Finally. Play and Burn DVD's in Win 7

No need for extra programs... it is built-in!

That's right kiddies, no need for extra dedicated DVD software anymore, it is finally built into Microshaft Windows 7. It is kinda refreshing to see that they hired some developers from Apple right out from under Steve Job's nose to include the crap that should have been in there from the start.

So, you install Win 7, and after it is all updated you decide to put in a DVD to watch a movie. I did this just to see if it would work, and lo-and-behold, it does! Holy Blu-Ray Batman! What is even better is that you can now just drag files to a blank DVD (if you have a DVD writer) and then click burn-to-disc. Windows Explorer now supports native burning to DVD!

Goodbye Nero, so long WinDVD and PowerDVD! I don't need to run additional brain-dead applications just to do basic functions that should have been included from the get-go. Let's see what else it can do...

Maybe I wanna take all the neat new digital video I just shot and create a cohesive movie of clips, think I can do that? Yup. Run what is called Windows DVD Maker and you are all set. I gotta admit I haven't tried to use it to actually make a DVD movie (I have no digital video recorder...) but I have played with it a bit to see what it actually does. I will bet the media types out there will still feel they need some fancy-schmancy additional ill-behaved app to do this like Adobe Premiere or some other movie-maker program, but by and large, when you turn your 4-year old loose with all you electronic crap they will be the next Martin Scorsese in no time at all.

But when you are facing a class full of students and you pop the DVD in of the coolest movie you ever saw, hoping Windoze Media Player will handle things on your newly upgraded machine, you needn't worry. Even if you need to setup Media Player by choosing Express Settings first, it won't take but a moment before the movie actually starts. No show-stopping message about some 'codec' not installed, it just plays. Like I have said before, Win 7 just works.

Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not on the Microstink payroll, nor do I advocate everyone install this new OS on their computer(s). Personally I feel if you are not smart enough to maintain your OS (read Mac user here) you don't deserve to use a computer, much less own one. I just think I can spot a good one in a row of mediocre OS's. I think I have been around a bit (others might say I am about as round as one can get...) and having used, programmed, built and maintained computer systems and networks since the '70's I feel I might be able to give a bit of advice now and then. This OS is good, but I am absolutely certain there will be those who will bash it no matter what. I might even be one of them...

Take for example Windowz Media Player. It has to compete with iTunes. Can you connect your iPod? No. You need to run iTunes to sync your iPod. Why? Because Apple pulled a microsoft. (lower case noun) Also take for example when one might play a DVD. When you want to skip to the next chapter, what button do you press? PageDown? Of course. How about pause the movie? SpaceBar? Yup. All major DVD software does this, or allows you to program the keys you want to do this. What about Media Player? Guess again.

To advance to the next chapter of a movie DVD playing in Media Player, you press Ctrl-F .What the hell? What does the F key have to do with chapters? Not even the arrow keys work in Media Player. Microstupid - Take a hint... Develop Media Player into a mature program instead of allowing it to suffer Alzheiumers and turn into yet another brain-dead, ill-behaved add-on application. What the hell were you thinking? How about using the mouse wheel to advance the speed (or decrease it...) and setting it up so I can sync an iPod? What about removing all the advertizing crap with all these unnecessary 'stores' to buy songs? The only time I want to think about 'Urge' is when I take a crap. This doesn't even mention DRM (Digital Rights Management) which has turned into a porn-spam sending scam when you try to play someone else's idea of 'protected' content. If you wanna protect something, sell it in a real store at a price people will be willing to pay for it. If your music sucks, then give it away. If you wanna sell a million copies of your new movie, sell it for $1.99 on a self-destructing DVD. Nobody is gonna waste $2.25 for a DL DVD to copy a $1.99 movie...

And make Media Player work like it used to... When I play an album, put the album cover in the middle of the friggin' screen. If you are gonna put a 'Lyrics' button somewhere, there ought to by lyrics behind the button when I click on it. Not a window where I can type in text... And give me a remote control. Infared has been built into computers since the '80's, it is just a freakin' LED for crying out loud. And also, let me use the IR built into my computer to control my TV and stereo. I do have to admit I don't necessarily like the idea of a $1900 remote, but you gotta admit, it certainly would be convenient.

But then again, this is only the Release Candidate! (RC... is just another term for Beta) I can only imagine what it will be like when the full version is released in October. Yes, kiddies, OCTOBER. Chances are the upgrade version will be out-the-door in August, personally I would hold out for the full Win 7 Ultimate version, it is what I am running now in RC, and seems to do almost everything right. I imagine I will start planning for the Business version where I work (school), even then it won't be at least until next summer when I roll it out. Hopefully it will be available on the new Dell's in some sort of affordable version.

Native support for this kind of stuff should have been included as far back as Win '95, but Microsux in their infinite corporate wisdom decided that it was more important to spawn the 'Accessory Application' market and charge developers not only for their OS, but for the rights to develop stuff for their OS. Kinda like the grocery store charging for food, and then charging you again for the rights to cook it. Brilliant strategy, compliments of Steve Ballmer. He learned it from Bill Gates back in college. If you don't believe me, watch the DVD Pirates Of Silicon Valley sometime. You will find out the real suckers aren't the American people, but IBM and XEROX.

But wait! I just rented this DVD Pirates Of Silicon Valley, and I now want to add it to my library of other 'pirated' DVD's... (just kidding, I don't advocate stealing anything, if I have to pay for it YOU should have to as well... I don't have a library at all.) For this example, I am not allowed to duplicate a DVD, especially a copyrighted one at that.

Maybe THERE IS a market for brain-dead, ill-behaved apps after all...