Thorough Knowledge of HEVC Video Format with Troubleshooting

Eleanor Reed

May 20, 2022 • Filed to: Photo/Video/Audio Solutions • Proven solutions

You might face the same while trying to play some of your favorite videos with HEVC format on your system. But why do you fail to play it, and how can you fix it? Well, this article will give answers to all your questions. Furthermore, we will provide you a thorough knowledge about the HEVC's working and how to fix its issues.

Part 1: What Is HEVC Video File?

HEVC, or High-Efficiency Video Coding, is the new video compression format that promises to perform better than past standards like H.264/AVC. Here you will learn everything about HEVC and how to use it for your high-quality media files.

What Is HEVC?

HEVC is a new form of video compression that gives better performance than previously used standards. The source video is compressed using an HEVC encoder. It creates and stores a compressed bitstream that can be decoded into a sequence of frames using a video decoder. High-Efficiency Video Coding is similar to the previous H.264/AVC and MPEG-2 but has improved vastly.

A video is HEVC-compatible if it meets the compressed format requirements and if it can be decoded easily through the method described. You can store HEVC videos as files, transmit them through broadcast or stream them over the internet.

HEVC has many new features and improvisations over previous standards:

• You will have more flexibility and both small and bigger partition size.
• You will get better filters for deblocking and interpolation.
• It can support parallel processing and gives better mode signaling, prediction, and motion vectors.
• With it, you will be able to compress videos better, but you will need more power in your processor.

Why Does HEVC Matter?

HEVC matters a lot in today's world, and you will get many benefits and advantages by using this standard.

• You will save almost half the money and bitrate if you choose to stream HEVC videos instead of an AVC encoder. You can run the same quality of media at almost half the data.
• In many places where WiFi connection is very slow, by using HEVC, you can stream HD videos using fewer data. If you used to run 480p content at 1.5 Mb/s, you could run 720p content at the same rate using H.265.
• The file format gives much more efficiency to video compression, and it is imminent for the future.

The global demand and support for HEVC videos are still developing, but it is clear that it is the future in this field.

How Does HEVC Work?

High-Efficiency Video Coding is similar to the previous standards and involves a source video with a sequence of frames. An encoder encodes the video into a compressed bitstream and proceeds to store or transmit it. Then the decoder creates a sequence of frames by decompressing the bitstream.

Video Encoder

The encoder will, first of all, divide every picture into many smaller units. Then it predicts each unit through an intro or inter prediction and removes the prediction from the original unit. Finally, the residue left after this subtraction is transformed, and entropy encoding is done to all the information.

Video Decoder

The decoder will reverse the steps performed by the encoder.

• First, it performs entropy decoding and extracts various elements of the encoded bitstream.
• It rescales and inverts the transforming stage before predicting the units and adding the prediction to the inverted transform.
• Finally, it will reconstruct the decoded video for you.

Part 2: Why HEVC for High-quality Videos?

Every type of video clip on your phone, PC, TV, etc., has a specific file format, and you should know how they work so that the media work properly. A smartphone format may not work on your TV and vice-versa. The format stores the visuals, audio, subtitles, and other data related to the file. The encoded audio and visual parts are always stored in a particular format.

Different file formats

You must know about various file formats to choose the perfect one for your video. Read briefly about the most common available formats and learn about their features and uses.

MP4

MP4 was introduced in 2001 and was one of the first video file formats. It is compatible with most devices and operating systems. In addition, high-quality data is stored in smaller-sized files.

MOV

Designed by Apple, it is another popular video file format that was initially made to support Quick Time media player. It takes up larger spaces and works on both Windows and Mac.

AVCHD

This file format is mainly used for HD recording and playback, with the latest version even supporting 3D videos..

WebM

Google introduced WebM in 2010, and it was meant for use with HTML5. It does not require high-end processors to decode and unzip files. This helps watch high-quality media on any device easily.

HEVC

This High Definition of Video Encoding is a successor of widely used AVC, H.264, and MPEG-4. It offers better data compression and improved video quality without changing the bit rate.

Why Prefer the HEVC Format?

Nowadays, the world is moving towards 4K content, especially on TVs. However, these media are hard to download and watch because they take up big space. But, this issue can be resolved with the use of High-Efficiency Video Coding or H.265 format.

• It uses the basics of previous compression standards that result in high-quality and better compression.
• The video is decomposed into smaller parts that the algorithm can easily remember. This helps in decreasing the overall size of the file. You will save a lot of money and data by using HEVC.
• You can run media at a higher quality and resolution using the same amount of data.

Because of the improved efficiency, HEVC is the future, and you should upgrade as soon as possible to stay updated in the digital world.

Part 3: How to Play HEVC Video on Windows 10 and Android

Let us learn about some of the best High-Efficiency Video Coding format media players for Windows 10 / 11 and Android devices available for use now. It will help you to open the HEVC videos in the compatible player.

The Best 3 HEVC Player for Windows 10/11 PC

# VLC Media Player

The open-source media player is developed by VideoLAN and is widely used worldwide. It has many versions, and the codec is in-built. It works on most operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Linux, but you may need to install the codec pack yourself. You can even use it on Android and Apple smartphones.

# Global Potplayer

It can be used to play HEVC files on both Windows and Mac systems without any issues. 4K and 3D files play without any lags and stutters on this media player.

# 5KPlayer

This is another top media player because it is supported on many operating systems and can play H.265 files with relative ease. In addition, the user interface is charming, and it supports 360-degree playback.

The Best 5 HEVC Player for Android

If you want to enjoy HEVC video on the way, you need to install a HEVC player app on your Android phone. There are tons of video players on Google Play Store, but only a few of them support playing HEVC files. Therefore we have tried and picked out the best 5 HEVC players APK for you.

Part 4: Can't Play HEVC Files? Causes and Solutions

You can use various applications to run High-Efficiency Video Coding content on your Windows 10 PC. Let us talk about the multiple issues that occur while HEVC playback, how to fix them, and the best applications used to play high-quality media on your computer.

Common Issues that interrupt videos from playing

You should know everything about High-Efficiency Video Coding format before you use it, including playback issues and errors. Many situations lead to issues, and you may not be able to play certain things. Some of them are:

• Unable to play the media recorded on GoPro or iPhone camera on your computer
• Failure to play downloaded stuff on your phone or computer
• Failure to play MKV files on your PC or PS4
• Accidentally deleted or corrupt files
• A corrupt storage device or memory card
• Malware or virus attack on your system

5 Methods to Fix HEVC Video Can't Play Issues

Method 1: Install HEVC Codec Software

Step 1: Open the Microsoft Store on any web browser and search for the HEVC Video Extension tool

Step 2: Click on Get the App to download and install it on your PC

Step 3: Use the codec to play high-quality video content

Codec is vital to play high-quality media, and you need to have updated hardware to run such files. An outdated system will lag and stutter, unable to run correctly. Other than the Microsoft one, you will find many other free codec software online.

Method 2: Convert HEVC Videos to MP4

If you cannot run HEVC media files on your PC or mobile phone, you can try converting them to MP4. The quality may go down a bit, but other issues will be resolved. High-quality files can slow down your system, and old media players may not support this file format. You will see an error in such situations.

In this case, you can ultilize VLC as a HEVC to MP4 Converter. Here are the steps to convert HEVC video to MP4 with VLC:

Step 1: Open the VLC media player and go to "Media" to select the "Convert/Save" option.

Step 2: Click on "Add" to upload the HEVC file you need to covert. Then click on convert/save and then click on "Convert."

Step 3: In the Convert window, click on "Display the output" and then select the profile you want to covert. Here you can select H.264 + MP3 (MP4).

Step 4: Select the destination with the file name and click on "Start." Your file will get converted into MP4 format, and you can view it at the destination.

Method 3: Use Other Media Players

Even though the best way to fix and play H.265 files is to convert them into MP4 or other formats, you can skip all this. Instead, an easy way is to use a 3rd-party media player to play H.265 media. In addition, you can use any of the free media players available that are compatible with the format.

VLC is one of the top media players available that works on Windows, Mac, Unix, Android, iOS, and Linux. Potplayer is another famous software, but it can only be used on Windows. Another good software that works on both Windows and Mac is the 5KPlayer. So get anyone you like and start playing your content again.

Method 4: Reset HEVC Extension

Follow these steps to reset the HEVC extension on your Windows 10 PC:

Step 1: Go to your System Settings and click Apps and features.

Step 2: Select HEVC Video Extensions and click Advanced options. Then click on the Reset button and close the window after finishing.

After you are done doing this, try and play the files again using a compatible media player, and they will work normally.

Method 5: Repair Corrupt HEVC Video Files

If the HEVC files are still unplayable after trying all of the 4 methods above, the files might be corrupt or broken. You have to download a video repair tool like Wondershare Repairit to repair the unopenable HEVC videos. Wondershare Repairit is a powerful video repair software that will allow you to repair your corrupt, broken, and truncated files in easy steps. It supports multiple file formats.

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Step 1: Add the corrupt HEVC files to the video repair tool

Install and launch the Wondershare repair tool and run it on your computer. Then, click on Add video and start repair to choose the files you want to repair.

Step 2: Click on repair to run the recovery

After selecting, click on the repair to start the process of recovery.

Step 3: Preview the repaired files

After the recovery process, preview the files before saving them. If the file is not repaired successfully, you can try advanced video repair.

You need toad sample video for advanced video repair to begin repairing the file.

Step 4: Save the files to your preferred location

Now save the repaired file to the preferred location. Do not choose the folder from where the files were lost in the first place.

Part 5: How to Recover Deleted/Lost HEVC Video Files

Suppose you accidentally deleted or lost your HEVC videos due to SD card formatting, system crashes, etc, don't worry, you can get a powerful video recovery program like Recoverit Video Recovery to help you restore all deleted video files back. Recoverit supports the recovery of permanently deleted videos from any storage device. Check the key features of Wondershare Recoverit and retrieve all your deleted HEVC videos back easily and securely.

Download and install Recoverit Video Recovery Software on your computer and follow the next simple steps to perform HEVC video recovery.

Step 1. Select the location where you lost your HEVC videos

Open Recoverit on your PC, and select the folder to start restoring deleted HEVC video files.

Step 2. Scanning the folder for lost video files

Recoverit HEVC Video Recovery software will start to scan the device to search your deleted video files. It will take a few seconds to minutes depending on the file amount and file size within the folder.

Step 3. Preview and restore

After the scanning, you can preview all the discovered video files. Select your desired HEVC videos and click "Recover" to get them back.

Step 4. Advanced Video Recovery

If your HEVC video has a large file size, they may be stored in thousands to tons of video fragments on the storage device. When you recover them using the ordinary data recovery, the recovered video will be also fragmented and can't play. But no worries, Recoverit Advanced Video Recovery will automatically scan, gather, and match the fragments of the videos, and ensure your videos in HEVC codec are recovered completely and playable witout corruption.

The process is also simple. Click the "Start" button to beginn the advanced scanning.

After the scan, you can preview and recover it.

Summing Up

The digital world is slowly moving on to HEVC and 4K content, as they have many advantages over other formats. For example, compression becomes easier and more efficient through it, and it is easier on the pocket. In the above article, we took an in-depth look into High-Efficiency Video Coding and the various issues.

We talked about various tips to fix errors and run the files normally. Wondershare Repair tool is one of the best software available to recover lost or corrupt files. Install it now and easily restore your data. Also, make sure you have a good system that supports the HEVC format because it is the future.