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Microsoft reveals Windows 10 will support FLAC natively; audiophiles rejoice!

By Wong Chung Wee - on 28 Nov 2014, 10:54am

Microsoft reveals Windows 10 will support FLAC natively; audiophiles rejoice!

A screenshot of Windows 10's Media Player playing Led Zeppelin music in FLAC format. (Image source: Microsoft)

Microsoft has revealed Windows 10 will officially support Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC). Unlike other more popular audio formats, i.e., MP3 and AAC, this lossless, high-fidelity coding format retains audio quality of the source, with the ability to reduce audio file sizes by 50- to 60%. What’s even attractive about FLAC is its “open format with royalty-free licensing.”

However, in comparison with MP3 and ACC, FLAC isn’t as popular but this may change with the slated release of Windows 10 in late 2015. According to Microsoft’s Gabriel Aul, who clarified on Twitter that since FLAC support is at “platform level”, any native Windows 10 application is capable of playing FLAC tracks. In addition to catering to audiophiles, Windows 10 will also come with MKV support which is an open source video file format with the ability to “contain” video, audio and their supporting metadata to offer a rich, multimedia tapestry.

For now, in order to enjoy MKV or FLAC files, users need to download third party applications like VLC or plug-ins in order to play such files with Windows Media Player. However, come 2015 when Windows 10 is slated for release, the native support for both these file formats may rejuvenate the incumbent media player.

(Source: Microsoft via VentureBeat, Twitter, Wikipedia, DivX)

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