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HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer is Microsoft's free H.265 decoder for Windows 10 and 11, the same codec the Microsoft Store charges for, adding native HEVC playback to Photos, Media Player and your other apps.
If a video opens as sound with no picture, or Windows throws a "codec not supported" error, the file is almost always HEVC, also called H.265.
It is the format most phones and cameras now use to record 4K while keeping the files a sensible size.
HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer is the free, official Microsoft add-on that teaches Windows 10 and Windows 11 to play those files everywhere: in the Photos app, Windows Media Player, and the apps you already use.
Check this before you download. The builds at the top of the list are for Windows 11. On Windows 10 you need version 2.4.109.0, further down the same list, which is the last release that supports it.
Get the free HEVC Video Extensions, or read on if you want to know what it does first.
Windows 10 Users: Choose Version 2.4.109.0
Version 2.4.109.0 installs and plays HEVC exactly the same way as the current build. Nothing is missing from it, and there is no benefit to forcing a newer version onto Windows 10.
If you get stuck, our step-by-step guide on how to download the HEVC extension for free walks through every click.
What Are HEVC Video Extensions?
HEVC Video Extensions let your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer play High Efficiency Video Coding files natively, without installing a separate media player or codec pack.
This is the package that clears up the "codec not supported" message you see when you try to open a modern video file.
Microsoft actually lists two versions of this codec. The standard HEVC Video Extension carries a small charge in the Microsoft Store, while this "from Device Manufacturer" edition is the same codec offered free, the one PC makers are meant to bundle with new machines.
It does the identical job at no cost. If you want the wider picture first, our guide to the HEVC codec for Windows covers how the pieces fit together.
Why You Need This Extension
Windows does not include HEVC decoding out of the box, so without this add-on, HEVC files misbehave in frustrating ways.
Videos open with audio only or throw an error, some media players freeze when they hit an HEVC file, and 4K or HDR clips straight off a phone or camera simply will not open.
The device manufacturer extension fixes all of that by plugging HEVC support directly into Windows, so your existing apps just play the files.
What You Get After Installing
Once it is in, HEVC videos play right away in Windows Media Player, the Photos app, and other built-in Windows apps, with no extra software to open.
Because it hands decoding to your graphics chip where it can, playback stays smooth and battery drain stays low on laptops. If you want to know whether your machine has that hardware, check whether your PC can decode H.265 in hardware before you blame the codec.
It is an official, Microsoft-signed package, and it works across all your Windows apps automatically, system-wide, the moment it is installed.
Prefer to keep a full player on hand as well? VLC Media Player and PotPlayer both play HEVC on their own, without needing this extension at all.
The K-Lite Codec Pack bundles broad format support in one installer, and our guide to the best HEVC video players compares the options properly.
How to Install It
- In the download list above, pick 2.5.33.0 for Windows 11, or 2.4.109.0 if you are on Windows 10.
- Double-click the downloaded file. It is an AppxBundle, so Windows App Installer opens and handles it for you.
- Close and reopen the app you were using, so it picks up the new decoder.
- Open any HEVC video to check that it plays.
The whole thing takes about two minutes and switches on HEVC support across your whole system. A full restart is rarely needed, but it is worth trying if an app still refuses to see the codec.
System Requirements
- Windows 11, any version, for the current 2.5.33.0 build.
- Windows 10 version 1709 or later, using version 2.4.109.0.
- A 10.6 MB download. The installed extension takes very little space.
If It Still Will Not Play
Two things account for most of the reports that this did not work, and neither is a fault in the extension.
The first is installing a Windows 11 build on Windows 10, which fails quietly. The second is expecting it to fix a third-party player: VLC, PotPlayer and MPC carry their own decoders and never touch the Windows one, so installing this changes nothing for them.
If neither applies, our HEVC troubleshooting guide covers the rest, and the online HEVC player tells you in seconds whether the file itself is sound.
Not certain the file is even HEVC? The Codec Finder identifies what a video actually contains, which saves installing the wrong thing.
Other Ways to Get HEVC Playback
If you would rather not touch the Windows codec at all, a standalone player like Media Player Classic or KMPlayer plays HEVC with nothing installed system-wide.
For DirectShow players that do need a decoder supplied, LAV Filters is the usual choice, and Media Foundation Codecs covers the Windows side more broadly.
Photos from the same phones tend to arrive as HEIC rather than JPEG, which needs HEIF Image Extensions for the same reason this page exists.
Newer devices are starting to record AV1 as well, which has its own extension, and the full Video Codecs category lists the rest.
Quick questions
Is this really free?
Yes. The "from Device Manufacturer" edition is the same decoder Microsoft charges for in the Store, published free for PC makers to bundle, and there is no payment step and no trial.
I am on Windows 10. Which version do I need?
Version 2.4.109.0, further down the download list. It is the last release that supports Windows 10, and the newer builds will not install correctly on it.
Do I need to restart my computer?
Usually not. Closing and reopening the app is normally enough, and a full restart is only worth trying if an app still cannot see the codec afterwards.
I installed it and VLC still behaves the same. Why?
Because VLC carries its own HEVC decoder and never uses the Windows one. This extension changes what the Photos app, Windows Media Player and other built-in apps can open, not what third-party players do.
Will this let me edit HEVC video too?
It covers playback, and editors that rely on Windows for decoding will generally see HEVC files afterwards. Exporting to HEVC is a separate question that depends on the editor.
Nothing changed after installing. What now?
Check you took the build that matches your Windows version, then confirm the file really is HEVC rather than something else, since a damaged or differently encoded file looks identical from the outside.
Download HEVC Video Extensions 2.5.33.0 and see whether it opens your files, or tell us how you got on if you have used it before.
KO
@norman & dave
Because we have Dave :p - as always, thanks Dave!
Because we have Dave :p - as always, thanks Dave!
DA
2.5.33.0 is out.
KO
@writer & Norma
It looks like HEVC Video Extensions from the Device Manufacturer v2.4.95.0 is the last version that works with Windows 10. We're updating the page to reflect this.
It looks like HEVC Video Extensions from the Device Manufacturer v2.4.95.0 is the last version that works with Windows 10. We're updating the page to reflect this.
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