Hey, remember that Windows 11 media player app that leaked in September? Well, you can test it now if you’re in the Dev channel.
“Today we are beginning to roll out the new Media Player for Windows 11 to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel,” Microsoft writes in the announcement post. “We designed the new Media Player to make listening to and watching your multimedia content more enjoyable on Windows 11.”
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The new Media Player app is limited to playing local music and video content and, as you might expect, it will eventually replace the Groove app. In fact, it looks very much like the Groove app, though that app was limited to working just with music content.
(Which begs the question: does this mean Movies & TV is going away too?)
Oddly, Microsoft says it will continue to include the legacy Windows Media Player application in Windows 11.
dftf
<p>The only main thing I can think of would be Audio CD ripping. But they should really just add that functionality into <em>File Explorer</em>, and prompt the user for a rip format upon the paste action…</p>
dftf
<p>The folder it is installed inside is named "Microsoft.ZuneMusic", so yes…</p>
dftf
<p>You think that’s bad? Open the "Windows Fax & Scan" app and enjoy the dark-blue toolbar that has not been updated since <em>Vista</em>. And if you bring-up the <em>Cover Editor </em>(in the <em>Tools</em> menu, I think) enjoy that <em>Windows 95</em> era interface!</p>
dftf
<p>At the moment, it works in the reverse: it is installed by-default, but via "Windows Features" you can choose to remove <em>Windows Media Player</em>.</p><p><br></p><p>(Oddly, even though there is a heading titled "Legacy Components", the only thing listed in there is "DirectPlay". I’d have thought by now, "Windows Fax & Scan" could surely be made removable…)</p>
dftf
<p>It’s mad they can’t just add CD-ripping functionality into <em>File Explorer</em>. How hard would it be to default an audio CD to "Details" view, showing the artist, track name and number, year and so-on. And to then simply allow copy-and-paste ripping, asking the user what format to rip to (MP3, M4A, FLAC, WAV or WMA) upon paste?</p>
dftf
<p>I don’t know why some tech news sites keep saying this is a "revamped Windows Media Player", when clearly it is an updated <em>Groove Music</em>.</p><p><br></p><p>If they simply added the ability to rip music CDs into <em>File Explorer </em>(such as doing a simple copy-and-paste and upon the paste action a pop-up box asked you what format to rip to), then they could retire <em>Windows Media Player</em> entirely, as I can’t see it has any remaining functionality this updated app couldn’t otherwise handle.</p><p><br></p><p>(Though in my personal experience, the other massive thing that needs improving is codec support: <em>Groove Music</em> or <em>Films & TV</em> can’t handle many files I throw their way, so I just default to either <em>Media Player Classic – Home Cinema </em>or the current dev build of <em>VLC Media Player 4.x series</em>)</p>