Microsoft Previews New Media Player for Windows 11 -- Redmondmag.com

Microsoft Previews New Media Player for Windows 11

By Kurt Mackie
11/17/2021

Participants in the Windows Insider Program on the Dev Channel can start testing Microsoft's new Media Player application for Windows 11, according to a Tuesday announcement.

The new Media Player is Microsoft's next app for playing music and video files, advancing from the venerable, but bare bones, Windows Media Player app. Microsoft suggested that it will still keep the current Windows Media Player app around for Windows 11 users, if they want it.

"If you use the legacy Windows Media Player today, it will continue to be available in Windows Tools," the announcement indicated.

The menu layout of the new Media Player doesn't seem a whole lot different from the menu you get in Windows Media Player. However, Microsoft is emphasizing that users will see full cover art displays in the new Media Player, both when using it full screen and via the miniplayer. Other perks in the new Media Player include shortcut support and other "assistive technology" enhancements.

Microsoft is also promising a painless upgrade from Windows Media Player.

"All your content in the music and video folders on your PC will appear automatically in your library, but you can also tell Media Player where to look for additional content in app settings," the announcement indicated.

The new Media Player will replace Microsoft's Groove Music app. Microsoft promised that "your library and playlists will automatically migrate to this new experience" when Groove Music gets replaced.

It's not clear from the announcement when the new Media Player will exit the preview stage and be commercially available. Windows 10 wasn't mentioned, so the new Media Player is perhaps only a Windows 11 app.

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

Featured

Real-World Ransomware Recovery

Here's how I was (mostly) successful in recovering a family PC infected with malware.
Microsoft Launches Small AI Models Family Phi-3

Recognizing that bigger isn't always better, Microsoft has released its smallest open AI models to date, Phi-3.
Microsoft and OpenAI Continue Global AI Expansions

Microsoft and OpenAI each continued their global expansion this month, with the announcements of new infrastructure investments and service rollouts in new regions, like Asia and the Middle East.
Cisco Warns of Brute Force Attacks Targeting VPNs and Firewalls

Cisco has revealed that a global increase in brute force attacks targeting Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and other devices is currently taking place.
What's Inside Microsoft 365's Security Toolbox?

Microsoft provides plenty of native tools to secure Microsoft 365. IT pros just have to know where to look.