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Topic: Native FLAC support in Windows 10? (Read 37391 times) previous topic - next topic
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Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Hi all,

I just read this article: http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2...nd-flac-support

Quote
Finally FLAC, the lossless audio format beloved of audiophiles everywhere, has also arrived, meaning that hipsters who claim to be able to tell the difference will be able to listen to their vinyl rips of Captain Beefheart at the space guzzling size they were meant to be heard at.


Then I found this tweet: https://twitter.com/demodulated/status/529644998510510081
And this article: http://www.techmean.com/windows/windows-10...ac-support.html

Could it be true? Is Microsoft ditching WMA Lossless? Anyone running the preview?
Music: sounds arranged such that they construct feelings.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #1
Yes good but...

"meaning that hipsters who claim to be able to tell the difference will be able to listen to their vinyl rips of Captain Beefheart at the space guzzling size they were meant to be heard at." why no one gets lossless is not about listening the difference but about archiving and future proofing the collection?

I'll test it later. Now we only need Apple to start allowing FLAC on iTunes.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #2
Is Microsoft ditching WMA Lossless?


i doubt they'll support ripping to flac.... or will they? 

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #3
My win10 preview says there are no updates or new preview builds (fast branch). Flac files are not registered with any application and WMP is not opening them.
Last time I checked, it's merely a feedback item in their feedback app, with a high vote count.

Maybe they're sending the updates out in batches though and it's yet to reach me.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #4
Could it be true? Is Microsoft ditching WMA Lossless? Anyone running the preview?


I don't think any of the windows media codecs have been updated in many years, so that wouldn't be too surprising.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #5
Just tested, like ChronoSphere already said, Build 9841 doesn't play FLAC or MKV.

Don't even know why I bothered since "Media Features" and IE are the first two things I remove when I install Windows.


Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #7
I wonder if mkv support also implies proper .ass support, or if it just means it can demux the streams for WMP to successfully ignore. I also wonder if they got proper thumbnail/cover support and whether or not it's faster than what, say, Icaros...

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #8
Okay, today I installed the latest preview (build 9860) and it has MKV support, but I can confirm it does not play FLAC out-of-the-box, not as a .flac file nor when embedded in MKV.

I really wonder, was this wishful thinking or some colossal failure of quite a few people not checking this?
http://www.techradar.com/news/software/ope...-easier-1271837
http://www.lesnumeriques.com/appli-logicie...ion-n36673.html
http://canaltech.com.br/noticia/windows/Wi...rquivos-em-MKV/
and probably some others.
Music: sounds arranged such that they construct feelings.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #9
Okay, today I installed the latest preview (build 9860) and it has MKV support, but I can confirm it does not play FLAC out-of-the-box, not as a .flac file nor when embedded in MKV.


Do you have any way to determine which codecs are supported? If it is just duplication of the formats handled by MP4 containers (which I suspect (DIVX support)) then it is a bit of a let down.
--
Eric

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #10
I don't understand, how did they exactly test this to say Windows 10 will support FLAC? I see only two options: the file open or it doesn't.

I knew it wasn't going to be supported but it's funny probably a 4chan user said it worked and every braindeadblog followed.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #11
Okay, today I installed the latest preview (build 9860) and it has MKV support, but I can confirm it does not play FLAC out-of-the-box, not as a .flac file nor when embedded in MKV.
Strange, I'm on build 9860 as well and my mkvs are not assigned to any program. I tried assigning it manually and I get the typical "WMP was unable to recognize the format but might be able to play it" - it can't. Same for FLAC.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #12
When I open an MKV file with supported codecs in WMP, it says: The selected file has an extention (.mkv) that is not recognized by Windows Media Player, but the Player may still be able to play it. [...] Do you want the player to try to play this content?

When I press Yes, it just plays.
Music: sounds arranged such that they construct feelings.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #13
well it is only a preview. i'd be interested to know if it handles mkv files with multiple sound and/or subtitle streams.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #14
When I open an MKV file with supported codecs in WMP, it says: The selected file has an extention (.mkv) that is not recognized by Windows Media Player, but the Player may still be able to play it. [...] Do you want the player to try to play this content?

When I press Yes, it just plays.
When I press Yes, it doesn't
I think that's because it might not be able to handle the h264 10-bit profile, but it should be able to play the audio, at least, which is regular aac.

edit: yes, it chokes on 10-bit videos, failing to play them at all. Also, .ass subs are not displayed. Also, according to this, MKV support is "official" in the new build 9879. No word on FLAC though.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #15
When I press Yes, it doesn't


Well MKV is just a container, it's not video or audio, so I'd guess, as you said, it just doesn't support whatever audio or video codec you've used.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #16
MKV support is "official" in the new build 9879. No word on FLAC though.

I updated to 9879, indeed no FLAC support.
Music: sounds arranged such that they construct feelings.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #17
Hi all,
I found this topic reasearching infos on the matter for my (italian) article "what's new for audio/video in Windows 10".

I can confirm that, right now (build 9879, mid-november 2014), there seems to be NO FLAC support in Windows 10: files won't play in Windows Media Player, not even if you ignore the "format not recognized" alert and proceed anyway.

Moreover, Microsoft never announced this. So, to me, this sounds like a pure fabrication not even the (otherwise great) Inquirer verified.

This is my 2 cent. Any other infos would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #18
My hunch is, they installed something along the lines of LAV filters, then attributed wmp "suddenly" playing flac to an update by microsoft.


Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #20
Nice, so it might be true at last. If it indeed made the codebase, it still has to survive the process.

I wonder (if this is true) whether they coded their own decoder independently, derived it from libFLAC or are using libFLAC directly. It's BSD-licensed after all...
Music: sounds arranged such that they construct feelings.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #21
If it indeed made the codebase, it still has to survive the process.

Which process?

Chris

P.S.: FLAC support would be great. I ripped most of my music to that format last year.
If I don't reply to your reply, it means I agree with you.

Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #22
I haven't used WMP since WinAmp (and then foobar) came out. I guess some people still do, but I'll bet most of them have no clue what an MKV or FLAC file is, or where to get them. Non-news, except it's nice to see MS acknowledge some open-source standards.


Native FLAC support in Windows 10?

Reply #24
Someone just commented: This is bad. Up till now I just had to worry about Windows Media Player corrupting my MP3 files with unauthorized metadata changes and creating lots of useless little thumbnails.  Now we need to worry about WMP corrupting FLAC metadata.
One cannot rule out the possibility ...

(Up to now, I have succeeded in keeping WMP out of my Windows boxes.)