Andre Yoskowitz
16 Aug 2008 17:44
Microsoft has announced that it is the first operating system developer to more completely incorporate Blu-ray support into its platform, with the addition of the Microsoft Feature Pack for Storage which will allow Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008 users to burn Blu-ray discs directly from the OS without the need for usually expensive third party applications.
The software giant says the upgraded storage patch will add the ability to "lock down removable storage with a certificate or password to prevent the theft of secure material and will also add new forms of Smart Card support for government workers and others that depend on the standard to access networks and data."
Although the update is still a test beta, it is expected the full release will be within 3 months.
This new approach from Microsoft should help to speed up the rate of adoption for Blu-ray hardware, especially as prices continue to lower for drives.