Description of the Windows Media Format Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN

• Windows Media Player User Experience: This feature lets you use Windows Media Player components. This program also let you do the following:
  • Play media files and audio CDs
  • Manage media in a library
  • Create a playlist
  • Provide metadata (including album art) for media files
  • Create an audio CD
  • Transfer music to a portable music player
  • Play streamed content from the Web
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• Windows Media Player ActiveX Control: This program displays methods and properties that let you manipulate multimedia playback from a Web page or from an application.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• Shell Media Property Display: This feature enables the display of metadata such as artist, song, and album information for media files in the Windows user interface, especially in the Music folder.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature pack does not enable this functionality. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• Windows Media Player Visualizations: This program lets you see visual imagery that is synchronized to the sound of media content that is being played.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• Windows Media Format: This feature provides support for the following features:
  • The Advanced Systems Format (ASF) file container
  • Windows Media audio codecs and video codecs
  • Basic network streaming capability
  • Digital rights management (DRM)
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack enables this functionality.
• Windows Media Digital Rights Management: This feature lets you securely deliver protected content that you play back on a computer, on a portable device, or on a network device.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack enables this functionality.
• Windows Media Device Manager: This feature enables communication between applications, the Windows Media DRM system, and portable audio players.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack enables this functionality.
• Media Sharing: This feature lets you share music, pictures, and videos on the computer with other computers and devices that share a network. Media Sharing also enables the computer to find music, pictures, and videos that are in the network.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• Media Foundation: This program supports content protection, audio quality and video quality, and interoperability for DRM.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• Windows Portable Devices Infrastructure: This feature communicates with media devices and storage devices that are attached to the computer, including Media Transfer Protocol devices. This system supersedes both Windows Media Device Manager and Windows Image Acquisition. This system lets computers communicate with music players, storage devices, mobile phones, cameras, and other kinds of devices.
  
  
  Note
  • The Windows Media Format Feature Pack enables the portable device feature in an application.
  • Windows Mobile Device Center enables full Windows Mobile Device functionality. To successfully install Windows Mobile Device Center, install the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
    968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
    
    
• Windows Media Center: This program lets you access your digital entertainment library on your personal computer or on your television. You can also use your mouse or your Windows Media Center remote control to do the following:
  • View photos in a cinematic slide show
  • Browse your music collection by cover art
  • Play DVDs
  • Watch and record TV shows
  Windows Media Center also lets you download movies and watch them in 10-foot mode on your television.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• Windows DVD Maker: This program lets you create video DVDs of home movies and photos. These DVDs can be viewed on any DVD player regardless of geographical region codes. Windows DVD Maker is included in Windows 7 Professional. Windows 7 Professional N does not have Windows DVD Maker.
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• Sample Ringtone: Media files in the .wma format are removed from Windows 7 N and from Windows 7 KN.
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• Sample Media: Sample content for movies, music, and TV is not included in Windows 7 N or in Windows 7 KN.
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• "Turn Windows features on or off" user experience: This Windows Media playback application lets you add or remove Windows DVD Maker and Windows Media Center. Windows 7 N and Windows 7 KN do not have this application.
  

Impact on other components

• HomeGroup: You cannot share integrated media by using streaming features in Windows 7 N or in Windows 7 KN.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• SideShow: This feature does not work in Windows 7 Professional N or in Windows 7 Professional KN. This feature is not included in Windows 7 Starter N or in Windows 7 Starter KN.
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack enables this feature.
• Windows Experience Index: This feature does not work in Windows 7 N or in Windows 7 KN.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• Windows 7 Games: Games that are included in Windows 7 N and in Windows 7 KN work but do not play back sound effects.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack enables this feature.
• Windows Mobile Devices: Media synchronization, image acquisition, and file browsing are not supported in Windows 7 N or in Windows 7 KN.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• Windows Photos: Cameras that use the Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) do not function together with Windows 7 N or with Windows 7 KN.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack enables this feature.
• Sound Recorder: This program only records files in .wav format in Windows 7 N and in Windows 7 KN.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack enables this feature.
• Group Policy for removable disks: This feature enables computer administrators to set permission, read permission, and write permissions on removable disks. This feature does not work in Windows 7 Professional N or in Windows 7 Professional KN. This feature is not included in Windows 7 Starter N or in Windows 7 Starter KN.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack enables this feature.
• Microsoft TV Technologies: These programs do not work in Windows 7 N or in Windows 7 KN.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• MPEG-2 and Dolby Digital Codecs: These codecs are collectively known as “DVD Components.”They enable Windows 7 software experiences, such as Windows Media Center, to support activities that include the following:
  • DVD playback
  • DVD video burning
  • Television recording and playback
  The MPEG-2 components do not work in Windows 7 N or in Windows 7 KN. These features are not included in Windows 7 Starter N or in Windows 7 Starter KN.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• VC-1, MPEG-4, H.264 codecs: These codecs are collectively known as “standards-based codec" components. They enable Windows 7 software experiences to support various activities. These activities include playing back multimedia files and creating multimedia files. These files are encoded with the standards-based codecs. The "standards-based codec" components do not work in Windows 7 N or in Windows 7 KN.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• Windows Premium Sound Schemes: Windows 7 Home Premium and later editions of Windows 7 contain additional sound schemes that are encoded by using the MP3 codec format. These schemes are not included in Windows 7 N or in Windows 7 KN.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack does not enable this feature. To enable this feature, use the Windows Media Feature Pack that is described in the following KB article:
  968211 Description of the Windows Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and for Windows 7 KN
  
  
• Sensor and Location Platform: This feature does not work in Windows 7 N or in Windows 7 KN.
  
  
  Note The Windows Media Format Feature Pack enables this feature.

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