14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 launched without Windows Media Center, a rather popular application on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, but instead features a so-called Windows DVD Player app that is available from the Microsoft Store.
In essence supposed to allow users to easily play DVDs on their Windows 10 devices, the Windows DVD Player app is offered for free to customers upgrading from Windows 7 or 8.1 with Windows Media Center installed or… with a $15 fee to everyone else.
While it’s definitely unexpected to see Microsoft charging $15 for a DVD player app, especially given the limited functionality that it provides, it looks like the company hasn’t necessarily been bothered by the criticism that it received for this unusual approach.
In early 2016, Windows DVD Player had a Microsoft Store rating of 1.9 points out of a maximum of 5, and most of the people who turned to the Store to complain about the app described it as a waste of money.
Fast-forward four years later and the app has a 3.3 points rating, but despite the small increase, many users are still outraged with the price they have to pay for a very limited feature package.
“This is the biggest piece of garbage that I have ever wasted 14.99 on. Never worked right ONCE, no adjustment, no customer service, zero. If this was produced by any entity other than the monolithic Microsoft, there would be a class action suite,” one user says.
“Zero help setting this as default player. I have to go back to the store every time, like I’m buying it again, then it tells me it is installed and gives me a launch button. Crazy poor design. No online assistance. Awful software,” another one adds.
“If Microsoft wants us to take them seriously and invest in their products then they should not charge extra for basic functionality. I guess I will just play my DVDs on my Apple MacBook Pro (older model that doesn’t need a billion dollars in dongles),” someone says.
While a number of users are actually satisfied with what the DVD Player app has to offer, the negative reviews dominate the Store listing, showing that charging $15 for a DVD Player app isn’t necessarily the best way to go in Windows.
Of course, more experienced users turn to third-party apps, like VLC, which comes with a feature lineup that doesn’t even compare with Microsoft’s, but many of those who spend $15 on the Store app end up disappointed.
As I see it, Microsoft has two options: either make the Windows DVD Player app completely free or remove it from the Store entirely.
A free version of the app would not escape the criticism, but at least Microsoft would no longer be accused of ripping off customers. It’d be a basic DVD player offered with a free license, so there wouldn’t be much to complain about here.
On the other hand, removing the Windows DVD Player from the Microsoft Store entirely could help the company move on, although such a decision would actually leave users with no option when it comes to playing their DVDs on a Windows 10 device. An easy way to cope with this problem could be pointing users to a dedicated DVD player app category in the Microsoft Store, as there are plenty of third-party alternatives already available for download.
For the time being, however, it just looks like the Windows DVD Player app is here to stay. And the longer it’ll be listed in the Microsoft Store, the more users will complain about its feature lineup and the rip-off that they feel Microsoft is going for with the $15 charge.
