Microsoft spent much of the past several days attempting to clarify an apparent misstatement by a company manager who reportedly told a tech audience that 32-bit versions of Microsoft's still-under-wraps operating system, Windows Vista would not support HD movie content from Hollywood.
At an Aug. 24 session at TechEd 2006 in Australia, the Microsoft official was quoted in various online publications as saying 32-bit versions of Windows could not be certain to copy protect HD motion pictures; that only x64 versions of Vista would support commercial movies. (Few firms ship PCs running the 64-bit operating system because of added costs to manufacture and market, among other reasons.)
The confusion reportedly began when the Microsoft manager was talking about Windows Media Player 11. The software firm apparently had chosen to not include HD DVD and Blu-ray disc support as standard equipment for the Vista operating system (due out in early 2007) because of pressure from piracy-minded Hollywood content providers. But Microsoft is saying this move will not stop independent software vendors from building and marketing protected content, and working up their own various licensing arrangements for HD DVD and Blu-ray playback on Vista.
Standard DVD disc capabilities will be included in Vista's Premium and Ultimate editions without the need for add-on software.
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