One of the predefined applications that comes installed in Windows 10 is the ” Movies and TV ” multimedia player. This application, UWP, is one of the applications that is configured by default to open all kinds of video clips. This program is fast and simple so that users do not have to encounter difficulties when using it. However, we may encounter problems when playing certain types of files, such as MKVs. Problems that prevent us from enjoying the player normally.
MKV is a type of video format generally associated with high quality. MKV is not a video format as such, but rather a container in which video information is stored, with a codec, next to the audio, with another codec.
Why the MKV format usually gives problems in the Movies and TV app
There are several reasons why Windows 10 media player may not work. The first, and one of the most common, is that this player does not support DTS audio . If we have an MKV file with this type of very high quality audio, we must know that we will not be able to play it with this player. We will be able to see the video, but not listen to it.
It can also happen that we have a bad configuration of the sound device in Windows, and even that the codecs are missing. This is easy to deduce, since other sounds will not be played on the computer, such as YouTube videos or Spotify music. There may also be problems with the Movie and TV codecs .
Of course, the fault does not have to be the computer or the player itself. It may also happen that the fault lies with the MKV file itself, because it is corrupted or because there has been a conversion problem .
Be that as it may, there is almost always a solution.
How to solve the problems
Uninstall and reinstall the player
The first thing we are going to do is try to solve the possible problems that may exist with the Windows 10 player. Like all universal apps, it may have been corrupted over time, or with an update.
Therefore, the first thing we should do is try to repair the application installation. For this, we will open the Windows 10 Configuration menu, we will go to the applications section, we will locate it and we will open the advanced options of the app.
Once here, we will select the “Reset” option so that all the data returns to normal.
In case this does not work, we can completely uninstall the application from our Windows 10 and install it again from the Microsoft Store.
Download and install codecs from the Microsoft Store
Maybe the fault that the problems are happening is because we do not have the proper codecs installed in the computer. Unfortunately, Movies and TV is not compatible with codec packs or classic Windows codecs, but we have to install them individually from the Microsoft Store.
We can easily find the codecs from the Windows 10 store and install them. Most are free, although there may be a fee, so we must be careful. Anyway, in general, when there is a codec problem, the player will indicate it to us and provide us with the link to its download (for example, when trying to open HEIC), so if Movies and TV does not tell us anything, it’s probably not a codec problem.
It is useless to install a codec pack, they do not work with this player.
Repair Windows 10 audio
Windows 10 has a wealth of audio options. If we change them without thinking, some configuration may be causing some kind of conflict. And therefore, we must let Windows repair the audio of the operating system.
To do this, we must open the Windows 10 Configuration menu and go to the “System> Sound” section. There we will find the main Windows audio options, and a button that will allow us to launch the troubleshooter. We complete it to the end and voila, Windows should have no more sound problems.
Of course, we must make sure that the selected audio card is the one we are listening to. If we have headphones connected, and we have them selected, it may be the reason why the audio is not heard.
Disable exclusive sound card mode
Another option that doesn’t get along well with the Windows 10 movie player is Exclusive Mode . This mode what it allows is that the applications (especially the UWP) take control of the sound card to control the volume, manage effects and improve, theoretically, the reproduction. However, far from reality, this option causes more problems than it solves.
It is easy to check if this is the problem. It will be enough to open Spotify, for example, leave it playing music in the background, and then try to open the MKV video clip in Movies and TV. We should hear an annoying noise from the speakers, and all Windows sound will stop working.
To deactivate this function, what we must do is open the Windows 10 Configuration menu, go to the System> Sound section and open the device properties. Within them we will go to the advanced options and here we will have to deactivate the Exclusive Mode.
We apply the changes and that’s it.
Convert video to another format
Finally, it may be that the problem is the codec itself and there is no way with this player. If so, then the last thing we have to do is convert it to another format. We can use a real-time transcoder to change it as we watch it, or we can use a video converter to transfer the file to another format that is more compatible.
If we do not want to lose quality, we must ensure that we choose a quality equal to, or superior to, the original video.
Use a better video player
If after trying all of the above we have not managed to reproduce the video file well, then it is time to leave Movies and TV and try another multimedia player that gives us less problems.
One of the most popular video players is VLC. This free, open source media player is capable of seamlessly playing virtually any audio and video format. We can download it for free from its website, install it and open the file that was giving us problems with it. Also, since it comes with all the installed codecs, we will not have to install anything else on the PC to be able to use this program.
Another very good player to play all kinds of files is MPC-HC . This player is similar to VLC, also free and open source, but simpler than the VideoLAN player. This player also comes with all the necessary codecs to play all kinds of audio and video files without problems, and it is also lighter than VLC, so it generally gives better performance when processing very large video files.
If we want another complete alternative to the previous ones, we should definitely choose GOM Player . This media player also comes with everything you need to play media files smoothly without paying anything. The main drawback of this player is that it is not open source like the previous ones. And also its installer will try to install advertising software on our PC, so we must pay attention during the installation of the program to avoid it.
Finally, if we want a much more professional alternative, we can turn to CyberLink PowerDVD . This is probably the largest and most popular media player we can find. Although it is designed to play all kinds of DVDs and Blu-Rays without license or codec problems, it is also capable of playing all kinds of video formats on the computer, being one of the most complete and advanced alternatives that we can install. Of course, this player is paid, so we must take it into account.
