HEVC Player 1.5.10.0 for Windows

HEVC Player 1.5.10.0 is a free video player for Windows from Media AI Center. It is made for videos encoded with HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), the format many modern phones, action cameras and drones use to save storage. If Windows shows an error or only sound when you open such a file, you can download HEVC Player for Windows and play it without hunting for codecs.

Quick facts

• Version: 1.5.10.0
• Developer: Media AI Center
• Platform: Windows
• Licence: free
• Size: about 198.22 MB according to catalogue data

Why HEVC files cause trouble

HEVC compresses video far more efficiently than older formats, so a phone can store more footage in the same space. The catch is that playback needs a matching decoder, and not every Windows installation has one ready. The result is familiar: a video from an iPhone or a drone opens with a black picture, stutters or refuses to play in the default app. There are several ways around this. You can install a decoder extension for Windows, use a player that brings its own decoders, or convert the video to a more widely supported format. HEVC Player takes the second route: it is a single program that opens these files directly. Its large size compared with other players suggests it carries its own components rather than relying on the system.

Guide: play an HEVC video

1. Download the installer via the developer's product page and install it.
2. Open HEVC Player and drag the video file into the window, or use the open command.
3. If you want it as the default player for such files, right-click a video in File Explorer, choose Open with and select HEVC Player.
4. For smooth playback of high-resolution footage, keep your graphics driver up to date.

Tips

• If a video plays but looks washed out, it may be recorded in HDR; check whether your screen and Windows HDR settings support it.
• To share clips with people who have trouble playing them, convert a copy to a more common format.
• Keep the original files; converting always costs a little quality.

Safety

Video players are a popular disguise for adware, and "codec packs" from unknown sites are a classic trap. Download HEVC Player through the developer's page, read each installer screen and untick offers you do not want.

Pros and cons

• Pro: opens HEVC files without extra codec setup.
• Pro: free.
• Pro: simple drag-and-drop playback.
• Con: large download for a player.
• Con: focused on one format, with fewer features than all-round players.

Alternatives

All-round players in our listings that handle many formats include VLC media player, KMPlayer and GOM Player. K-Lite Codec Pack adds decoders to Windows, and Any Video Converter or Format Factory can convert videos to other formats.