The MKV codec pack can handle video playback error on Mac and Windows. But codec pack usually comes with a bunch of stuff that you don't really need rather than the MKV only, making it heavyweight and CPU consumption. Worse still, codecs are notorious for bundling crapware or even malware that leads to instability of your computer. There are still no codec supporting playing MKV files on mobiles. These are reasons we list using a MKV video converter or free MKV player with built-in support as an alternative to codec download.
For those who don't want to install any third-party MKV player or download MKV codec pack, there is a U turn - decode and reencodeMKV to other formats with a video converter, such as MacX Video Converter Pro. Focusing on video format transcoding, it converts MKV to MP4, MOV, AVI, H.264, H.265 etc and vice versa, thanks to the built-in 370+ audio/video codecs, including MKV, so you will free to play MKV on Mac, Windows, TV, iPhone, iPad, Android without any format issue.
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In this article, we will focus on how to free download HEVC codec extensions for 4K/8K video playback, and how to play HEVC videos without installing extra HEVC/H.265 codec packs, explaining what is HEVC codec, together with errors and FAQs about HEVC playback that users concern most.
Summary: You can open "ms-windows-store://pdp/?ProductId=9n4wgh0z6vhq" to download the free HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer. But if this doesn't work, you can always buy and download the official HEVC extensions from the Microsoft Store. Meanwhile, there are various free HEVC codec packs and VLC to help open HEVC H.265 videos.
Codec packs make video playing easier by installing a number of different codecs at once. But they are likely to pose software conflict and are full of adware or spyware. That's exactly why Windows 10 introduces HEVC codec extensions officially. Microsoft charges for its official HEVC codec $0.99. Before you free download the HEVC video extensions and make a purchase, you should know that:
There was a package "HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer" which was free to download on Windows 10 from the Microsoft Store. The free HEVC codec is exactly the same as the $0.99 official HEVC Video Extensions from Microsoft but is free. However, that version is no longer available. But you can still get it for free. Here is how:
If it asks you to launch your Microsoft store, just open it. Click the Install button and it will then ask you to enter your Microsoft account. Just close that window and it will continue to install the HEVC video codec free on Windows 10. If that won't work, you can still find the HEVC Video Extension available for free download for Windows 10 and later on sites like free-codecs.com and codecpack. The HEVC codec works on devices new than an Intel 7th Generation Core processor and newer GPU to support 4K and Ultra HD content. With the HEVC Video Extension downloaded and installed, you can also view .HEIC photos without further codecs.
4. The HEVC codec extensions are compatible with Windows built-in apps. But it may not work with other players and editors. So you may see Premiere Pro or Filmora asking you to install HEVC codec after you download the Microsoft HEVC video extensions. Try other free HEVC codec packs below.
Media Player Codec Pack Plus is a free HEVC/H.265 codec pack that will work in Microsoft Windows Media Player as well as any other DirectShow compatible player. With the free HEVC codec downloaded on Windows 11/10, you can play videos in HEVC, H.265, 10bit x265, MP4, MKV, AVI, WebM, M4V, and more. HEVC videos in 4K and higher resolutions are supported. It supports GPU hardware acceleration from Nvidia, AMD, ATI, and Intel for smooth HEVC playback.
Except for the above free HEVC video codec packs and extensions, you can also download Windows 10 Codec Pack or Media Player Codec Pack Plus to have a try. They also support a wealth of compression and file types used by modern video and audio files, from x265 to H.265/HEVC, 10bit x264, H.264, AVCHD, DivX, XviD, MP4, MPEG2, etc.
If you don't want to pay for Microsoft's official HEVC video extensions, don't want to bother with other free HEVC codecs, or have problems getting the HEVC codecs to work with your program, there is an easy alternative solution to play HEVC videos. The VLC media player comes with the built-in support for HEVC codec and can help open and play HEVC videos without third-party codec packs. You simply need to download VLC on Windows 10, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps, and set VLC as your default player. Next time, it will automatically open an HEVC video with VLC.
In Part 2, we have listed the best free HEVC video extensions you can download for your PC. However, how to install and have HEVC codecs work on Windows 10? Here are the steps: download the HEVC codec from the link below them > once downloaded, double-click the downloaded pack and follow the instructions to install it > you may be asked to set the player you use (such as Windows Media Player) as the Preferred video/audio player. Then the video player will take advantage of the H.265 codec and open HEVC videos without error.
If you don't want to download and install an extra HEVC video codec on Windows 10, you can still play HEVC videos on PC as there are video players that come with built-in HEVC decoders. Here we list some best free HEVC codec players for Windows 10 and later. Have any 4K/HD HEVC videos that will not play, try the free HEVC video decoders below.
To play HEVC videos on Windows 11, install official HEVC Video Extensions for Windows 11 and download free H.265 codecs (Windows 11) like Device Manufacturer HEVC codec, Libde265, K-Lite Codec Pack, etc.
Windows Media Player is a free program that is available on Windows. But Microsoft refuses to play OGG file on Windows Media Player, as OGG is an open source format. If you want your windows media player to be an OGG player, you can go to the Vorbis official site and download a decoder: DirectShow Filters for Ogg Vorbis, Speex, Theora, FLAC, and WebM. 2ff7e9595c
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