Native support for audio and video codecs is helpful for a platform. Software will be able to call upon the operating system's built-in functions, rather than integrating a solution. Of course, some will continue to roll their own, and that's fine, but it is obviously helpful for the foundation to have its own solution (especially in cases where licenses and royalties are required).
Windows 10 is expected to increase its platform support to include FLAC, MKV, and HEVC (h.265), and more may be coming. The tweet from Gabriel Aul suggests that this will be available starting in the next preview build, which will land in early 2015. Hopefully these additions include both encoding and decoding support, possibly allowing audio and video editors to take advantage of these formats.
The next build of Windows 10 Technical Preview is expected for early next year. The full OS is said to launch late that year.
You know they’ve run out of
You know they’ve run out of ideas when they’re adding codecs as a mentionable feature for a new OS release.
With prior versions of Windows when there was something to add, Microsoft sat on their monopolistic laurels and were complacent and had low innovation just like every monopoly ever.
But now there’s hardly anything important or groundbreaking to add to new OSes. OSes have matured, have a near-complete feature set when it comes to essential features and functionality and are pretty much how they’ll be for years to come. This is why SteamOS catching up to Windows is a matter of when, not if. Because Windows has reached pretty much as far as the road goes and has stopped because there’s nowhere farther to go.
Well, at least mantle will
Well, at least mantle will allow AMD GPU users to keep windows 7 around until 2020, in dual boot with Steam OS, and Mantel will keep M$ from using DX as a carrot to attract users to Win 10. Now AMD needs to get Mantle working on Linux, and its Steam OS driver ducks in order, so gaming can end the M$ monopoly strangle hold that only produces more stagnant sewage sludge. I still see tiles, and lots more baked in spyware in 10, so M$ can not have my business, so much for my yearly new laptop purchase, PC sales are going to remain as flat as M$’s butt ugly UI, until OEM’s start offering OC choice on new PC/Laptop hardware. Steam OS at least will offer users an alternative option.
edit: OC choice
to: OS choice
edit: OC choice
to: OS choice
When will you run low on
When will you run low on things to bitch about
That’s uncalled-for.
That's uncalled-for.
Despite the rant, I have to
Despite the rant, I have to agree with some of it. Still, codecs can be a major pain- so whatever is appreciated. And SteamOS is going to have it’s own trappings geared for gaming noob$. I would just like to see Linux more mainstream.
If Windows 10 will support
If Windows 10 will support HEVC, does that mean we can expect 4K Blu-Ray support? A real upgrade would be adding DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K Blu-Ray support after Windows 8 destroyed DVD support.
Not a hope. Something to do
Not a hope. Something to do with cost. It is a RPIA and forced me to get Cyberlink product (which is OKish) simply to play Blu ray and DVD movies on my HTPC.
Extra codecs are easy to download for free, but getting them build in will save worries about any malware with the free codecs