This is the same as the $0.99 package but is completely free. To find it in the Store, copy-paste the following address into your web browser’s address bar and press Enter: However, you can also get the free “HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer” package from the Store. This fee likely reflects the cost of licensing the codecs for Microsoft. If you search the Store for HEVC, you’ll see the $0.99 HEVC Video Extensions package. Both are identical, but one costs $0.99 and one is free. There are actually two different codec packages you can get from the Store. RELATED: What Is HEVC H.265 Video, and Why Is It So Important for 4K Movies? How to Install the Codecs for Free These codecs are also required for encoding video in HEVC (H.265) format in applications that use Windows 10’s system codecs. These aren’t included with the latest versions of Windows 10 but must be installed from the Microsoft Store. To play HEVC (H.265) videos in VLC, just install VLC and open them-done.įor built-in support, you’ll need the codecs.
The popular third-party video player VLC, for example, includes its own built-in codecs. These codecs will let you watch those videos on your PC, but they’re only necessary for apps like Microsoft’s Movies & TV video player, included with Windows 10, and other Windows apps that take advantage of the codecs built into Windows. iPhones now record videos in HEVC by default, and 4K UHD Blu-rays also use HEVC. RELATED: How Does File Compression Work? How HEVC Video Works on Windows 10
HEVC allows those video files to be compressed to more manageable sizes so that they can be stored on mobile devices or physical disks, or transmitted over the internet. Raw video files from modern video cameras, including cellphone cameras, are enormous. High-Efficiency Video Coding, more commonly called HEVC, is a specialized video compression standard.