(As we announced back in September, we will be delivering one application platform for our developers to build apps for with Windows 10. These universal Windows apps will work across the entire device family spanning the PC, tablet, phone, Xbox, the Internet of Things, and more. To go along with this single unified application platform will be a single unified Store. This single Store experience will be the one way for apps and games to be discovered, purchased and updated across all of your devices. We’re also adding music, movies and TV shows into the Store for you purchase and access across all your devices too!
In the latest builds of the Windows 10 Technical Preview, you can see our unified Store experience coming together.
Early last month, we added “Movies & TV” to the navigation in the Store Beta. However you couldn’t access any content. We also released preview versions of the new Music and Videos apps for Windows 10 that will integrate directly with the Store.
Starting today (rolling out over the course of the next 24 hours), we’re turning on the Movies & TV page in the Store Beta. If you are a Windows Insider running the latest build of the Windows 10 Technical Preview – you will now be able to browse and search for videos, rent or purchase movies & TV shows in the Store Beta and play them in the Video Preview app. If you are like me and have already accumulated a massive digital collection in Xbox Video, your collection will appear in the Video Preview app and you can begin watching your favorite previously purchased movies & TV shows from your collection. You will still have access to them on all other Windows devices and your Xbox One.
The experience you will see today is unfinished and we have a lot more work to do. For example – you won’t see movie or TV details like cast and crew and you’ll only be able to stream video content right now. But don’t worry – offline download capability will be coming!
Windows Insiders in the following countries will see Movies & TV available to purchase and/or rent with a few caveats: North America: US, Canada, Mexico, Austria, Belgium (only movies – no TV content), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.
UPDATE: If you are an experiencing an issue with the Store Beta crashing – see this forum post.
And we’ll be adding “Music” page to the Store Beta in the coming weeks.
We’ll have a lot more to say about the Store experience in Windows 10 at Build 2015.
Have questions and comments? Head over to the Windows Insider Program forums.