Microsoft announces Media Center for Windows 8 will be available as an add-on-- a digital purchase one does through "Add Features" in the Control Panel.
Media Center comes free in Windows 7 Premium and Pro.
Apparently the price covers royalty costs of codecs supporting broadcast TV (DBV-T/S, ISDB-S/T, DMBH, and ATSC), VOB file playback and DVD playback. A codec all versions of Windows 8 do support is Dolby Digital Plus.
In case you are wondering the standard Windows 8 standard Media Player does not play DVDs and Blu ray discs. But that is what 3rd party software is for, right?
Microsoft still has to announce pricing for Media Center.