GoPro, DJI or Insta360 Videos Won't Play on Windows? How to Fix It

Your camera is fine - it records in HEVC, and Windows does not ship the decoder that reads it.

A black screen with sound, a stuttering slideshow or a 'codec not supported' message are all the same problem.

GoPro, DJI and most action cameras save 4K in HEVC, also called H.265, to keep the files a sensible size.

The fix is free, official and takes about two minutes.

Why Your Camera Footage Will Not Open

Windows 10 and 11 can read the MP4 or MOV box the video comes in, but not the HEVC picture inside it. The sound uses a format Windows already knows, which is why you hear it and see nothing.

Which clips are affected depends on the camera and the mode you shot in:

Not sure what a clip contains? Drop it into the Codec Finder, which names the video codec, bit depth and resolution without uploading anything.

Fix 1: Install the Free HEVC Decoder

Microsoft sells its HEVC decoder in the Store, but the Device Manufacturer edition is the same Microsoft-signed package, free.

1. Open the download page. Go to HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer and pick the build for your Windows version.
2. Run the file. Windows App Installer opens it, and setup takes under a minute.
3. Reopen the app. Close the Photos app or Media Player and open your clip again.

That is enough for most phones and for 8-bit camera footage. If your clip now plays but jerks along, read the next section.

Fix 2: It Plays but Stutters - Check Your Graphics Chip

Smooth 4K and 5.3K HEVC, and anything in 10-bit, needs your graphics chip to do the decoding. Without that, the processor tries to do it alone and the picture drops frames.

Intel 7th-generation Core processors, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10-series cards and AMD Radeon RX 400 cards and newer decode 10-bit HEVC in hardware. Our guide shows how to check whether your PC decodes H.265 in hardware in a couple of minutes.

If the hardware is there, an old graphics driver is the usual culprit. Update it from the maker:

• Intel Graphics Driver for laptops without a separate graphics card.
• NVIDIA GeForce Driver for GeForce cards.
• AMD Radeon Adrenalin for Radeon cards and Ryzen laptops.

Fix 3: Use a Player That Brings Its Own Decoder

If you just want to watch the clip, a player with built-in HEVC support skips the Windows side completely.

• VLC Media Player - the safe pick, plays HEVC straight after installing.
• PotPlayer - smoother on high-bitrate 4K, with more settings to tune.
• MPC-BE - light and fast on an older laptop.

Our roundup of the best HEVC players compares them in more detail. These players still lean on your graphics chip for 4K, so Fix 2 applies to them too.

Fix 4: Convert It So It Plays Everywhere

Sending clips to someone with an older PC or TV? Converting to H.264 makes the files bigger but playable on almost anything.

• HandBrake - pick an H.264 preset, add your clips and convert.
• Shutter Encoder - handy for batches, and it keeps 10-bit footage looking right.
• LosslessCut - trims the boring bits first without re-encoding, so nothing loses quality.

Change the Camera Setting for Next Time

On a GoPro HERO7 to HERO10, open Preferences, then General, then Video Compression, and choose H.264 + HEVC. The HERO11 and newer removed that switch, so H.264 is only available by recording 8-bit 1080p at 60fps or less.

On a DJI drone or Osmo camera, set Coding Format to H.264 in the camera settings. The 10-bit D-Log M and HLG colour modes only record in H.265, so choose H.264 only if you are not planning to colour-grade.

Insta360 and 360 Footage: Not a Codec Problem

Insta360 cameras save .insv files, which hold the raw image from each lens rather than a finished video. A codec cannot fix that - the files need stitching into one picture first.

• Insta360: use the free Insta360 Studio desktop app. Insta360 lists Windows 10 or 11 and a GeForce GTX 1660 or faster card in its system requirements.
• DJI Osmo 360: use the free DJI Studio app for Windows.
• GoPro MAX: the free GoPro MAX Exporter in the Microsoft Store turns .360 files into normal MP4.

The small .lrv files next to your originals are low-resolution previews for the phone app. They are not your footage, so do not edit those and delete the real files.

Check a Clip in Your Browser First

Before installing anything, drop a clip into our online HEVC player. It plays the file locally, tells you the profile and bit depth, and confirms the clip itself is not damaged.

If it plays there but not in Windows, the decoder is the missing piece. If nothing will open it, our HEVC troubleshooting guide covers the rarer causes.

Quick questions