[aes256]

If a non-profit can keep on top of all the different codecs, profiles and containers, why can't Microsoft? By all means leave the bleeding edge professional codecs to third party software, but most people only use VLC to play rudimentary formats (MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV, FLV, etc.)

This functionality really ought to be built into the OS these days.

[illuminate]

"If a non-profit can keep on top of all the different codecs, profiles and containers, why can't Microsoft?"

Because Microsoft would actually be required to license every one of them that are possible to license legally.

The capability is certainly there, but the users will likely not pay for their availability. It'll be interesting to see how many users of Windows 8 do upgrade, in the case of DVD playback and the Media Center features.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/feature-packs

[etix]

Did you see that Microsoft is doing exactly the opposite these days by removing the DVD capabilities from Windows 8?

[sukuriant]

Legally being able to play those formats requires paying money to decode the patented formats. mpeg-4 and mp3, among others, are patented.