Windows 10 says bye-bye to FLAC from MP3 conversion with native FLAC format support

By Adrian Diaconescu Published November 26, 2014

windows 10 adds native support for flac audio file format flac1 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Audiophiles should break out their latest Pink Floyd vinyl rips and get the party started, as Microsoft just gave them a serious reason for celebration. Among the oodles of performance optimizations, visual tweaks and productivity improvements, Windows 10 will contain a key life-easing goodie for folks preoccupied with high-fidelity sound reproduction.

As Gabriel Aul first revealed on Twitter, FLAC support will come to the Windows 10 Technical Preview “in the new year.” And by support, Aul means “platform level support, not just Windows Media Player”. Any Win32 or modern app will gain the ability to run FLAC files without exterior help.

Recommended Videos

Short for Free Lossless Audio Codec, FLAC can freely compress audio files to 50-60 percent of their original size. FLAC tracks can be easily converted back and forth with no discernible drop in quality; hence, “lossless.”

While generally larger than MP3s, FLACs deliver superior quality. The difference in sound reproduction is often difficult to perceive but it can be heard with high-quality speakers or headphones. So forget convoluted conversion methods, workarounds and FLAC-enabled plug-ins, all ye self-respecting audiophiles. Windows will soon handle it by default.

MKV video compatibility is also baked into Win 8.1’s follow-up, so even if it’s still early days, the upgrade is looking as radical and exciting as the leap in branding suggested – for multimedia connoisseurs, at least.

Topics

Adrian Diaconescu

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Adrian is a mobile aficionado since the days of the Nokia 3310, and a PC enthusiast since Windows 98. Later, he discovered…

Computing

Microsoft Teams online vs. desktop: Which is best?

Microsoft Teams chat.

Microsoft Teams is one of the most popular team collaboration and communication tools available -- we even use Microsoft Teams here at Digital Trends. You can use it in a few different ways, too, including the web service or local desktop application. But which should you use, the desktop app or the web app?

There are some advantages and disadvantages to using Teams either online or on the desktop. Let's take a look at them to help you decide which is best for you.

Computing

How to keep your Microsoft Teams status active

Man uses Microsoft Teams on a laptop in order to video chat.

Keeping your Microsoft Teams status as "Active" can be a stressful experience if your boss is constantly looking over your shoulder. It might not be the most common Teams problem, but it's one we've all experienced at some point. While you might be getting on with something productive, if the person in charge doesn't know that and doesn't take kindle to "Busy" statuses, you may want to try some tricks to keep your status active when using Microsoft Teams.

Fortunately there are a number of ways you can do that, from the honest and transparent, to the slightly sneaky. No judgement here. You do what you need to do. We're just here to teach you how to keep your Team status active.

Computing

The most common Microsoft Teams problems and how to fix them

A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Microsoft Teams was introduced in 2017 as a unified communication and collaboration platform aimed at helping businesses and organizations get things done. Microsoft leveraged the company's existing Office software experience and created a unified experience between Teams, Office 365, and Skype for Business. However, as with all software, things don't always go according to plan. If you're using Microsoft Teams, sometimes you can run into problems.

We're big Teams users here at Digital Trends -- it's our go-to communication and meeting tool -- and we've come across a few issues ourselves over the years. In the event you're having Microsoft Teams issues, here's how to fix some of the most common problems.