Windows Media Player loses the ability to play DRM media on older PCs

Last week, Microsoft updated a support page that tracks deprecated Windows features with a new announcement: legacy DRM services will no longer be available in Windows Media Player along with Silverlight, Windows 7, and Windows 8.

DRM, short for digital rights management, is a technological measure used to protect intellectual property from infringement. It mainly works by encrypting media (e.g., DVD and Blu-ray discs) in a way that restricts who can access said DRM-protected media.

With this deprecation of legacy DRM services, you will no longer be able to play DRM-protected media of any kind in Windows Media Player, Silverlight, Windows 7, and Windows 8. According to Windows Latest, that also means no more streaming of DRM content to Xbox 360.

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If you’re still on Windows 7 or Windows 8, you’ll have to upgrade to Windows 10 or Windows 11 to regain the ability to play DRM-protected media. Meanwhile, if you’re still using Windows Media Player, you’ll need to switch to another media player app with DRM support. The most popular alternative the free and open-source VLC app.

Further reading: Hey everyone, it’s time to switch to Windows 11