Expect from greedy Microsoft an extra-cost option to install a Windows Media Center software upgrade to allow DVD and Blu-ray playback. Let's hope a 3rd party freebie bitchslaps this abomination.
Well it isn't Microsoft at fault here, you can actually blame Motorola and Sony for this one. Motorola just won the court case saying Windows infringes on some of their patents, patents that related to video H.264/AVC, and Sony won a case a long ass time ago related to their patents on DVD. This means Microsoft has to pay licensing fees to include a codec for Blu-Ray or DVD in the OS. Sony is reasonable with their licensing fees, Motorola hasn't been reasonable.
Honestly, I don't really have a problem with this news. First of all, you already have to pay extra to play DVDs on Windows 7. The cheaper versions don't include the DVD codec. Part of the price of the higher end editions is the DVD licensing fee. Now that Microsoft is only going to have 2 versions of the OS(this is what we all wanted remember), there is no cheap option, so I'd be glad to see the price a little cheaper in return for no DVD support out of the box, and giving the option to pay later if needed. And Blu-Ray isn't Nativity supported at all on Win7, so you have to pay extra already for that as well, why should be expect Microsoft to eat this cost of licensing?
And doesn't legally play or support commerical Blu-Ray movies due to the licensing issues related to the codec.
But you are right about the article blowing it way out of proportion. This is no different from what we already have. We already pay extra for DVD support by buying more expensive version of Windows and Blu-Ray support by buying 3rd party software.
