Open HEVC Video Files

Overview

High Efficiency Video Compression (HEVC) files are a video compression file designed to store video content at a low file size. It is widely used in 4K streaming, broadcast television, video conferencing, and recording high definition videos on smart phones and cameras.

Apple devices running macOS 10.13 / iOS 11 or higher support HEVC files.

For Windows, you may need an extension to open HEVCs, depending on the device you are using. General compatibility extensions are available from the Company Portal on college-managed Windows computers, or the app store for personal computers.

Steps

To view HEVC files on college-managed Windows computers, you will need to install the HEVC video extension and a compatible media player such as VLC Media Player.

1. Open the Company Portal app, which can be found using the search function or listed in the Start Menu.
2. Search for "hevc" and click on HEVC Video Extensions.
3. Click Install.
4. Search for "vlc" and click on VLC Media Player.
5. Click Install.

Once you have the HEVC extension and a compatible media player installed, you will need to open the HEVC file with that player.

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to your HEVC video.
2. Right click the video file and select Open with.
3. Select VLC media player.
   1. If VLC Media Player does not appear in the list, click Choose another app. If it doesn't appear in the extended list, click Choose an app on your PC, then navigate to and select the VLC application (C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe).
4. The video file will open in VLC Media Player.