The five biggest changes to media playback in Windows 10

 

With Windows 10, Microsoft has made some big changes in the way the operating system deals with

 your media files. Here are four reasons to cheer, and one to boo.

Windows now supports FLAC audio files

The sound format of choice for many audiophiles, FLAC -- Free Lossless Audio Codec -- combines the best of competing file types by offering CD-quality audio with ID3 music file tags..

MKV video is natively supported.

Originally introduced in the 8.1 update for Windows 8, the ability to play MKV files natively in Windows is a boon for people with large collections of movies in the space-saving video container format. (MKV stands for "Matroska video.")

MKV files will appear as a regular video file (with the blue clapper board icon) and double-clicking it will bring up the new Movies and TV player.

 supports 4K-friendly HEVC video

Microsoft has traditionally been slow to embrace new file standards as the "10 years too late" support of FLAC and MKV shows. However, there are signs the company is becoming more progressive by building some future-proofing into its file support. While not as important right now, the ability to play HEVC files -- High Efficiency Video Coding -- will be helpful in the years to come.

That's because the format -- also known as H.265 -- is the de facto standard for 4K video, which offers four times the resolution of 1080p resolution, where traditional HDTVs top out. If you're viewing or editing video from a new 4K-capable GoPro or DJI drone -- now or in future years -- the HEVC support in Windows 10 will make things easier from the get-go.

"Play to" is now "cast"

More of a tweak than new functionality, Windows 10 takes the old "Play To Device" from previous versions and renames it to the more familiar "Cast." (If you have a Chromecast, this is the same vocabulary Google uses to fling a video from a phone to the TV.) When combined with the new file formats the system supports, the PC now becomes a true competitor to streaming systems like Sonos and PlayFi.

To "Cast," simply right-click on any supported media file in Explorer and choose the Cast To option, then choose the networked device you want to play it on.

Note that "Cast To" is separate from the MiraCast functionality that lets you mirror your screen. To do this instead, press Windows key + K and choose the MiraCast-compatible device on which you want your desktop to appear.