New Update AC-3 (Dolby Digital) Codec support removed in Windows 11 v24H2

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system will not support the Ac-3 codec by default going forward. In a somewhat surprising and sneaky move, Microsoft announced the end of support on a support page.

There, Microsoft writes that "beginning with Windows 11, version 24H2, the AC-3 codec is no longer included with Windows". The removal of the code means that users may not play media content that relies on the codec on their devices using built-in players or some external players.

Microsoft does note that device manufacturers pre-install the AC-3 codec on their devices often. If that is the case, AC-3 support is available on these devices. The support page offers no explanation on the removal.

Third-party media players such as VLC Media Player support AC-3 out of the box. They do not rely on codecs integrated in Windows for playback. Integrated media players, such as Windows Media Player and Windows Media Player Legacy, only play media formats if codes are installed on the system.

Microsoft drops AC-3 (Dolby Digital) Codec support in Windows 11 version 24H2 - gHacks Tech News

Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system will not support the Ac-3 codec by default going forward, but there is a way to restore support.

www.ghacks.net

 

[blackice]

I just used handbrake to compress an old DVD yesterday and used AC3 Passthrough. It’s still definitely prevalent. Dropping support for old formats and codecs just makes preserving older things that much harder.

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

An option to restore functionality mentioned in that Ghacks article could be:

One of the best options is to install LAVFilters. It is an open source project that allows Windows users "to play virtually any format in a DirectShow player".