How to Fix a Corrupt H.265/ HEVC Video File?

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265 format offer about 50% better data compression and improved video quality. Losing such high quality videos is an unacceptable loss. But like any other video file, HEVC videos can get corrupt and become unplayable. There were several instances that reported H.265 video playback corruption issues.

So how to get back flawless H.265 4K, 8K video file that has corrupted?

This post shares the best ways to fix inaccessible, corrupt or damaged HEVC videos. You can apply these methods in any HEVC video shot with any camera including iPhone, iPad, Samsung NX1, Canon XF 705, Galaxy S9 Android, iPhone, iPad, DJI, Hikvision surveillance cameras, and others.

Causes of H.265 video corruption

HEVC format is not new. But since its inception in 2013, this high quality video format is not widely adopted by many devices and software. As a result, most of the video playback problems are related to the absence of format support. Your media player, operating system, or device may not be compatible with HEVC format. Due to this, the H.265 videos may play choppy, broken, freeze, or show error.

Other than this, HEVC files can get corrupt due to improper handling during file transfer, editing, download, etc.

Common reasons for corrupt H.265 video files:

• Sudden interruption during file transfer or download
• Corrupt camera SD card or storage drive
• Removing SD card while the camera is on or recording
• Physically damaged storage media
• Virus or malware attack on your system
• OS crash

Methods to fix a corrupt H.265/ HEVC video file

HEVC videos can have hevc, .mov, and .mp4 file extension. A corrupt H.265 file requires a video repair software that supports the format as well as these file extensions. You should also ensure that the video problem is not due to compatibility issue. So below are the methods that can repair corrupt H.265 videos, plus fix video corruption due to absence of format support.

1. Get a H.265 Video Repair Software
2. Download H.265 video codecs
3. Convert H.265 to H.264 format
4. Use a HEVC supporting video player

Solution 1: Get a H.265 Video Repair Software

Stellar Repair for Video is one such software that can repair high quality H.265 videos. It is 100% secure and restores the damaged video, ensuring the file data is properly intact.

You can fix various issues in H.265 videos such as broken, truncated, audio lag, missing sound, choppy, jerky, video freeze, and more with the help of Stellar Repair for Video.

The software is fast and finishes the repair process in 3 steps – Add file, Repair, and Save.

Key benefits:

• Repairs unlimited 4k, H.265 videos
• Repairs multiple HEVC videos simultaneously
• Works with popular video formats – MP4, MOV, MKV, etc.

In Steps: Fix H.265 videos with Stellar Repair for Video

1. Download & launch Stellar Repair for Video on PC or Mac.
2. Click Add file to upload corrupt HEVC videos.

• Click Repair.

• Preview and click Save Repaired Files to save the repaired videos at a desired location.

HEVC video playback problems are mostly due to absence of right codecs. You may receive error messages such as ‘A codec is required to play this file’ or ‘Media Player encountered an error’ and so on.

So install x265 codecs on your system, to play H.265/ HEVC compression format or get a Media Player Codec Pack that contains x265 codecs.

Solution 3: Convert H.265 to H.264 format

HEVC or H.265 video not playing on PC, Mac, Android? Simply convert the file format, preferably to H.264.

Although, this may initially seem a bad idea as you may not want to compromise with the superior video quality. However, there are reasons to convert the format when the HEVC or H.265 video is not playing on your device.

First, the high quality HEVC videos are processor intensive. They can either slow your computer or the video may play choppy.

Second, the default media player of your device may not have support for H.265 videos. Thus, HEVC videos may show error.

So, if you want to simply watch the video, store or transfer the HEVC file, convert the file format. But if considering HEVC video files for editing, then you can skip this option.

You can convert HEVC H.265 files to H.264 MP4, MKV, MOV, 3GP, AVI, etc.

Search for free online H.265 video converters, if there are a few files to convert. Make sure you are using a secure online video converter site, free from virus or malware. You may try Convertio, AnyConv etc.

Desktop HEVC video converters are more secure. H.265 file converters such as Stellar Converter for Audio Video are quick and efficient. They allow you convert unlimited number of videos to different formats.

Tip: Close all other tasks when trying to play H.265 video as the format is CPU consuming and your system may not be able to process it.

Solution 4: Use a HEVC supporting video player

Don’t want to convert the H.265 video format or get x265 codecs, then change your media player. Your media player may not support HEVC videos. So play H.265 video in a different one. Try File Viewer Plus, 5K Player, Blu-Ray Player, VLC Player or others.

HEVC files not playing in VLC Media Player

VLC Player has the support for H.265 format. But often users complain, VLC doesn’t open HEVC videos, plays the file choppy with no audio. To fix HEVC files not playing in VLC, get the latest version of the player.

HEVC files not playing in Android phone

Apple devices like iPhone, already support HEVC video files. But to play H.265 videos on Android device, you need to download HEVC supporting media player. You can try MX Player, VPlayer, FVPlayer or others to play H.265 videos on Android.

Also read: How to open HEIC, HEVC files on Windows 10

To Sum Up

Very few media players and devices have adopted H.265 format. Thus, several video playback issues are related to format incompatibility. Getting the right codecs, converting file format or changing the media player can help to play H.265 videos in such cases.

However, if these methods don’t work, it points to corruption in the HEVC file. Stellar Repair for Video is a secure software that can fix corrupted H.265 videos and bring them back to pristine form.

It is recommended to first try the free version and preview the repaired HEVC files to assess the success of your H.265 video repair.

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About The Author

Nishat Paiker

Nishat Paiker is an expert technical writer and editor with over 8 years of experience. She has deep knowledge about data recovery and loves to explore new technology and DIY tools. Nishat has keen interest in photography. You will often find her giving photography tips and hacks.