Upgrade to Windows 8 or x and you lot may be surprised to find that yous tin no longer play video DVDs or Blu-ray. Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows 8 and 10 don't include built-in support for playing DVDs.

Microsoft opted not to include DVD support because then many new computers – especially tablets and ultrabooks – aren't coming with DVD drives. Microsoft pays a licensing fee for each copy of Windows that ships with DVD support.

Annotation: You can still use information DVDs with Windows viii or ten. This only applies to video DVDs.

Install a Tertiary-Party DVD Thespian

The easiest way to play DVDs in Windows 8 or Windows 10 is by installing a third-political party DVD player. We recommend the popular VLC media role player. Information technology's free, and after y'all install it you'll exist able to play DVDs in VLC – no problem. Blu-rays are some other story, every bit they are supported but many of them won't play considering of DRM encryption.

To play a DVD in VLC, click the Media card and select Open up Disc.

VLC is far from the only media player you lot can use — in that location are a ton of free, 3rd-party media players with integrated support for DVDs.

Use a Licensed DVD Player

If you purchased a new Windows 8 or ten computer that comes with a DVD or Blu-ray bulldoze, your computer'due south manufacturer has likely included DVD-playing software with your reckoner. Information technology volition probably exist configured to open automatically when yous insert a video DVD. If it isn't, you can try typing DVD or Blu-ray at the Start screen to search your installed applications and see if you have any applications with DVD (or Blu-ray) in their name.

To examine all the software on your calculator, utilize the All Apps screen. Printing the Windows key to access the Start screen, right-click anywhere on the Beginning screen, and select All Apps. Scroll through the listing of installed applications and look for a DVD-playing programme.

If y'all're using Windows x, you can click the All Apps item on the Start Card to run into the same list of applications.

Purchase the Windows viii Media Center Pack (Windows 8 merely)

Microsoft no longer includes Windows Media Center with Windows viii. Windows Media Middle, which includes DVD playback, is available separately. If you have Windows eight Pro, you can purchase the Windows 8 Media Middle Pack to activate Windows Media Center and DVD playback on your computer.

Microsoft is offering the Windows 8 Media Center Pack for gratis until Jan 31, 2013 – click here to become it.

If y'all take the basic, non-Pro edition of Windows 8 on your computer, you'll have to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro by purchasing the Windows 8 Pro Pack before you can get Windows viii Media Center. Use the Add features to Windows 8 command panel to upgrade. To open it, press the Windows key, type add features, tap or click the Settings category, and tap or click Add features to Windows 8.

Windows Media Center is non available for Enterprise versions of Windows 8.

While it may seem a scrap weird that Microsoft has removed this feature from Windows 8, it's explained by the increasing focus on streaming media and the amount of new computers coming without DVD drives.

The piece of cake installation of VLC and the reality that computer manufacturers volition include their own DVD-playing software mean that Windows 8'south lack of DVD support isn't really a problem.