HEVC (aka H.265) has earned its reputation since 2014 when Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft announced HEVC support for their products in succession. From then on, the video codec is applied to a wide range of fields, incl. GoPro, iPhone, modern cameras, 4K/8K high-resolution videos, online streaming, 4K Blu-rays, and so on. However, Microsoft doesn't provide native support for the HEVC codec in Windows 11/10.
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In this article, we will focus on how to free download HEVC codec extensions for 4K/8K video playback, and how to play HEVC videos without installing extra HEVC/H.265 codec packs, explaining what is HEVC codec, together with errors and FAQs about HEVC playback that users concern most.
Summary: You can open "ms-windows-store://pdp/?ProductId=9n4wgh0z6vhq" to download the free HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer. But if this doesn't work, you can always buy and download the official HEVC extensions from the Microsoft Store. Meanwhile, there are various free HEVC codec packs and VLC to help open HEVC H.265 videos.
Codec packs make video playing easier by installing a number of different codecs at once. But they are likely to pose software conflict and are full of adware or spyware. That's exactly why Windows 10 introduces HEVC codec extensions officially. Microsoft charges for its official HEVC codec $0.99. Before you free download the HEVC video extensions and make a purchase, you should know that:
By the way, Microsoft automatically installs security updates for these codecs for security purposes. So make sure to enable "Update Apps Automatically" in "Settings". Still, some unlucky users are encountering errors with the HEVC Video Extensions from Microsoft on Windows 10. For example, there are errors like the HEVC extension is not launching, can't download/install the HEVC extensions after purchase, won't open MKV videos with HEVC codec, etc.
There was a package "HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer" which was free to download on Windows 10 from the Microsoft Store. The free HEVC codec is exactly the same as the $0.99 official HEVC Video Extensions from Microsoft but is free. However, that version is no longer available. But you can still get it for free. Here is how:
If it asks you to launch your Microsoft store, just open it. Click the Install button and it will then ask you to enter your Microsoft account. Just close that window and it will continue to install the HEVC video codec free on Windows 10. If that won't work, you can still find the HEVC Video Extension available for free download for Windows 10 and later on sites like free-codecs.com and codecpack. The HEVC codec works on devices new than an Intel 7th Generation Core processor and newer GPU to support 4K and Ultra HD content. With the HEVC Video Extension downloaded and installed, you can also view .HEIC photos without further codecs.
4. The HEVC codec extensions are compatible with Windows built-in apps. But it may not work with other players and editors. So you may see Premiere Pro or Filmora asking you to install HEVC codec after you download the Microsoft HEVC video extensions. Try other free HEVC codec packs below.
As Windows 10/11 doesn't contain a built-in HEVC codec, it will give you an error asking you to download the HEVC Video Extensions for $0.99 when you try to play an HEVC video using Microsoft's programs. How to download HEVC codec extensions for Windows 10 Media player or other video player software? What if you don't want to spend $0.99 on Microsoft's HEVC codec extensions?
Beginners may search HEVC codec extensions on Google or software download sites to get a direct download link. But the random results are quite confusing. So, we list the following reliable HEVC (H.265) codecs for you to download on Windows 10.
x265 is an open-source HEVC encoder application library that helps users encode video/images into an HEVC bitstream. It's available under either GNU GPL 2 license or a commercial license. This codec aims to provide the best HEVC/H.265 encoder and deliver the highest encoding speed and visual quality. It has been adopted by many open-source programs, incl. FFMPEG, Handbrake, etc. The latest version is v3.5 at 1.5MB in size, you can download x265 v3.5 here >>
DivX is one of the most popular video codecs with the implementation of several mainstream video and audio standards, including DivX, MKV, HEVC/H.265 up to 4K, H.264, MPE4, AVI, MPEG-2, AAC, AC3, DLNA, DTS-HD, etc. The most recent version of the DivX codec itself is v10.8.10. It is built-in DivX HEVC Ultra HD codec extension, meant to help users create and play HEVC videos up to 4K UHD. You can download the DivX codec here. (Note that the DivX 10 HEVC codec pack for Windows may contain ads)
K-Lite Codec Pack[2] is a collection of video and audio codecs with DirectShow filters and VFW codecs built into its system. It enables software and operating system to play many popular video and audio formats. Since version 10.10, the K-Lite Codec Pack Mega added support for decoding HEVC. So if with the K-Lite Mega Codec Pack installed on your Windows, you can play HEVC video extensions free on Windows 10/8/7/XP (64 & 32 bit) without trouble. Download the latest codec pack for HEVC playing here >>
Media Player Codec Pack Plus is a free HEVC/H.265 codec pack that will work in Microsoft Windows Media Player as well as any other DirectShow compatible player. With the free HEVC codec downloaded on Windows 11/10, you can play videos in HEVC, H.265, 10bit x265, MP4, MKV, AVI, WebM, M4V, and more. HEVC videos in 4K and higher resolutions are supported. It supports GPU hardware acceleration from Nvidia, AMD, ATI, and Intel for smooth HEVC playback.
Except for the above free HEVC video codec packs and extensions, you can also download Windows 10 Codec Pack or Media Player Codec Pack Plus to have a try. They also support a wealth of compression and file types used by modern video and audio files, from x265 to H.265/HEVC, 10bit x264, H.264, AVCHD, DivX, XviD, MP4, MPEG2, etc.
Once you have a free HEVC (H.265) codec extension installed, you should be able to open and play HEVC videos without error. Why is the HEVC codec extension so important? Let's have a brief knowledge about the HEVC codec.
HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding)[1], by taking advantage of core techs such as motion compensation, entropy coding, intra/inter codings, coding tree unit, etc., only requires half bitrate to keep the same video quality compared to H.264/MPEG-4 AVC. In other words, the HEVC codec delivers better video quality at the same bitrate. Target at next-generation HDTV display and content capture systems, it can support 4K and 8K UHD resolution. >> What you may be interested in: H.265 vs H.264, H.265 vs H.266
HEVC codec is the software to compress or decompress HEVC video. It can be an encoder for compression only or a decoder for decompression only. With H.265 codec, people can create a 4K/8K video or convert HEVC videos to a more compatible format for flawless playback.
Frankly, installing an HEVC video codec or extension doesn't guarantee 100% work. There are times you encounter HEVC playback errors. Here are the typical issues: HEVC H.265 video plays fine for the first few seconds then it becomes choppy and finally freezes. The audio is playing while you see a black screen. The computer goes overheated and the CPU utilization during playback is around 100%. Why?
The HEVC playing error will be even worse if your video is 4K UHD, as it exerts more burden on the CPU. That's the whole reason you run into freezing or stuttering errors while playing HEVC 4k video. How to fix the issue even when you install HEVC codec extensions on Windows 10?
In general, mobile devices and computers manufactured after 2016 such as iPhone 6, iPad Air 2, Samsung Galaxy S7 equivalent, or better can handle the HEVC codec. While for the 4K HEVC video, the decoding process will be slow or stuttering if without hardware acceleration. So powerful hardware is required for efficient HEVC playback. Below are the minimum hardware requirement for decoding 4K HEVC H.265 videos.
If you don't want to pay for Microsoft's official HEVC video extensions, don't want to bother with other free HEVC codecs, or have problems getting the HEVC codecs to work with your program, there is an easy alternative solution to play HEVC videos. The VLC media player comes with the built-in support for HEVC codec and can help open and play HEVC videos without third-party codec packs. You simply need to download VLC on Windows 10, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps, and set VLC as your default player. Next time, it will automatically open an HEVC video with VLC.
In Part 2, we have listed the best free HEVC video extensions you can download for your PC. However, how to install and have HEVC codecs work on Windows 10? Here are the steps: download the HEVC codec from the link below them > once downloaded, double-click the downloaded pack and follow the instructions to install it > you may be asked to set the player you use (such as Windows Media Player) as the Preferred video/audio player. Then the video player will take advantage of the H.265 codec and open HEVC videos without error.
Note: VLC users sometimes complain about failures while viewing HEVC H.265 video, this is because the hvc1 codec is encoded in some HEVC videos and there is no suitable decoder module. In this situation, you can convert hvc1 video to MP4 for VLC. Here is the detailed solution to fix the VLC HEVC video playing error.
Adobe Premiere Pro users might be familiar with the error message "Codec missing or unavailable" when trying to import HEVC videos taken by GoPro, DJI, Canon, or iPhone. They were asked to install HEVC codec to use the feature. How to add HEVC codec to Premiere Pro?
For users who haven't updated to Premiere Pro 12.0.1 or newer version, just click OK button if you are informed of a message "HEVC Codec must be installed to use this feature. Clicking OK will kick off simple installation and enable the H.265 codec for immediate use." Then you can restart the computer to see if the HEVC video extension is imported successfully. 2ff7e9595c
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