Windows 8 and multimedia: all the changes in Media Center and music

Contents, contents and contents. Windows 8 and its 'Modern UI' style give content a leading role, including multimedia: music, videos and photos. All of them with their own applications to manage our audiovisual collection. Without forgetting Media Center that will continue to be available in the new system. In this article we will briefly review what's new in the multimedia section of Windows 8

The usual Media Center in Windows 8

Windows Media Center has not been forgotten at Microsoft despite its low usage figures.It will continue to be available for Windows 8 with the same design that we already knew, waiting for Redmond to surprise us with an aesthetic renovation adapted to the 'Modern UI'. What we do know that has changed is the way to acquire it, since the company has devised a new plan for its HTPC software.

According to data handled by Microsoft, an increasing percentage of the videos that users view on PCs and mobile devices come from online sources such as YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, etc.; at the same time that the consumption of DVDs decreases and the viewing of Blu-Rays or television on the computer is reduced. For this reason, and to avoid the high cost of licenses, Windows Media Player itself, although it will continue to be available in all editions of Windows 8, will come without DVD support; leaving the task of reproducing it to the rest of the software available for the system.

These issues: the change in the ways of consuming videos and the cost of licenses, together with the attempt to simplify the number of editions of Windows; They make Microsoft decide not to sell their Media Center included directly in any of them and make it possible to acquire it as one more feature of the new system. In this way, we will have two ways to get hold of Windows Media Center in Windows 8. From the Pro version of the system we can acquire it by accessing the option "Add features to Windows 8" from the Control Panel, or, from the basic version we will obtain it when we get a Windows 8 Pro Pack Whatever the method we use in the end we will have a Windows 8 Pro with Media Center installed.

The Media Center includes DVD playback, TV capture and playback (DBV-T/S, ISDB-S/T, DMBH and ATSC) and VOB file playback.Microsoft has assured that the price at which we will be able to acquire Windows Media Center will not be very high and it seems that it will be around 10 euros per license.

Music and Xbox Music integration

Where Microsoft has put its efforts with the multimedia section in Windows 8 is with the new 'Modern UI' applications that allow us to enjoy our collections in a very media center style without losing the possibilities of desktop computers. desk. Their design is based on what is seen on Xbox, merging with them to unify all our content between devices.

The perfect example of this is the Music application that accompanies the system, through which we can play all our music and access the service Xbox Music Sharing design lines with the Xbox 360 'dashboard' the idea is to have all our music available wherever we go, adding the new Xbox service Music Pass, which allows us to access millions of songs in streaming.

The emphasis on the visual that Microsoft began to explore with the Zune is recovered for the new system, with great photographs of our artists, cover images and biographies obtained directly from the web. To this are added new functionalities linked to Windows 8 such as the possibility of using the application on one side to always have our music in view.

Xbox Videos and the accent in streaming

With video content such as movies or television series, as well as our own recordings, Microsoft follows the Xbox Music scheme. The video application that will come with Windows 8 is none other than Xbox Video With it we can play our library and from October 26 you can buy and rent content as it has been done from the Xbox console.

The operating system will bring integrated with the main codecs so that we don't have problems playing all kinds of files. In addition, special attention has been paid to compatibility with the reproduction of streaming content. All codecs have been optimized to work on the multiple devices that will run Windows 8, paying special attention to the battery consumption of video playback. These codecs will be accessible for developers to integrate into their 'Modern UI' applications.

Improving the experience with our photos

Media is completed in Windows 8 with the photos application. The idea is once again to have our entire collection available between devices, also adding the photos that we share on the main social networks. If we identify ourselves in Windows 8 with our Microsoft account, we can link our Facebook or Flickr accounts and have all our photos in one place.In addition, the integration with SkyDrive allows us to save copies of our images in the cloud and keep them synchronized between devices.

The content is the protagonist and this is how the photo application has been designed. From the cover with a background photo to the albums where the photos occupy the entire screen so that we can navigate between them by scrolling horizontally. We can also increase or reduce the zoom to see fewer or more photos, which are automatically adjusted to their best perspective and not as mere boxes. New options in Windows 8 also make it easy to work with lots of photos at once and organize them quickly.

The new system also multiplies the possibilities thanks to the functions offered by the 'Charm Bar' Thus, transferring photos between devices is It becomes as simple as selecting the image and choosing the device on which we want to view it.For example, we can consult an album on our tablet while we see the large photo on our television. Something that also works with videos and increases the possibilities of consuming content in the new Windows.

In the same 'Charm Bar' we find the option to share by email or on social networks immediately and without complications. The idea is to reduce the steps to a minimum: we take the photo with our camera, plug it into our Windows 8 and automatically import the images using the option that the application itself has, and just by opening the 'Charm Bar' we can share it with whom we want and where we want.

Microsoft has prepared Windows 8 so we can enjoy all the content we can as soon as we release it our brand new tablet or computer out of the box It remains to be seen the possible improvements that it can present on October 26 and how much of all this we can enjoy in our country.

Special Windows 8 in depth