logo
Microsoft will no longer sell movies or TV shows on PCs or Xbox — what happens to the stuff you bought

Microsoft will no longer sell movies or TV shows on PCs or Xbox — what happens to the stuff you bought

Tom's Guide5 days ago
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.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
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.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Microsoft SharePoint Hacking Has Hit More Than 400 Victims, Researchers Warn
Microsoft SharePoint Hacking Has Hit More Than 400 Victims, Researchers Warn

Epoch Times

time40 minutes ago

  • Epoch Times

Microsoft SharePoint Hacking Has Hit More Than 400 Victims, Researchers Warn

A major hacking campaign against Microsoft's SharePoint server software has attacked more than 400 victims, according to researchers at Netherlands-based Eye Security. In an update issued on July 23, Eye Security said that 'before this vulnerability was widely known last Friday, our team scanned over 23,000 SharePoint servers worldwide' and in all, the company found more than 400 systems that were 'actively compromised during four confirmed waves of attack.'

Donald Trump declares US is going to 'win' AI race as administration unveils action plan
Donald Trump declares US is going to 'win' AI race as administration unveils action plan

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Donald Trump declares US is going to 'win' AI race as administration unveils action plan

Donald Trump has declared the United States is going to "win" the artificial intelligence race, as his administration unveiled its AI Action Plan. The new blueprint is designed to speed up the building of energy-intensive data centres - which run AI products - by loosening environmental rules, while also vastly expanding the sale of AI technologies overseas. The plan, which includes 90 recommendations, comes as America attempts to maintain its edge over China, with both superpowers investing heavily in the industry to secure economic and military superiority. It calls for the export of US AI software and hardware abroad, as well as urging the removal of "red tape" that could be seen as stopping the industry from flourishing. In a speech in Washington DC, Mr Trump said: "America is the country that started the AI race. And as president of the United States, I'm here today to declare that America is going to win it." He said the technological arms race with China was a fight that will define the 21st century. The president added: "We also have to have a single federal standard, not 50 different states regulating this industry in the future." And he said at the 'Winning the AI Race' summit that "America must once again be a country where innovators are rewarded with a green light, not strangled with red tape". An expansion in exports of AI products could benefit AI chip makers Nvidia and AMD as well as AI model giants Alphabet's Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Facebook parent company Meta. Read more from Sky News:World court issues landmark ruling in climate court caseGovernment mulls two-hour screen time limit for children During his time in office, former president Joe Biden brought in restrictions on US exports of AI chips to China and other countries which America feared could divert the semiconductors to the Asian superpower. Mr Trump rescinded Mr Biden's executive order aimed at promoting competition, protecting consumers and ensuring AI was not used for misinformation. He also rescinded Mr Biden's so-called AI diffusion rule, which capped the amount of American AI computing capacity some countries were allowed to obtain via US AI chip imports. The Trump plan also aims to block the government from doing business with tech companies unless they "ensure that their systems are objective and free from top-down ideological bias". Mr Trump's AI czar, David Sacks, has been criticising "woke AI" for more than a year. Demand for power in the US is hitting record highs this year after nearly two decades of stagnation as the number of AI and cloud computing data centres expands across the country. The tech industry has been pushing to loosen rules to get its computing facilities connected to power sources. But the AI building boom has also led to more demand for fossil fuel production, which contributes to global warming.

Mark Cuban delivers 8-word truth bomb on AI wars
Mark Cuban delivers 8-word truth bomb on AI wars

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Mark Cuban delivers 8-word truth bomb on AI wars

Mark Cuban delivers 8-word truth bomb on AI wars originally appeared on TheStreet. The AI race isn't just a sprint anymore, as it has turned into a full-blown geopolitical-scale arms race. With tech giants putting billions into chips, models, and talent, the pressure is mounting to lock in first place before the dust settles. 💵💰💰💵 What was once open-source and academic is now evolving into something far more aggressive and elusive. Though investors chase the moonshots, the real battlefield may be shifting beneath their feet. That said, billionaire Mark Cuban's latest take on the matter might just change how we view the entire game. AI spending hits overdrive as tech giants chase dominance Big Tech's been relentless with AI this year, having hit the gas and never looked back. Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta have collectively committed north of $320 billion to AI infrastructure this year alone. Most of that cash is reserved for growing data centers and scaling up compute for massive AI models. The logic is straightforward: with more chips and data, your AI becomes more powerful. Moreover, the spending spree reflects that multiyear bet on OpenAI gives it the front-run access to bleeding-edge models from ChatGPT. Google, not to be outdone, showed off its seventh-generation TPU chip, which could handle even larger neural networks. Amazon's AWS launched its own Trainium and Inferentia chips, as it looks to undercut rivals on cost for enterprise AI workloads. Also, behind the silicon, a talent war is raging at a breakneck pace. Record compensation packages, in the region of $1 million upfront, are being offered to researchers. Meta, for example, reportedly dangled $100 million signing bonuses to AI bigwigs, shaking up the tech job market. Then there's the new gold, Big Data. Tech firms are looking to shore up proprietary datasets, while forging exclusive licensing deals to feed their models. From health care to finance, whoever has the best data gets the best results, and the biggest moat. More Tech News: Top economist drops 6-word verdict on Trump tariffs, inflation JPMorgan reveals 9 stocks with major problems Bank of America quietly reboots Microsoft stock price target Investors have taken notice. Nvidia crossed the $4 trillion valuation mark, and AI-focused ETFs have seen historic inflows. However, this rapid progress comes with its fair share of risks. All this spending comes with pressure to deliver revenue quickly, and missed monetization windows could result in today's capex into tomorrow's red ink. IP is king: Mark Cuban sees AI future turning cutthroat Maverick investor Mark Cuban isn't mincing words about where the AI arms race is heading. In a recent post, Cuban declared 'IP is KING in an AI world,' warning that the current AI era will be shaped by hoarding, exclusivity, and high-stakes poaching. With tech giants looking to spend close to $1 trillion on AI dominance, he said the race will become more about walls, moats, and closed no one's looking to shell out over $1 trillion to come in second place, which could be a precursor to a full-scale war for talent, IP, and strategic advantage. Cuban predicts a major wave of poaching and IP lock-ups as tech behemoths look to scramble to secure an edge. Big tech is hiring away talent and advancing their models, with the likes of Meta reportedly having dedicated billions for AI hiring. But Cuban's warning isn't just for Big Tech. He's warning creators, researchers, and engineers to wise up. He advises them to encrypt their work, silo codes, or get paid for it behind a paywall. The era of 'publish or perish,' he argues, is over. Naturally, this shift has massive implications for top AI stocks like Nvidia, Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, Apple, and Tesla, which continue leading the pack in terms of AI spend. Nvidia in particular has reaped the rewards of early GPU IP bets. For investors, Cuban's take is more like a playbook. It's best to hunt for businesses with deep patent portfolios, proprietary data, and elusive partnerships. Also, if you want exposure without picking winners, diversified AI-focused ETFs may be your smartest Cuban delivers 8-word truth bomb on AI wars first appeared on TheStreet on Jul 22, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store