Despite being identical, one of them costs a dollar, while the other pack is free and available for all users. There are currently 2 different codec packs available in the Microsoft Store that include support for HEVC content. How to download and install the HEVC codec for free Despite how the codec is advertised as being locked behind a paywall, it’s actually completely free of charge. If you’re one of the many users who don’t want to spend $0.99 USD to be able to natively play HEVC files, you’re in the right place. If you don’t have access to purchase the pack, you might think you’re doomed. This makes it hard, or outright impossible to playback HEVC content on devices running Windows 10. By default, apps such as Microsoft’s Movies & TV player won’t allow you to play these files, giving you an error instead: If you want to play these files on your Windows 10 device without having to download even more third-party apps, you’ll need a codec that includes HEVC support.

4K UHD Blu-ray footage also uses the same format to give lossless playback quality. This increase in use is thanks to Apple’s iPhone smartphones, which by default record and save videos in the HEVC format. Why is this important? The HEVC format is becoming more and more popular nowadays. While Windows 10 comes with many different and essential codecs by default, some are missing from the system’s starter pack. For example, on a device without codecs, you'd be unable to record through your webcam or play media you downloaded or received. Without codecs, you're unable to play videos on your device, which also limits you from editing or filming in specific formats yourself. What is the HEVC codec and why you need itĬodecs are essential for streaming media. In this article, we'll be going over how you can acquire the HEVC codec without having to spend any money. Luckily, there's a way to get it for free. While the system does support the High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265 format, Microsoft doesn't natively include the codec with Windows 10.

On Windows 10, playing different video formats require you to have the right codecs installed on your device.

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