Microsoft has been bolstering the digital media prowess of its flagship operating system since the earliest versions, but the really significant changes came in the wake of Windows 95, which was the first Windows version to support full-motion video. Few remember it, but Windows Millennium Edition (ME) was the first to specifically address modern trends around digital media, and this Windows version included support for features we take for granted today, like sophisticated digital image acquisition, photo management, a multi-function Windows Media Player, a video editing package called Windows Movie Maker, and various low-level DirectX technologies.

These and other technologies were enhanced over the next few Windows releases, most obviously via several releases of Windows XP Media Center, which extended the Windows family of products to the living room and home theater. Today, Windows 7 includes the latest versions of Microsoft's core digital media technologies, its shell-based digital media management features, and its various media applications. Combined with the rapid growth of web-based and other online media services, Windows 7 provides the best environment, to date, for enjoying various forms of digital media content.