Thorough Knowledge of HEVC Video Format [Concept, Usage, Problems & Tips]

Eleanor Reed

Dec 03, 2020 • Filed to: Photo/Video/Audio Solutions • Proven solutions

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

Part 1: How HEVC works?

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 related to 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 bit stream 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 HEVC matter?

HEVC matters a lot in today's world, and you will get a lot of 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.
• At many places, where WiFi connection is very slow, by using HEVC, you can stream HD videos using less data. If you used to run 480p content at 1.5 Mb/s, you can 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 HEVC Works?

High Efficiency Video Coding is basically 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 intra or inter prediction and removes the prediction from the original unit. 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 so that you choose the perfect one for your video. Read briefly about the most common formats available to use 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 of the devices and operating systems. 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. Panasonic and Sony developed the file format specifically for HD video content. Its latest version can even support 3D videos.

WebM

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

HEVC

As explained above this High Definition 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 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 spaces. But, with the use of High Efficiency Video Coding or H.265 format, this issue can be resolved.

• It uses the basics of previous compression standards that result in high-quality and better compression.
• The video is decomposed into smaller parts which can be easily remembered by the algorithm. 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 as before.

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?

You can use various applications to run High Efficiency Video Coding content on your Windows 10 PC. Let us talk about the various 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, and that includes 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

Tips to Fix the Issues

Some tips, and ways to fix playback issues and fix High Efficiency Video Coding files quickly.

• 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 to 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.

• Convert HEVC videos to MP4

If you are unable to run HEVC media 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.

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

Step 2: Click on "Add" to upload HEVC file that 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 to which you want to covert. Here you can select H.264 + MP3 (MP4).

Step 4: Select the destination with the file name and then click on "Start." You file will get coverted into MP4 format and you can view it on the destination.

• 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. An easy way is to make use of a 3rd-party media player to play H.265 media. 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. Get anyone you like and start playing your content again.

• 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 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.

Best method to recover lost videos

The best way to recover corrupt or lost files is Wondershare Video Repair. It is a powerful tool that will allow you to recover your files in easy steps. It supports multiple file formats.

Step 1: Add the corrupt files on the tool

Install and launch the Wondershare repair tool and run it on your computer. 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.

For advanced video repair you need toad sample video to begin repairing of the file.

Step 4: Save the files to your preferred location

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

Best HEVC Windows 10 players

Let us learn about some of the best High Efficiency Video Coding format media players for Windows 10 available for use now. It will help you to run the videos in the compatible player.

VLC Media Player

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

Potplayer

It can be used to play HEVC files on both and 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. The user-interface is charming, and it supports 360-degree playback.

Summing Up

The digital world is slowly moving on to HEVC and 4K content, as they have many advantages over other formats. Compression becomes easier and 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 surrounding it.

We talked about various tips to fix any 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 HEVC format because it is the future.