About Media Player Apps In Windows 8 OS

If you have just upgraded to the new Windows 8 OS from Windows 7 or XP, then you are likely to see a whole lot of different options and functions and a brand new interface in the new platform. With Windows 8, Microsoft has gone for a radical makeover in their flagship software product line. It is assumed that they were forced to come up with an innovative OS design by the popularity of the touch screen operating systems like Android and iOS, but that did not go the way Microsoft wanted.

The new Windows 8 Metro UI will require some getting used to. Microsoft has updated their OS by ditching the old desktop UI and the Start Menu, and has followed an app-centric approach in designing the new Windows 8 interface. Many of the OS functions works as an app and can be pinned to the Start Screen for easy access. If you have any problems locating the different OS options, you can visit the Windows 8 support webpage or use the Help and Support app included in the operating system itself.

Using the Media Player apps in Windows 8
Microsoft has made some changes to the Media Player application in Windows 8 as well. In the previous OS versions up to Windows 7, Microsoft included DVD support and live streaming option in the Windows Media Player application. However, in Windows 8, Microsoft has removed these two options from the app entirely. You can use the latest version of Windows Media Player 12 for playing audio and video files in Windows 8, but nothing more.

For DVD playback and live streaming options, you will have to use the Media Center app in Windows 8. This app comes preinstalled in the Windows 8.1 Pro edition. However, this app is not included in the standard Windows 8 edition. It seems as if Microsoft expects Windows 8 users to buy the Media Center app from the Windows Store or go for Windows 8 Pro upgrade to enjoy these additional features.

Media Center app comes with all the bells and whistles of the standard WMP application that was there in the older Windows operating systems. You can attach a TV tuner card to your system and use this app to watch live TV programs, and even browse through the different channels.

For more information about the different media player apps available for Windows 8, get in touch with the Windows 8 support team right away.

Microsoft Announces New Apps For Windows 8 And Windows Phone 8

Good news to those who complain constantly about the lack of useful apps for Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8. Microsoft announced lately said that it had taken the concerns of its users seriously. The report adds that Microsoft is about to release two new apps, one for Windows 8 and the other one for Windows Phone 8. Named Office Reader and Office Lens respectively, these apps are said to be the first of its kind.

Office Reader

Microsoft reveals that Office Rader is designed to provide users with a cross format tool, which they can use to access files and contents that are different in formats. The app will receive Windows 8 support online.

Office Lens

Office Lens is designed for Windows Phone 8. The app is comes with the optical character recognition feature. This allows the users to scan an image and then covert it to the file format that they wish.

The details about these upcoming apps were first revealed during a Microsoft meeting held recently. The pre-beta version of the app is already out. However, it is circulated only among the employees at Microsoft. It was also reported that the Microsoft meeting had decided to release an update for MS Office products. These updates are named ‘Gemini’.

At the meeting, Microsoft’s Kirk Koenigsbaurer was quoted as saying "Office Reader is a new modern Windows 8-style app that supports web pages, Office documents, PDFs, ebooks, and textbooks. At first launch it includes library, sources, and recommendations sections.” The statement which is published in The Verge adds that the Office Reader will be compatible with PDF format files. As of now, there is no app which helps users with easy navigation through PDF files. Moreover, they find it relatively hard to reflow the text in PDF files on touch-based devices running on Windows 8 platform. Office Reader, hence, is hoped to rectify these limitations, providing users with better options, functionalities and compatibility.

Bing Support for Office Reader and Office Lens

Another interesting feature that Microsoft has integrated with Office Reader and Office Lens is Bing Support. This integrated service allows users to look for a particular item they chose on the document.

Let us hope the Microsoft would also provide the Windows 8 support services for both these apps once they are officially launched.