Windows 8 media playback support explained

[JMH]

Windows 8 may not be able to play back DVDs via its native media player without paying extra for Windows Media Player. However, Microsoft says it is working to add better audio and video playback in both Windows 8 and Windows RT. In the latest post on the official Windows 8 blog, Microsoft goes into some details on how the OS will achieve better media support while also optimizing such support for the best battery life possible.

The blog post, written by Scott Manchester, group program manager for the Windows Media Platform and Technologies team, states:With Windows 8 running on a Windows 8 certified PC, video decoding for common media formats will be offloaded to a dedicated hardware subsystem for media.
This allows us to significantly lower CPU usage, resulting in smoother video playback and a longer battery life, as the dedicated media hardware is much more efficient than the CPU at media decoding.

http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-8-media-playback-support-explained

 

[marsmimar]

...Microsoft goes into some details on how the OS will achieve better media support while also optimizing such support for the best battery life possible.

This allows us to significantly lower CPU usage, resulting in smoother video playback and a longer battery life, as the dedicated media hardware is much more efficient than the CPU at media decoding.

Does this reinforce the idea that Microsoft geared Windows 8 towards tablets and smartphones all along? Sure, some home users may run a laptop off the battery, but I'll bet the majority of home users have their laptops (and desktops) plugged in so battery life is a moot issue. Or am I missing the point?