a purchased movie from ms store will not play in vlc or vlc streamer

Hi WarrenGoyne -

I'm Kevin B., I do apologize for the inconvenience that you're experiencing right now, let me help you sort things out.

Did you try to use a different movie player and check if the issue persist? Is there any error message when you try to play the movie using VLC app?

To verify if the issue is with the App itself, kindly try to use a different app to play the movie like Microsoft Movies and TV. If the player works, kindly try to uninstall the VLC player on your computer and install it again and check if it can play the movie.

I await your response

Hope this will help and have a bless day!

Thanks.
Kevin B.
Independent advisor

Many thanks for your reply Kevin.

Hi WarrenGoyne -

Thanks for the response

It appears that the VLC app is the only app affected by the issue. Have you tried playing a different movie using the VLC app or is it just the recently purchased movie is not playing using the VLC App?

Kindly try to create a new user profile on your windows and check if the same issue appears on the new user. This will help determine if the issue is profile specific or if the issue appears on any user profile on your windows.

To create new user profile, please follow the steps below

1. Open the Settings by pressing the Windows Key + I
2. Click on Accounts
3. In the left pane menu, click on Family & Other Users
4. Under other users, click on add someone else on this PC
5. By default, it will going to ask you to sign in using a Microsoft account, click on the link below which says I don't have this person's sign in information
6. Click on Add a user without Microsoft account
7. Fill out a username and click next until completion.

Sign out to the current user and sign in on the new user profile.

Check if everything works fine on the new user.

Regards,
Kevin B.

Sorry Kevin, I have probably misled you somewhere.

I do not have any problem on the PC if I use "Movies & TV App" only for the purchased MP4. Of course I don't intend to watch movies on my PC.

I can play any other MP4 on Movies & TV, VLC even ITunes. The problem is the MP4 I purchased from MS Store. It will only play using Movies & TV App. It will not work on the PC using VLC or ITunes and it will not work direct to USB in a Sony Blue Ray or Samsung TV without any PC where all other MP4's do.

The common denominator here is the MP4's format and I do need what codec that can decipher it.

If MS are encrypting their MP4's to keep from using anything other than Windows then I need to know that so I can attempt to get my money back.

Thanks again for your time. I hope this is a bit clearer.

Regards

Warren Goyne

Unlike music, there are no DRM free movies available anywhere.

I don't know where you get the idea that was hinting that it was free.

I can assure you that it cost me money in the purchase of an MP4 from MS Store, which will not play unless I use MS Movie & TV app which is not appropriate as I don’t watch movies on a PC. I hope that clears you up.

As for purchasing anything from MS Store again, they are not my favourite people right now.

"DRM free" --- ie. without digital rights management encryption.

There is no such thing in the movie world --- anywhere. It doesn't matter where you buy them from --- Amazon, Apple, Microsoft --- all comes with encryption. It's a Hollywood studio requirement.

Only music download purchases are without encryption.

How bloody ridiculous. What you are trying to tell me is that if I go down the shop and buy a DVD, that it will only play on a certain Manufacturers brand of player???

Sounds like another MS scam to me…they are certainly getting worse.

Purely as a comment. I think the ref to DRM is downloaded digital content only, if you buy physical media then it will play on the format it is designed for. (DVD/Blu-ray any player that supports that format)

Hi WarrenGoyne-

Thank you for your detailed reply and i do apologize it didn't work on your end. Lets ask our colleagues if they do have insights on this.



Regards.
Kevin B.