UWP - MediaPlayerElement vs MediaElement

Question

MediaPlayerElement is replacement for "old" MediaElement. My question is Why?

What is the difference between MediaPlayerElement and MediaElement ?

Answer 1

Media Player element uses Media Playback Source in form of MediaSource class which has many methods so it can provide media source by several ways like

1. Streams
2. StorageFiles
3. Uri

and some more as well. It can also be rendered on any XAML surface like a grid or a button. these are main upgrades in Media Player element but you can read in detail about all features here .

Answer 2

MediaPlayerElement is the evolution of MediaElement.

In Windows 10, build 1607 and on we recommend that you use MediaPlayerElement in place of MediaElement. MediaPlayerElement has the same functionality as MediaElement, while also enabling more advanced media playback scenarios. Additionally, all future improvements in media playback will happen in MediaPlayerElement.

Newer MediaPlayerElement decomposes the control in MediaPlayer class and a lightweight control over it. This provides better flexibility and new features for playback.

Another paragraph on the relation of the controls and suggested migration path:

… For more information about the MediaPlayer class, including guidelines on how to transition from MediaElement to MediaPlayerElement, see the Media playback page.