The and "ugly" plugin sets contain the HEVC decoders that are patent-sensitive.
How to Install HEVC Codec for MKV Videos on Linux Mint Linux Mint is a powerful, user-friendly operating system. However, you might encounter issues when trying to play MKV video files that use the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC/H.265) format. Out of the box, some media players lack the necessary libraries to decode this modern, high-compression video format.
As of 2025, due to licensing. Use a native player.
sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras ffmpeg gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly -y install hevc codec for mkv video on linux mint link
Open a terminal and run the following command: sudo apt install mint-meta-codecs Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard
: Widely considered the most powerful option, VLC supports HEVC (H.265) out of the box in modern versions (3.0+). Install : sudo apt install vlc
To install the HEVC (H.265) codec for MKV videos on Linux Mint, you can use a single terminal command to install the essential multimedia package: sudo apt update && sudo apt install mint-meta-codecs Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard The "Mystery of the Silent Screen" The and "ugly" plugin sets contain the HEVC
After following the steps above, open your file manager and try playing your MKV video file. If using (the default player), it should now play.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:savoury1/ffmpeg6 sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade
Linux Mint provides a comprehensive package bundle for restricted multimedia extras. Open your terminal ( Ctrl + Alt + T ) and execute the following command to update your package lists: sudo apt update Use code with caution. Step 2: Install Mint Meta-Packages Out of the box, some media players lack
For a comprehensive installation that covers almost all video formats, run this command:
In this guide, we will walk through the easiest way to fix this so you can watch your high-quality videos smoothly.
sudo apt install va-driver-all gstreamer1.0-vaapi dots-va-driver-all Use code with caution. For NVIDIA Graphics:
sudo apt install ffmpeg
