The Windows Media Center is one of the features that will not be included in the upcoming Windows 10 operating system.
Rumors that the Media Center for the OS would be scrapped started way back in 2007 when the feature was not included in the then-current Windows Vista platform. However, the Windows Media Center was revived in the early build of Windows 7, and was even included in Windows 8 as an add-on.
Due to what Microsoft deemed as tiny usage for the program, the Windows Media Center won't be making it to the upcoming Windows 10 operating system. Reporting from the recently-concluded Build conference in San Francisco, Ed Bott of ZDNet has confirmed that in a closed door meeting at the event, it was decided that the program will not be included in the Windows 10 platform. Also, for users of previous Windows versions such as Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, the Media Center would be automatically deleted once they upgrade to Windows 10.
The report has been doubly confirmed by a tweet from Microsoft's Gabriel Aul. According to Aul, since there are far few users of the program, the Windows Media Center will not be a part of the upcoming OS.
The Windows Media Center started in 2002 as part of the premium version of Windows XP. With the program installed, it transforms the PC into a TV tuner for show streams, and was considered as the platform's central hub for controlling media playback, including DVDs and music. Upgrades were made in the program to include support for high-definition TV playback, cable-based tuners, and even third party-based codecs that would enable the program to run Netflix. However, with the advent of other "cordless" technology, and with the rise of online livestreams, the Media Center was shunted away.
The current Media Center is available for Windows 7 and comes as an add-on for Windows 8.1.
