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Microsoft will no longer sell movies or TV shows on PCs or Xbox — what happens to the stuff you bought
More than a decade after introducing a way to let your rent or buy movies and shows through your PC or Xbox, Microsoft is killing the Movies & TV storefront in the Microsoft Store.
The ending was confirmed in a new Microsoft support page (spotted by Windows Central) that was published today (July 18).
“Microsoft no longer offers new entertainment content for purchase, including movies and TV shows, on Microsoft.com, Microsoft Store on Windows, and the Microsoft Store on Xbox,” the page reads.
If you try to access media using the entertainment app on the Microsoft Store, you’ll now see an alert that reads, “Microsoft will no longer be making movies and TV content available for purchase.” The button that let you buy movies or TV shows has been deleted.
In the FAQ on the page, Microsoft does say that any previously purchased content will still be accessible via the Movies & TV app, which you can still download from the Microsoft Store.
“You can continue to enjoy your previously purchased movies and TV shows using the Microsoft Movies & TV app on your Xbox or Windows device,” says Microsoft.
For any new media, the company suggests streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
It’s an ignoble end for a service that has existed since 2012, originally dubbed Xbox Video. Then again, the move isn’t a surprise considering Microsoft’s ongoing slow exit from entertainment avenues that don’t involve gaming.
As mentioned, Microsoft says you can access your purchases in the Movies & TV app, which isn’t going away.
For U.S. customers, there is a service called Movies Anywhere that you can use to sync your media to other services that also support Movies Anywhere.
Basically, it acts as a way for you to contain your collection while being able to stream it most anywhere that lets you get the Movies Anywhere app. Often many physical DVDs and Blu-Rays released these days have a code for Movies Anywhere that you can use to add films to your collection.
If you don’t trust Microsoft to keep the Movies & TV app running, might we suggest building your own home media server or return to buying physical media. At this point it might even be cheaper than streaming.
