PotPlayer HEVC: How to Play HEVC Files with PotPlayer Smoothly

Does PotPlayer Support HEVC/H.265

PotPlayer is a powerful multimedia player that can play a variety of video and audio files thanks to OpenCodec support. It usually comes with built-in support for HEVC files. In other words, PotPlayer can open HEVC-encoded videos.

However, PotPlayer HEVC decoding not supported issue occurs, causing it to fail to open the HEVC file. This issue can be caused by different reasons, such as inappropriate settings, lack of HEVC codec, corrupted HEVC files, etc.

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How to Fix HEVC Playback Errors in PotPlayer

When using PotPlayer to open the H.265 format video, if it prompts that encoding is not supported, follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Tip 1: Change the Built-in HEVC Decoder

PotPlayer has a variety of built-in codecs, including support for HEVC. You can enable the built-in HEVC decoder by following these steps to fix the “HEVC/h265 decoding is not supported in s/w mode” issue.

Step 1. Download ffmpeg64.dll on your computer. Then copy the downloaded dll file to C:\Program Files\DAUM\PotPlayer\Module\FFmpeg.

Step 2. On the main user interface of PotPlayer, click the arrow icon next to PotPlayer in the top left of the screen, and select the Preferences… option from the drop-down list, or press F5 on the keyboard.

Step 3. In the left navigation bar, click the + icon next to Filter Control and select Video Decoder. In the pop-up window, find the “H.265/HEVC” option and select “Built-in Decoder (Recommended)“.

Step 4. Next, click the three-dot icon next to H.265/HEVC to open Built-in Video Decoder Configuration. In the Available Video Decoders section, change H.265/HEVC on the left from the Built-in FFmpeg Decoder (Recommended) to FFmpeg64.dll.

Step 5. Click OK and OK to save the changes. Restart PotPlayer to open the HEVC file again.

Tip 2: Enable Hardware Acceleration

The second way to enjoy smooth HEVC playback is to enable the hardware acceleration in PotPlayer.

Step 1. With PotPlayer open, press F5 to open the Preferences window, and select Filter Control and Video Decoder.

Step 2. Click the Built-in Video Codec/DXVA Settings button at the bottom.

Step 3. Check the Use DXVA option under Hardware acceleration (DXVA) settings.

Step 4. Select OK and OK to save changes.

After that, launch PotPlayer and see if the HEVC playback issue is solved.

Tip 3: Install the K-Lite Codec Pack

Installing the K-Lite Codec Pack is another way you can try to fix PotPlayer HEVC decoding not supported in s/w mode. K-Lite Codec Pack is a comprehensive selection of codecs (including HEVC) that guarantees that you will be able to play almost any video or audio file on a Windows PC.

Tip 4: Update PotPlayer

Don’t forget to check for updates to PotPlayer when you encounter problems with PotPlayer HEVC playback. Make sure you have the latest version installed on your device for proper playback.

Tip 5: Use Another HEVC Player

When PotPlayer can’t play your HEVC files correctly, use another free HEVC player to enjoy the videos. MiniTool MovieMaker is a free HEVC player that allows you to view HEVC-encoded MP4, MOV, and MKV files smoothly.

MiniTool MovieMakerClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Additionally, MiniTool MovieMaker enables you to edit HEVC videos. Trim, crop, split, reverse the clip, add filters, apply effects, and do more edits with the advanced multitrack editing feature to elevate your content.

Tip 6: Convert HEVC to Another Format

Converting video format is a common solution for video codec unsupported issues. Likewise, when you can’t view HEVC files in PotPlayer or other media players, convert them to H.264 MP4 (the most popular video format) and then try again.

Here, MiniTool Video Converter, a free video converter without watermarks, is recommended to you. Follow the steps below to convert your HEVC files.

Step 1. Download and install MiniTool Video Converter on your PC.

MiniTool Video ConverterClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Step 2. Open the application and import your HEVC file by clicking the Add Files option.

Step 3. Click the inverted triangle in the Target box, go to the Video tab, select MP4 on the left sidebar, and click the desired MP4 profile.

Step 4. Click the Convert button to start the conversion task.

Conclusion

Although PotPlayer is an excellent video player for playing various video files on Windows, it sometimes glitches. HEVC decoding not supported is a minor playback bug in PotPlayer that can be easily fixed by the above methods.

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