How to install the HEVC codec for free on Windows

The HEVC codec has been essential for a few years now for watching 4K content on your computer. Windows 10 and 11 initially supported it natively, but Microsoft separated the codec and made it a Microsoft Store app . It later became a paid app, but luckily there’s a trick that lets you get it for free. Below, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about this codec, how to install it, and the various HEVC-specific players.

There’s an increasing number of high-definition content and devices that support it. However, the fact that this content is delivered over the Internet means it requires a significant amount of bandwidth to enjoy a good experience. Our great ally in this regard is the H.265 or HEVC standard.

As we indicated, we’re going to tell you what it is and how to install it completely free on Windows 10 and Windows 11. In addition, we also review which video players support HEVC and which you’ll want to consider when playing content on Windows with this specific codec.

What is HEVC and what is it for?

The acronym HEVC stands for High Efficiency Video Coding . It’s a video compression standard that seeks to replace the H.254 or AVC (Advanced Video Coding) standard. While it’s familiar to many users, some people don’t fully understand what it is or what it’s for. Read on to learn all the details you need to know about HEVC.

The codec was approved in 2013 by the ITU-T (Telecommunications Standardization Sector) and the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group). Since then, HEVC’s goal has been to improve video compression efficiency. With the HEVC or H.265 standard, video files take up less space without sacrificing good visual quality. This is possible because it maintains the same data rate. Therefore, it is an advanced video compression standard. That said, to enjoy high-resolution content on your computer, it is recommended to install this codec .

Currently, this codec is the most advanced video compression standard. If you want to enjoy high-resolution audiovisual content on your PC, it’s advisable to install HECV. Unfortunately, even if your computer is compatible, it’s not included by default in Windows . To enjoy this video quality, you need a license, which costs extra. HEVC is a proprietary codec and is subject to licenses that manufacturers and developers must pay to include it in their operating systems.

Microsoft initially included this technology in computers with its software. However, this stopped being the case a while ago. Wanting to save money and have a more affordable operating system, the company decided not to include it by default in Windows. Therefore, if you want to use it, you’ll have to pay for a license or get the free version with an extension from the manufacturer.

Since 2014, when companies such as Apple and the Blu-ray Disc Association joined forces to announce HEVC compatibility for their products, the importance of this codec has grown considerably. This standard has been applied to a wide range of products for viewing 4K content on PCs. Over time, we have more access to TV shows, movies, and other videos in this quality, thanks to streaming platforms like Netflix, Max, and Prime Video. More and more users are interested in taking advantage of the highest definition on their computers, and it’s important to have H.265 installed. Although you generally have to pay for this standard on your device in Windows, there are ways to get it for free through a hidden extension.

One of the big questions users are asking is how much support this codec has and how far it can be extended in the future. Currently, most manufacturers already support this standard on their equipment. There are usually no problems taking advantage of its benefits. HEVC has become the standard over the last decade, and you should be able to install it on your PC.

HEVC codec price and requirements on Windows

The HEVC codec , or H.265 , is used in Windows to play all types of content. Among the most common content are 4K UHD Netflix series, but also any movie, TV show, or video we watch on the internet, whether in 4K or any other resolution. The reason for this is that compressing video with this codec has the advantage of using half the amount of space compared to H.264.

Thanks to native support , any file played with the codec in Windows Movies & TV Player will be decoded in hardware, consuming as few resources as possible and running smoothly. Also available is the HEIF codec, which uses the same compression as HEVC but applies to photos. Because it’s proprietary like HEVC, it also requires installing its own extension. This extension can be installed for free to open files in . heic or . heif formats .

However, Microsoft has been charging for the video codec for some time now. The fee is only €0.99 , but it’s a hassle to have to register and pay for it. If we go to the Microsoft Store and search for “HEVC,” only the paid version of the codec appears, forcing us to buy it.

The minimum requirements for running it on Windows are Windows 10 version 16299.0 or later, although you can also run it on Xbox, with ARM64, x64, or x86 architecture. To get the most out of it, the recommendations are the same as the minimum requirements. Additionally, as we mentioned, it’s compatible with Windows 11.

It’s always best to take full advantage of its potential with a computer with a high-resolution display, but you’ll notice the improvement in all cases. If you decide to opt for this option instead of the free alternatives we suggest, you can always do so through the Microsoft App Store . You can purchase it, get it as a gift, or redeem a code.

Although its price is very reasonable, it would be ideal if it were already integrated into the system and not have to be paid for separately. Even so, some users complain that it doesn’t work. After paying the price, the manufacturer’s extension downloads, but a warning message appears saying ” There was a problem and we couldn’t install the codec .” The worst part is that it can’t be installed on many computers, so even paying for it doesn’t solve anything. That’s why you have to pay attention to the warning that appears when you try to install it, which warns you if your device doesn’t support this extension.

Free version of HEVC for Windows

Fortunately, there’s another official Microsoft HEVC codec app, but it doesn’t appear in the store’s search results. This is a hidden option that not everyone knows about, but it will help you avoid having to pay for this codec. It’s also completely safe. This extension is designed to allow manufacturers to install the codec on their computers, laptops, or tablets before selling them, so the user doesn’t have to do it. Therefore, if your computer comes with Windows preinstalled and activated, you probably won’t need to install it.

In turn, if you’ve had Windows 10 installed for several years, it will also be activated. This is because, during the first two years of the operating system’s existence, the extension was free for all users thanks to the agreement the company reached with Microsoft.

If for any reason you don’t have it installed on your computer, simply search for it in the Microsoft App Store to install the free ” HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer ” app. Click “Get” and it will open with the Microsoft Store app. Then, click “Install,” let it download (it’s about 3 MB), and once it’s installed, you’ll have the codec on your computer without having to pay for it. If that doesn’t work, go to the next step and follow the instructions below:

You can copy this link into your browser: ms-windows-store://pdp/?ProductId=9n4wgh0z6vhq .
If you paste it and press enter, you’ll have direct access to the codec address, which you can get for free in a matter of minutes.
Before doing so, you’ll need to open the Microsoft Store app in your browser.
You’ll see the progress until it’s downloaded after a short while, and you can open it to play certain multimedia elements.
It will take you to the Movies & TV tool. It’s currently available .

Although there are sites from which you can download this extension, it’s important to verify that they are trustworthy and that they offer exactly what they promise. Take extreme caution in this regard. Basically, depending on the website from which you download this type of codec, you could be falling into a hacker’s trap and installing a file with some type of malware. Furthermore, as long as the above trick continues to work, it’s neither necessary nor recommended to resort to external sources to obtain it. This will prevent you from having to deal with a specific virus. Keep in mind that, apparently, Microsoft is requesting the removal of the codec from various websites that offered it, so the safest option will always be to use the various links we’ve provided from the Windows Store.

If you decide to upgrade to Windows 11, you can get the codec by doing the same thing and you’ll take full advantage of its potential, as it’ll be in the same section of the Microsoft Store. In both Windows 10 and Windows 11, the codec will be automatically activated in compatible players. The steps above will also work in either case. While some users complain, mentioning that Microsoft is trying to imply that the free download is only for Windows 10, as we indicated, it also works in Windows 11.

Best HEVC Video Players

Aside from the options offered by the Microsoft Store, we can also turn to other media players that include the necessary codecs, such as K-Lite Codec Pack or 5KPlayer. In fact, these aren’t the only alternatives we’ll find online to make up for the lack of this particular codec installed on our computer.

In any case, we’re looking at various multimedia players or codec packs with added options that are ready to be used on different platforms, playing all types of formats, replacing the need to acquire this codec. So here are the available options that include HEVC so you can take advantage of them.

K-Lite Codec Pack

K-Lite is one of the most comprehensive codec packs available. This pack allows you to play any video on Windows without any problems, regardless of your player. K-Lite Codec Pack for Windows offers five versions . Therefore, if you want to try it out, you can download it from this website . And, as we mentioned before, these are the five versions available:

Basic: Includes all the codecs needed to play any type of media file. Supports AVI, MKV, MP4, FLV, MPEG, MOV, TS, M2TS, WMV, RM, RMVB, OGM, WebM, MP3, FLAC, M4A, AAC, OGG, 3GP, AMR, APE, MKA, Opus, Wavpack, Musepack, DVD, and Blu-ray formats.
Standard: Same as the previous version, but with Media Player Classic Home Cinema, the MadVR video renderer, and the MediaInfo Lite tool that provides data on any media file.
Full: In addition to everything offered by the Standard pack, it includes the DC-Bass Source Mod and GraphStudioNext tools for creating DirectShow graphics.
Mega: like the Full version, but with the ffdshow processor and decoder.
Update: Finally, K-Lite offers an Update version that allows you to update your codecs to the latest version without reinstalling anything.

Please note that all versions of K-Lite Codec Pack support the HEVC codec, so with any of them, you will be getting a good download .

5KPlayer

Digiarty Software, Inc. is the developer of 5KPlayer, a free media player for Windows that lets you play all types of 4K content , including the HEVC codec. This accelerated media player is capable of working with 4K/5K movies and even 8K FUHD formats. It’s also compatible with high-resolution iPhone, iPad, and GoPro formats. It’s available for Windows, but Mac OS users can also download its own version. Plus, this is a completely free media player, so you can try it out anytime on your computer.

This player supports the most common 4K formats such as: 4K UHD, 360º, 3D, H.265 / H.264, VP8 / 9, WebM, MP4, MKV, WMV and FLV . For the more nostalgic, it is interesting to know that it is also compatible with high definition DVDs . If what you want is to listen to music, 5KPlayer also plays files with great sound quality, including MP3, M3U8 / IPTV Stream, APE, FLAC and AAC . If necessary, the player has the ability to accelerate the GPUs, Nvidia, CUDA, Intel-QSVAMD and DXVA2 on the computer and improve the decoding process for 4K and 8K pixel videos, which are usually resolutions of around 4000 and 8000 pixels horizontally.

To fairly compare these two players, it’s important to understand the additional video playback options offered by 5KPlayer. It’s a very comprehensive player because it allows you to perform several typical video editing actions. For example, it offers the option to cut videos and convert them to GIF format for later distribution. It also allows you to correctly synchronize subtitles with audio simply by dragging the synchronization table with AV-Sync, or in cases where there are no subtitles, it allows you to add them. Video optimization can be performed with the tool to help eliminate the interlacing lines that cause poor quality in some video resolutions, allowing you to convert from 1080i to 1080p and enjoy true high definition.

Other typical video editing tools available in 5KPlayer include video rotation , so you can enjoy flipped videos, which is typical of poorly or unprofessional recordings made with mobile devices. You can also adjust the playback speed , especially when watching those endless YouTube tutorials, so you can intuitively shorten the playback time. You can download it from their website .

VLC media player

Among all the multimedia players available, one of the most popular is the well-known VLC media player. Basically, this program can play any video you want with the H.265 codec without any issues.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that, starting with version 3.0 and later, the H.265 codec can be played without the need for an additional support package. This is mainly because in previous versions, we had to download the package ourselves to play multimedia content with that codec. For this reason, we’ve included it on this list of alternatives to consider.

And more importantly, the VLC media player is available for both Windows 10 and macOS. Although, in this case, the most important thing is that we can download it for both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

KM Player

KM Player is another player we can use as an alternative to watching content using the HEVC codec. In this case, its functions are very similar to those of the other options we mentioned previously, offering excellent compatibility to its users. Its versatility is precisely one of the main distinguishing features of this player compared to other options available.

With KM Player, we can play VCD, MP4, AVI, MKV, OGM, and WMV, among many others. It also offers various types of built-in filters to customize playback to our tastes, offering a wealth of features at our disposal.

Vidmore Player

This media player is another option available for seamless playback of any Blu-ray or DVD disc, and it also lets you watch 4K movies . For this reason, it’s another software option to consider if you’re looking for a way to play HEVC on Windows. You can find it on their website here .

Furthermore, it’s one of those tools that allows for all kinds of configurations and offers a multitude of options. For example, not only will you have complete control over what’s being played, but it also allows you to change the display screen to different sizes. And among other functions, it lets users modify the audio and video tracks, control the menu, and even control the subtitles. Therefore, the tools available in this software are very varied. This is why this HEVC player becomes one of the best alternatives.

On the other hand, another advantage of this multimedia tool is that it has a free option, so you can try it out without any problems whenever you want on Windows. However, the downside of the free program is that it has a series of limitations when playing Blu-ray discs/ISOs/folders. This is something you’ll need to consider later, to see if it’s worth paying for this multimedia player.

As for the video formats it supports, there are the following: MP4, MPG, M4V, TS, MTS, M2TS, MXF, RM, RMVB, WMV, ASF, MKV, AVI, 3GP, F4V, FLV, VOB, etc. In addition, you can also enjoy 4K UHD and 1080p / 720 HD videos. So its support is quite broad so you won’t have any problems when playing any type of content. And it has advanced audio decoding technologies such as Dolby, DTS, AAC, TrueHD, among others.

Potplayer

This is a free alternative if you’re looking for a media player and don’t want to overcomplicate your work. Potplayer is capable of playing H.264 and H.265 codecs . It also supports AVI, MKV, and MP4 formats. It can also play Blu-ray content with 3D content without any loss.

In terms of performance, this program takes advantage of the CUDA technology found on Nvidia cards, as well as QuickSync and DXVA. It also has several implementations for virtual reality headsets. If you’re interested, it has versions for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows . You can download this program from its official website .

You should know that this player isn’t the most optimized for HEVC content, so you may experience playback issues in some cases. If you’re unable to enjoy these types of videos, we recommend following a few simple steps . First, download a Potplayer add-on known as Open Codec, which will give you access to more codec support. Make sure you have both HEVC and H.265 enabled during the on-screen installation process. Next, in Potplayer, go to the Preferences section, access the Filters control, and select Video Decoder. Then, enable both HEVC and H.265 for a quality playback experience.

MPV

Another excellent option for playing HEVC video is MPV Player. This is a free and open-source video playback tool that, in addition to being compatible with Windows, also works perfectly on Mac.

MPV stands out for its native support for HEVC video , meaning it includes these codecs built into its base version without requiring any downloads after installation. It supports other formats such as VDPAU, VAAPI, DXVA1, and VDA, and is also compatible with a wide range of audio codecs and subtitle types.

It is very light and very easy to use , partly thanks to the fact that it is a player that opts for minimalism in its design, hiding most of its control options, despite having a small controller at the top with the basic functions.

Thanks to its OpenGL-based video output, it also has many interesting features such as video scaling, color management, HDR, and frame synchronization. And if that weren’t enough, it’s worth noting that MPV is a software that is constantly developing , so it continues to receive new options and improvements, in addition to incorporating increasingly refined code thanks to constant feedback from the community. Among the different options we’ve recommended, it’s not the most convenient, given that some users report difficulties playing some HEVC video content. However, due to its flexibility, it could be a program that suits you if the videos you play display without problems.

Is there any way to watch HEVC content without the codec?

In principle, no. But one resource that many users and professionals use is to transform video files with the HEVC codec to use a different format, making them easier to play. Doing so has several implications in terms of quality and results, but it shouldn’t be ruled out as an interesting option that provides a good solution. The downside is the effort you’ll have to make every time you want to play a video and have to go through the transformation process. However, the good news is that there are programs you can use .

The HEVC to H264 converter offers a completely different approach than the other options we’ve already mentioned. As we mentioned, it’s a free application developed for Windows that allows us to convert HEVC to H.64, H265, or VP9 formats, among many others. Therefore, it offers a wide range of options for working with it.

It has everything you need to perform and provide you with a good file conversion system. It also offers one of the best interfaces you’ll find, characterized primarily by its intuitiveness, allowing you to quickly adapt to all its functions.

Another option you can consider is WinXVideo AI, which is the software that has finally become the classic WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe tool, taking advantage of the incorporation of additional functions. This is a GPU-accelerated 4K video converter where you can download, cut, convert, resize, and edit videos for easier playback of this type of content. It is a tool with which you can convert HEVC video to the best possible resolution and size without the need for experience, and it uses different output formats so you don’t have to rely on this codec. In fact, it takes full advantage of hardware acceleration, so you can count on ultra-fast HEVC transcoding speeds thanks to this tool.

You can download it for free for your operating system, although you can also purchase a license if you need more features. There are several paid plans. With it, you can encode or decode HEVC videos to other formats or from other formats to HEVC. You can get it from its website . It also has a simple, convenient, and intuitive interface from which any user can work and take advantage of all these features.

With this utility you can convert to a large number of different formats, including MKV, H.265, M2TS, AVCHD , MOD, HD camcorder videos, Blu-ray videos and standard video AVI, MPEG, MP4, WMV, MOV, VOB, FLV, RMVB, WebM, Google TV, iPad Pro / mini 4 / Air 2, New Nexus 7, Apple TV, HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 / S6 edge +, Surface, WP8, Amazon Kindle Fire HD, Chromecast, PS4, PSP or Fujitsu, among many other options. Its latest AI features improve performance so that all processes are simplified.

Advantages of the HEVC codec

Now that we know exactly what the well-known H.265, or HEVC, is, it’s important to point out a number of advantages it offers compared to its predecessor . Below, we review all the most positive aspects of this standard, point by point:

More quality, fewer errors and artifacts

It achieves the same quality as H.264 AVC at half the bit rate. It also takes up half the space , as it encodes the video at the lowest possible bit rate while maintaining quality. On the other hand, because it has fewer errors and artifacts , the quality is actually improved.

In any case, we should know that the change in resolution from the moment we install this codec will be very noticeable. And not only on 4K monitors, but also on devices with lower resolutions. Furthermore, since it’s possible to get this codec for free using the method we’ll explain below, we always recommend installing it on our computer. This applies regardless of whether we have a high-resolution monitor or play more or less 4K-compatible videos.

Improves motion tracking

It’s worth noting that HEVC also improves motion tracking . In other words, in images that aren’t completely static, it continues to leverage information from previous frames, as explained above. Furthermore, this standard also improves segmentation algorithms, and instead of just using one frame to the next to compare information, it uses many more. This means that information that doesn’t change between frames is reused, saving space and bandwidth.

This is especially useful for longer and heavier videos, as these values can be significantly reduced . This is especially useful for smartphones or tablets, where video broadcasts will be best viewed with HTML5 web browsers. More and more programs are supporting the codec, and its use is expected to increase even further over time, as it still has several drawbacks that limit it, such as the export time.

It’s also worth noting that this standard allows the pixels in each frame to be divided into groups of different sizes to better fit the scene, using a technique called Coding Tree Units. This allows information blocks to be grouped in sizes between 4×4 and 64×64.

Maximum resolution

It’s recommended if you play a lot of 4K or 8K content. If you don’t play a lot of 4K or 8K content, but want to take full advantage of your devices and have a high-resolution monitor to use it on, it’s also a great option. Thanks to it, you’ll notice a significant improvement in video playback. It’s also important to note that the HEVC format supports 8K resolution and up to 300 FPS .

Viewing HEIC images

The H.265 codec isn’t just used for video encoding. Some companies have found ways to use it to compress images with higher resolution and bit rates. This is what happens, for example, when we take a photo with a current iPhone. If you extract the images directly to your computer without converting them, you’ll find that they can’t be played. Windows Photos can natively view Apple’s HEIC images . However, to do so, you must have previously installed support for the codec. Otherwise, it won’t work.

Disadvantages of HEVC

The H.265 codec isn’t all about advantages. The main reason this codec hasn’t been fully adopted is because the compression algorithms can become complex and require much more computing power. In other words, exporting a video in H.265 takes much longer than trying to export the same video in H.264. This is because the HEVC codec will evaluate different alternatives to improve quality. It will try different mechanisms until it reduces the file size to the minimum possible while maintaining the highest possible quality.

However, considering that computer hardware is improving at an incredible rate, and more videos are typically decoded (played) than encoded (produced), it’s only a matter of time before H.265 becomes the industry favorite. It’s worth noting that it’s not as widely supported as H.264. For example, GoPro 4K HEVC videos aren’t supported by many editing applications. This makes the codec incompatible with most older devices, platforms, and video players.

Additionally, it requires a highly specialized hardware configuration to encode HEVC content, so a typical user might have some difficulty without prior experience. In this case, you should ask a knowledgeable acquaintance or enlist the help of a professional in the HEVC codec.

Is HEVC better than H.264?

It’s clear that the H.265 codec is better than H.264. It’s more than obvious, and we’ve already explained it: quality is maintained or improved while taking up less space. This makes it ideal for transmitting high-definition videos on streaming platforms.

H.264 is a standard that defines a high-compression video codec that was initially focused on low-quality video for video conferencing and Internet applications, as it is based on 8 bits/sample and 4:2:0 orthogonal sampling. It wasn’t used in businesses or professional environments that demanded higher resolutions. Therefore, extensions were created to support this demand. As it was increasingly sought after, its successor, H.265, eventually emerged.

The HEVC format improves its segmentation algorithms compared to the previous H.264. This not only compares two frames at a time, but also allows for reuse across multiple frames. Furthermore, it improves tracking to utilize more information, even if it’s not in the same area of the screen, among other advantages already mentioned, which make it significantly superior to its predecessor.

In any case, it’s worth knowing that it’s a video compression industry standard and one of the most widely used today. It can be seen in YouTube videos, HD DVDs, and other examples. Furthermore, it doesn’t require as much processing power as HEVC.

On the other hand, you should also know that this type of compression technology can reduce large file sizes and bit rates without compromising image quality. Despite this, it has its limitations, although H.264 does offer cost savings in terms of bandwidth and storage.

Among other advantages, it has implementations that offer a 50% bit rate reduction, starting from a fixed video quality and compared to other video standards. It also offers low-latency capabilities and improved quality for higher latencies. Not to mention its exact-match decoding, which perfectly defines exactly how many number crunching operations an encoder and decoder must perform to prevent errors from accumulating.

What is the best way to install HEVC?

At this point, you may be wondering which option is best among all the options we’ve discussed for installing the HEVC codec. Because, as you can imagine, installing a media player that supports the codec sounds like the best option. After all, you won’t have to go through the installation process in the Windows Store and you’ll have an app that will also allow you to watch videos. On paper, it’s an excellent decision. But you should keep in mind that the use of the codec will be tied to the player in question, so you could have problems viewing videos if you don’t use that specific software.

Therefore, and knowing that there’s an official Microsoft option in the Windows Store that costs absolutely nothing , we’ll tell you that the best option is to use the free installation. It’s a trick, yes, but Microsoft doesn’t seem to have any intention of disabling it, so even with the passage of time, we see that it remains available. What’s clear is that, with this free option, it doesn’t make much sense to pay for the codec.