to work, and we pay dearly for this to happen.   The world is primarily Windows and we deserve functionality, not licensing excuses.  At least Linux is FREE and Apple is a non-player in the home entertainment market.

Actually, my (2) ASUS BDs did not come with software and my search of their website had a firmware update (not the answer) only.  I get the licensing thing, BUT I want to point out that I have and rely on MEDIACENTER.  I have a Home Server and have built 2 nice Media Centers in Antec Fusion cases to run the 2 plasma TVs.   My question is: What good is it if my systems won't support Blu Ray, a common and popular format for the future?  Third party?  Great.  Which is best?  None, because it would be best native to the Media Center software.  So I pay Microsoft extra for it; I would do that so that I know that it is native to my Media Center.  I want to spread the popularity of the Home Server idea, but this Blu Ray holdup will be a boat-anchor to both Media Center and Home Server.  As I sit now I have about $7000 worth of an out-dated set-up that won't play new media.  Hard to promote Microsoft... too bad because this is one heck of a good system.