Install Hevc Codec For Mkv Video On Linux Mint Link Jun 2026

If you prefer the command line or Method 1 doesn't work, you can install the restricted extras directly. Open the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T). Update your package list: sudo apt update Use code with caution.

Run the following command to install all standard audio/video codecs, including the open-source HEVC decoder:

Linux Mint provides an easy way to install the most common proprietary codecs, including those needed for HEVC playback. and navigate to Sound & Video . Click on Install Multimedia Codecs .

Go to Tools > Preferences > Input / Codecs . Change Hardware-accelerated decoding to Automatic or VA-API video decoder . install hevc codec for mkv video on linux mint link

Different players rely on different backends. As mentioned, VLC uses its own plugin system, while players like Celluloid use GStreamer. Make sure you have installed the appropriate packages for your preferred player. Installing the broader mint-meta-codecs or ubuntu-restricted-extras package is the most reliable way to ensure all player backends are covered.

Once the essential codecs are in place, you can proceed with the specific HEVC/H.265 components. The most straightforward method uses a Personal Package Archive (PPA) called ppa:strukturag/libde265 . This PPA provides the libde265 library, an open-source implementation of the H.265 video codec.

You should now have a Linux Mint system that's fully capable of handling MKV files with HEVC video. To summarize, here are the key takeaways: If you prefer the command line or Method

Linux Mint is a popular operating system known for its user-friendly interface and robust performance. However, when it comes to playing certain video files, such as MKV videos encoded with HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), users may encounter compatibility issues. This is because HEVC is a relatively new codec, and not all media players or Linux distributions support it out of the box.

: Go to Launch Menu ‣ Sound & Video ‣ Install Multimedia Codecs . This installs the mint-meta-codecs package, which is a comprehensive bundle for most modern media formats.

You've just downloaded a high-quality movie or a 4K video clip in the popular MKV (Matroska) format. Excited, you double-click the file to play it, but your video player either shows a black screen, plays audio only, or displays an error message like: "VLC does not support the audio or video format 'HEVC'". This is a common and frustrating experience for many new Linux Mint users. Run the following command to install all standard

If you want to copy-paste the solution into your terminal to fix HEVC/MKV playback immediately, use this:

If you are experiencing any performance issues, ensure your graphics drivers are up to date by checking the tool built right into Linux Mint.

It is widely used for 4K and 8K content, high-quality downloads, and modern screen recordings. The .mkv file extension is a container that often wraps these HEVC video streams.