Right now, Insider users of the Microsoft operating system are testing the next major Windows 11 update. Specifically, we are referring to 24H2, which in a few weeks will be available to everyone as a stable version of the system.
This allows users, subscribed to this signature program, to try first-hand all the functions that will soon reach the rest. In addition to this way, they can also see before anyone else the changes that Microsoft is making in this preview version of Windows. Now we tell you all this due to an important change detected that does not have much explanation and that will negatively affect the playback of multimedia content.
Basically, what we want to tell you with this is that Insiders have been able to see that Microsoft has eliminated compatibility with the AC-3 codec, also known as Dolby Digital, in the 24H2 version of Windows 11. In short, this translates in that the most recent version of Microsoft’s operating system will not support the AC-3 codec by default from now on.
The truth is that this is a somewhat surprising movement that almost no one expected. With everything and with this, the software giant has announced the end of the compatibility that we mentioned on its own support page. In it, Microsoft announces that starting with Windows 11, version 24H2, the AC-3 codec will no longer be included as part of the operating system. You can imagine that this strange movement can negatively affect the sound when watching videos or playing music in certain programs.
Microsoft removes the AC3 or Dolby Digital codec from Windows
Basically, this change that we are mentioning means that from now on users will not be able to play multimedia content that depends on the codec on their computers. Obviously, this extends to the multimedia players integrated into Windows itself, or to those that we install additionally.
In parallel, Microsoft points out that developers often pre-install the AC-3 codec in their own products. If that is the case, AC-3 compatibility will be available on them. Despite the importance of this removal, the support page does not offer any explanation for it. Say that third-party media players, such as VLC Media Player, are compatible with AC-3 by default.
This means that they do not depend on the codecs built into Windows to play our content. In contrast, built-in media players, such as Windows Media Player or Media Player Legacy, only play these media formats if the codecs are installed in the operating system.
There is no doubt that this can be a significant setback for some users with intensive use of multimedia content in Windows 11. And after updating to the 24H2 version, if we use a multimedia player that depends on the codecs installed in the system , would result in certain files not being heard.
The solution, if necessary, is to use any other multimedia player or install the codecs ourselves by hand, for example, to through this project open source.
