Windows 7 to Bundle Popular Video Codecs

Given I’m not a Macintosh user, I’m unsure of this situation on that platform, but I think for the most part, many people well-understand how things go down with a fresh Windows installation. Once the OS is installed, the quest for normality is far from over. We’ll need to go online and download a variety of patches, updated drivers, and if you plan to watch videos, a robust player and some codecs. With Windows 7, Microsoft hopes to take some of the hassle out of the video issue for people, by including a few of the most common codecs within.

Included will be DivX support, which is great given so much of the web offers downloadable videos in that format. In addition, H.264 and AAC audio will also be supported, meaning most high-definition downloadable video will be good to go right away. With these additions, will we also see Adobe Flash built-in? Not surprisingly, no. Bundling that would cause a conflict of interest, given Microsoft develops a competing technology (Silverlight).

These additions do a good job of making Windows 7 look even better though. When Vista came to launch, the vast majority of people were skeptical, and not really too excited. Windows 7 is a stark contrast, with clear excitement being seen all over the Internet. As we did with the Vista launch, we’ll be sure to cover 7 as we get a little bit closer to launch, taking a look at things from both a performance and usability perspective.

The ability to play back these additional formats has implications for new Windows 7 services like libraries and networked media player support, as Windows 7 users can index and search across their iTunes media without needing to use iTunes as the default player, and can send a wider variety of media content to a centralized location.