The most efficient way to enable HEVC playback across your entire system is by installing the Mint meta-package. This package includes necessary gstreamer plugins and FFmpeg libraries required to decode H.265 video. Open your terminal ( Ctrl + Alt + T ). Update your package local index: sudo apt update Use code with caution. Install the essential codec libraries:
In this guide, we will walk through the easiest way to fix this so you can watch your high-quality videos smoothly.
This is the easiest method if you didn't select "Install multimedia codecs" during your initial OS installation: Navigate to Sound & Video Install Multimedia Codecs Follow the prompts to complete the installation. Linux Mint Installation Guide 2. Terminal Installation
Download a sample HEVC MKV from samples.ffmpeg.org to verify your setup.
(Mint inherits these from Ubuntu; includes patent-encumbered codecs) install hevc codec for mkv video on linux mint link
sudo snap install vlc
NVIDIA hardware is a bit more complex. You'll need to install the proprietary drivers and the nvidia-vaapi-driver to bridge NVIDIA's NVDEC API with the standard VA-API.
This is a more advanced issue. You may need to ensure that the necessary proprietary libraries (like libnvidia-encode.so.1 for NVIDIA GPUs) are installed and that your GPU and drivers support the feature. This typically involves installing the full proprietary graphics drivers and ensuring ffmpeg is built with support for them.
What (Intel, AMD, or NVIDIA) does your computer have? The most efficient way to enable HEVC playback
Run the following command to install the essential multimedia codecs, which include standard decoding libraries for video and audio: sudo apt install linux-mint-multimedia-codecs -y Use code with caution. Step 3: Install the Specific HEVC Libraries
Many media applications on Linux Mint use the GStreamer multimedia framework. To enable HEVC playback in these applications, you can install the libde265 GStreamer plugin.
For native players like "Videos" (Totem) to work, you may need the specific GStreamer plugin: sudo apt install gstreamer1.0-libde265 Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Linux Mint for 4K video or troubleshooting a specific error message you're seeing?
MPV uses FFmpeg libraries and handles HEVC well. Update your package local index: sudo apt update
Open your terminal ( Ctrl + Alt + T ) and run the following command: sudo apt update && sudo apt install mint-meta-codecs -y Use code with caution. For Advanced GStreamer Support
If your Linux Mint system lacks the correct decoding software, you will experience: Audio playing with a completely black screen. Media players throwing an "Unsupported Codec" error.
sudo apt install gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly libavcodec-extra