
All newer Apple devices like the iPhone and iPad use HEVC to record video, and some Android devices, like the Pixel phones from Google, do as well. More cellphone manufacturers are adding support for HEVC, too. RELATED: What Is HEVC H.265 Video, and Why Is It So Important for 4K Movies? As an example, HEVC is used to compress the enormous files used in the movie editing process into something that can easily fit on a single Blu-Ray disk. It is useful for other things besides streaming services, though. This fee likely reflects the cost of licensing the codecs for Microsoft.HEVC is a compression algorithm - it takes large, uncompressed (or minimally compressed) video files and makes them much smaller with only a slight decrease in quality.Ĭompressing video files enables streaming services like Netflix or Hulu to send you video without completely bogging down your internet connection or blowing through your data cap. 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. You have no guarantee that they’re safe, even if you run them through antivirus tools like VirusTotal to check. Your only alternative is to try to download the codecs from a third-party website, which is potentially risky. If you use video editing software that relies on Microsoft’s HEVC codecs to import and export H.265 video, like DaVinci Resolve, you’ll need to pay for the codecs. Unfortunately, that means you must now either pay the 99 cents for the other codecs available from Microsoft or opt to use a third-party video player, like VLC, to play back videos encoded with H.265. RELATED: What Is HEVC H.265 Video, and Why Is It So Important for 4K Movies? How to Install the Codecs for Free Update, 4/7/23: Microsoft has finally pulled the free HEVC codec from the Microsoft Store.

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. For built-in support, you’ll need the codecs.
