Tip: Get the New Windows 11 Media Player Now

You won’t in any way be impressed by this, but if you really want the new Windows 11 Media Player app, here’s how to do so.

First, and most obviously, you need to be running Windows 11. I assume you’re on the stable/release version, as I am, because you can get the new Media Player app now via the Windows Insider Program’s Dev and Beta channels already.

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Second, check out the original source of this tip, which is ghacks. It’s reasonably straightforward.

As hinted at by the URL of the Store listing for this app, it is exactly what I thought it was, an updated version of the Groove Music app that now supports video playback as well. Amazingly, it’s even less full-featured, which is saying something.

Enjoy.

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Conversation 9 comments

  • techm2

    06 January, 2022 - 4:15 pm

    <p>This is great, Paul! Downloaded, installed, and testing now.</p>

  • brettscoast

    Premium Member
    06 January, 2022 - 7:16 pm

    <p>Thanks Paul, will check it out.</p>

  • matt11to5

    Premium Member
    06 January, 2022 - 7:33 pm

    <p>Oh wow. It looks really nice!</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    07 January, 2022 - 2:56 am

    <p>From the colours, it looks almost Zune-esque at first glance.</p>

  • scovious

    07 January, 2022 - 4:24 am

    <p>Is there native H.265 support now or is that still sold separately?</p>

  • SvenJ

    07 January, 2022 - 11:59 am

    <p>This replaced Groove, not Windows Media Player. Not sure that’s clear.</p><p><br></p>

    • cmucodemonkey

      07 January, 2022 - 4:17 pm

      <p>Paul in the article: "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">As hinted at by the URL of the Store listing for this app, it is exactly what I thought it was, an updated version of the Groove Music app that now supports video playback as well."</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This seems pretty clear to me.</span></p>

  • dftf

    07 January, 2022 - 3:52 pm

    <p>As-decent as I find the <em>Groove Music</em> app today, I can’t see merging the "Films &amp; TV" app into it is going to suddenly make loads of people use it when it still needs support for more codecs. And things like <em>VLC Media Player</em> and <em>Media Player Classic – Home Cinema </em>are both free, and yet somehow manage to play all the formats I’ve ever needed, without making me go into the <em>Microsoft Store</em> to purchase a codec!</p><p><br></p><p>If third-party apps can just use open-source or free codecs, why can’t Microsoft use the same ones too?</p>

    • kingpcgeek

      Premium Member
      07 January, 2022 - 4:27 pm

      <p>The codecs they do not include in Windows have patents for which MS does not want to pay. </p>

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