Additional Information

Extends Windows 10 to play and produce HEVC-encoded video content

Latest Version HEVC Video Extensions 1.0.50362
Requirements

Windows 10 (32-bit)/Windows 10 (64-bit)/Windows 11

Updated June 25, 2023
Author Microsoft Corporation
Category Video Software
License Paid
Language English
Download 31

Overview

HEVC Video Extensions is a multimedia utility that can help users of Windows 11/Windows 10 PCs to gain a native ability to reproduce videos that utilize High-Efficiency Video Coding (also known as HEVC or H265). This advanced video standard was introduced as a replacement of the highly popular H264 standard, managing to offer the same level of visual quality all while requiring half of the data band, thus enabling content providers to either start distributing high-quality 4K videos without large file sizes or the similar quality files that can be downloaded in half a time.

Mobile phone manufacturers have also adopted this standard, enabling users who often record videos with their phone cameras to dramatically reduce video files, thus taking greater advantage of their often-limited mobile phone local storage. By installing this codec pack, users of Windows 10 and Windows 11 OS will gain the ability to have this codec ready for use no matter which video player they wish to use.

In the current age where video files are shared and consumed at an ever-increasing pace, it is important to make sure that the latest technologies are introduced to all users. While Windows 10/11 does not have a built-in capability of decoding the HEVC video codec, this small multimedia utility can make any modern PC device ready for media playback.

Even more importantly, video extensions present here can also take advantage of hardware acceleration found in CPU and GPU multimedia decoding blocks, enabling both desktop and laptop PCs to automate the process of media decoding, introducing smoother playback, freeing CPU for other tasks, and greatly reducing power consumption (which is especially useful for laptop and tablet users).  For devices that don’t feature hardware-accelerated decoders, these extensions will switch to “software” mode that will task the main CPU for all HEVC media decoding tasks.

HEVC Video Extensions for PC comes as a small package that can be installed in seconds on all modern Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs. The utility is distributed via Windows Store, enabling all users to simplify the process of installation by simply visiting the app’s official store page and getting it there.

HEVC Video Extensions is a very useful multimedia reproduction tool, but it should be noted that it is not free. While it is cheap, PC users should also think about any number of modern free video players that come bundled with the built-in codecs for HEVC and countless other audio/video formats.

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HEVC Video Extensions 1.0.50362 June 25, 2023 1.4 MB