Windows 10: HEVC Encoder not working + Did not have a Product Key

Dear Microsoft Support Team, I hope this message finds you well. I’m reaching out to express my frustration regarding a couple of issues I’ve encountered. Firstly, I recently purchased Steam VR Copyright Steam and was very excited to try it out. However, I received a message indicating that I need HEVC hardware encoding. I bought the necessary extension, but unfortunately, it still isn’t working. Despite following all suggested troubleshooting steps, I’m unable to resolve the issue. I also have a video showing my attempts to set it up, which might take a little while to get started. I would

:)

 

Directories with HEVC/x265 or Hi10p/10bit video sluggish

This was working for me in the Anniversary Update and Creators Update, but has been slowly going downhill after the Fall Creators Update (build 1709). After updating to the Fall Creators Update, I could sometimes get thumbnails to show up in Explorer, sometimes
not. I could sometimes get HEVC video to play in Movies & TV and Movie Moments, sometimes not. Now File Explorer won't create any HEVC thumbnails and HEVC video won't play in any of the Microsoft desktop or metro apps.

Here's what I've been able to piece together from a couple of different sources:

• Microsoft removed native HEVC support from the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.
• If you applied a feature update from a previous version (Creators, etc.), you were supposed to retain HEVC support. Wasn't quite true for me, which is how I found this thread. The work-around I mentioned in a previous reply has now stopped working.
• Update KB4041994 enables SOME systems to ADD HEVC support back. There's a hidden app in the Microsoft Store called "HEVC Video Extension". Windows may add it manually. The app only enables HARDWARE HEVC decoding.
  You need a video card or processor released within the last ~year to get it though (Kaby Lake, Kaby Lake Refresh and Coffee Lake, and GPUs like AMD's RX 400, RX 500 and RX Vega 56/64, and Nividia's GeForce GTX 1000 and GTX 950 and 960 series.)
• One of the sources suggests software HEVC decoding might become available as a paid app in the Windows Store in the future. No further info available.

I did a clean install of the Fall Creators Update in Virtualbox. Applied all the updates and installed the "HEVC Video Extension" from the store. MP4 opens in Movies & TV metro app; HEVC video is blank, but HE-AAC audio plays. The slow folder refresh issue
with HEVC files exists.

I have a mid-range desktop processor and video card from early 2013. VLC plays 1080p HEVC using just a couple of percent CPU. I can encode 480p 30FPS in real time using the x.265 Medium preset. My system doesn't need hardware-accelerated encoding / decoding.

As for the original issue. I took someone's suggestion and installed Icaros. Explorer refresh is speedy and I get thumbnails not only for HEVC MP4/MKV, but also FLV (like Icaros claims - anything FFMPEG can decode).

Additional info:

• Microsoft removes HEVC codec in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, adds it to Store - gHacks Tech News
• HEVC and the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

 

hevc codec won't work in Resolve

Hello, I thought i would get the HEVC Video Extensions codec in the Store to help with support when trying to create h.265 videos in software like Resolve. But even with this i get no extra support for the file type,
heres what the description on the store says

HEVC Video Extensions enable Windows 10 devices to play video using the HEVC format in any app. They're designed to take advantage of hardware capabilities on modern devices, including Intel 7th Generation Core processors
and newer GPUs in order to support 4K and Ultra HD content. For devices without HEVC hardware support, software support is provided to enable local playback capabilities though the experience may vary depending on the resolution of the video and performance
of your computer. In addition to supporting HEVC playback, these Extensions also include support for encoding HEVC content on devices that do not contain a hardware encoder.

Am i missing something or will it not work for editing the h.265 files?

 

HEVC Extension Loaded But Not Working

Hello, Paul JH_165

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

The widespread compatibility problems with HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding) video files stem from various factors. One of the key reasons is the relatively recent adoption of the HEVC standard, which has led to a lack of universal support across all platforms and devices. Many older software applications and devices may not have built-in support for HEVC due to the high computational demands required for decoding and encoding HEVC content. Additionally, licensing costs associated with HEVC may have led some software developers and hardware manufacturers to prioritize other video codecs.

There may not be a good solution to the problem you are currently encountering. Please submit feedback to the developers in the hope that this issue can be resolved in the future:

How to send feedback to Microsoft with the Feedback Hub app - Microsoft Support

However, there are ongoing industry-wide efforts and initiatives to address the compatibility issues with HEVC. For instance, the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) has developed the AV1 video codec, which aims to provide an open and royalty-free alternative to HEVC. This codec has seen increased adoption by major tech companies and streaming platforms, potentially driving broader support for a more universally compatible video codec.

Furthermore, software updates and patches are regularly released by companies to improve compatibility with HEVC and other advanced codecs. As the demand for higher quality video content continues to grow, it's likely that industry stakeholders will continue to work towards enhancing compatibility and support for HEVC and other modern video encoding standards.

Yuhao Li

Microsoft Community Technical Support