14 DAY TRIAL // If you enjoy watching movies on your computer, you most likely know that MKV is among the most used formats these days, especially because it provides excellent video quality bundled with great compression.
But if you’re running Windows 8.1 or any other older Windows version, such as Windows 7, Vista, or XP, third-party software to handle the MKV files is absolutely necessary, as the operating system does not have support for this particular video format.
That’s about to change in Windows 10, as Redmond-based software giant Microsoft is working to make MKV support a default feature of the upcoming release, thus making it easier for users to watch their favorite clips on a computer upgraded to the new operating system.
As Neowin reveals (via NeoGAF user Whogie), MKV support could be implemented in Windows 10 by default, as the existing preview builds can already work with this format using the default Windows Media Player application.
Still in early development stage
In Windows 8.1 or any other Windows version, if you try to open an MKV file with Windows Media Player and no other codecs are installed on your computer, you get an error saying that the format is not supported, so the application can’t play it.
Windows 10, however, changes this, as any MKV file that’s stored on the local drives can be opened directly with the default Windows Media Player application.
And still, there is a catch: if you try to open an MKV file in Windows 10, Windows Media Player displays the very same error, saying that this format is not supported and the program is not capable of opening it. But if you click “Yes” and you’re willing to continue, Windows Media Player opens it just fine and allows you to bypass the error with little effort.
This is actually a sign that Microsoft has only recently introduced this feature, so more improvements in this regard could be spotted in future Windows 10 preview builds.
Windows Media Player could also be improved
After finding out that Windows Media Player can play MKV files, it’s easy to assume that Microsoft is also working on a revamped version of the application that will include functionality currently available in third-party players exclusively.
There’s no doubt that users need a much more powerful multimedia player in Windows 10, and given the amount of feedback that the company receives in this regard, chances are that Media Player will also get a major update in the near future as well.
Other improvements could also follow as Microsoft continues work on Windows 10 Technical Preview, but the final version of Media Player might not be revealed before the public debut of the operating system in spring 2015.