How to Install Codecs On Windows 11

There are various media formats available, and it’s likely that your PC has neither the codecs to play some videos, regardless of format. H.265 or HEVC is one such file format (High-Efficiency Video Coding). This format is commonly used for iPhone video recording, 4K Blu-Rays, and other high-resolution videos.

Many Windows PCs can play this file format, but if you have an older PC, you may not be able to use the default media player tool to view videos in this format. As a result, you may need to install suitable codecs in order to play an unsupported file format.

Install Codecs on Windows 11

If you want to install codecs on Windows 11 but don’t know how to do so, this article will help you. In this article, we will be discussing how you can install codecs on Windows 11.

Download HEVC Codecs From Microsoft Store

You can download HEVC codes from the Microsoft Store. However, the codec is paid, and you will have to pay the cost to install the HEVC codecs from the Microsoft Store. To do so, follow the steps given below-

• Open the Start Menu by pressing the Windows key combo to open the Start Menu.

In the Start Menu, search for Microsoft Store. Click on the Microsoft Store from the search result. 

• In the Microsoft Store, search for HEVC Video Extensions and then open the relevant search result. 

• Click on the blue button on the next screen, and you will be headed to the purchase page. 
• Complete the payment, and the codec will get installed on your PC. 

Once done, you will be able to play the video that you were unable to play earlier due to the unavailability of the codes on Windows 11. 

Installing VLC Media Player

You will have to pay for the HEVC codecs if you install them from the Microsoft Store. Though the codec is cheap, but if you don’t want to pay for installing it, then you can prefer using third-party media players like VLC media player on your PC. Third-party media players have HEVC codecs included by default, because of which you can play videos requiring HEVC codec. 

You can download the VLC media player from the official. Click on this link, and you will be headed to the official website of the VLC media player, from where you can download the VLC media player. After you have downloaded the application, install it on your PC, and then run the media file that you could not play earlier because of codecs being unavailable. 

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Conclusion

If you cannot play videos because codecs are not available, then this article will help you with it. In this article, we have discussed how you can install codecs on Windows 11 and then play unsupported file formats on your PC easily. We hope this article helps you with what you are looking for. If it did help you, then do let us know in the comments section.