No Blu-Ray, HD DVD playback in 32-bit Windows Vista
updated 11:30 am EDT, Thu August 24, 2006
No BR HDDVD in Vista
Under considerable pressure to complete Windows Vista in time for its scheduled October release to manufacturing, Microsoft has already cut a number of features from the upcoming OS, including the Avalon presentation layer and WinFS file system. The latest feature to be removed from Vista is support for full Blu-Ray and HD DVD movie playback in the 32-bit version, reports APC Magazine. At the Tech.Ed 2006 conference in Sydney, Microsoft Senior Program Manager Steve Riley revealed that only the 64-bit version of Vista will play protected video in either optical format at the full 1080p resolution. "The media companies asked us to do this," said Riley, citing anxieties at movie studios about the ability of the 32-bit version of Windows to run unsigned code at the kernel level that can override copy-protection. Users will need to use the 64-bit version of Vista, which may not support hardware that requires unsigned drivers, to enjoy video at full quality. APC predicts that Microsoft's decision will frustrate the many owners who intend to upgrade their existing 32-bit PCs next year.
