Windows 11 has been pushed out for the general public, but that doesn't mean Microsoft's work is done. Microsoft is still working on new Windows features that will be pushed to users along with new apps. Before, Win11 has already pushed the new Microsoft Paint App as well as the App Store, and now another super heavyweight Windows component is coming! The new Media Play started rolling out to Windows Insiders, and it will replace Groove Music in Windows 10 as the main player of the system.
The new Media Player is said to be XAML (UWP) based, and it integrates WinUI controls to match the look and feel of Windows 11. It also supports Mica material visual effects, giving the whole interface a minimalist and uncomplicated look.
Unlike Groove Music, which was briefly on top before, the new Media Player integrates the advantages of the Movie TV App as well as Groove Music. According to Microsoft, users can use Media Player to listen to songs and watch multimedia content, and it also supports features such as HDR, which will bring a better experience in Win11. The new Media Player is currently open to some feature settings, though it currently lacks advanced options for adjusting videos. Currently, users can use Media Player to play music or videos and quickly browse playlists, as well as support for creating and managing playlists, and also support for automatically scanning media content in the catalog to create a media library.
Microsoft supports the migration of users' music collections from Groove Music to the new Media Player, and Microsoft confirmed that the original Groove Music has been removed from the system and that users can find the previous Groove library and playlists in Media Player.
The new Media Player also replaces Groove Music in the Microsoft Store, so users do not need to manually install Media Player.
Similar to Groove Music, Media Player supports album art and artist images, which will appear in the application regardless of the view the player uses, such as either full screen or mini controls.
Here are some other features and functions of Media Player:
· Support for browsing local video and music collections, automatic indexing of media content, and the ability to set the user to find media content in the local drive.
· Improved accessibility.
· Enhanced standard keyboard shortcuts.
It is important to note that this new Media Player will not replace the Movie and TV apps and will coexist with the traditional Windows Media Player. Thus, some people think that Media Player is still in a relatively early stage.