Windows 11 New Media Player Uses 3.5x More RAM, Charges for Popular Video Codecs
6 hours ago
- #Windows 11
- #Media Player
- #Software Performance
- Microsoft's new Media Player for Windows 11 uses significantly more memory than the classic version, with tests showing around 377MB vs. 103MB when idle.
- Performance is slower, with startup time increasing by about 50% to three seconds when opening local video files.
- Microsoft has paywalled some popular codecs, such as HEVC (H.265), behind a paid app and removed the built-in AC-3 (Dolby Digital) codec in Windows 11 version 24H2.
- The new Media Player replaces Groove Music and the classic Windows Media Player as the default on Windows 11, though the classic version remains optional.
- Third-party alternatives like VLC are suggested as they include their own codecs and avoid Microsoft's paid add-ons.