Convert raw HEVC (.hevc / .h265 / .265) to MP4
Raw HEVC files are the H.265 video stream with no wrapper around it - all picture data, no container. Wave puts them in an MP4 wrapper with the right codec label (hvc1) so Apple, Windows, and every HEVC-capable player accepts them. HEVC and H.265 are the same thing; the naming is covered in H.264 vs H.265.
What actually changes
A raw HEVC file (.hevc, .h265, or .265 - different names, same thing) is the compressed video stream sitting on disk with no file wrapper around it. Think of it as the picture bytes on their own: no timing information, no audio track, no way for a normal video player to know what to do with them. These files come out of specific tools - video encoders like x265, ffmpeg with the `-f hevc` output flag, some professional hardware encoders, and any workflow where someone compressed the video first and planned to add the wrapper later. If the "codec vs. container" distinction is unfamiliar, Codecs vs containers walks through it in plain English.
The fix is putting the raw stream into an MP4 wrapper - which is exactly what Wave does. MP4 accepts HEVC directly, so nothing about the actual picture data has to change; Wave just wraps it in a container so players know how to read it. This is a "remux" - a wrapper swap rather than a re-encode (see Remux vs re-encode for the full explanation). Because there's no timing information in the raw stream, Wave assumes 25 frames per second by default. If your source was recorded at a different rate, playback speed will be wrong - see the FAQ below for the fix.
One subtle thing that matters: MP4 accepts HEVC under two different codec labels called `hev1` and `hvc1`. They're essentially the same, but Apple's players (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Safari) only accept `hvc1`. If you write `hev1`, the file plays on Windows and Android and refuses to play on any Apple device. Wave always writes `hvc1` so the output plays everywhere. This trips up a lot of people who try to convert HEVC by hand with `ffmpeg -f hevc -i in.hevc -c copy out.mp4` - that command defaults to `hev1` and produces a file iOS silently refuses.
A bit of history: HEVC (also called H.265) shipped in 2013 and delivered roughly 40-50% better compression than the older H.264 at the same visual quality. Its adoption was slow because the patent licensing was a mess - two competing patent pools with overlapping fees confused device makers for years, and Chrome and Firefox skipped in-browser HEVC playback altogether. By 2026, HEVC decoding is essentially universal on modern phones, TVs, and computers; encoding is still where the licensing story matters, which is why Wave never bundles GPL-licensed encoders like `libx265` even though the decoding side is unaffected. If you want the wider codec landscape, H.264 vs HEVC vs AV1 covers it. If an HEVC video plays sound but no picture, or Windows shows error 0xc00d5212, see Video plays sound but no picture and Fix error 0xc00d36c4.
Three steps.
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Step 1
Drop your .hevc, .h265, or .265 file onto the card.
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Step 2
Wave inspects and shows Fast copy - HEVC copies straight into MP4.
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Step 3
Convert and save. The output plays on iOS, macOS, Windows, and Android.
Answers, specifically.
Will this play on iOS?
Yes. Wave writes the `hvc1` codec tag that Apple requires. iOS 11 and later, and macOS 10.13 and later, have hardware HEVC decoders and play the output natively.
What about HDR / 10-bit HEVC?
The bitstream is copied unchanged, so 10-bit HEVC Main 10 profile stays 10-bit. The MP4 will carry HDR metadata if the source had it. Playback requires an HDR-capable display - the file will play on a standard display but the tone mapping is the player's responsibility.
The playback speed is wrong. Fix?
Raw HEVC has no embedded frame rate, so Wave assumes 25 fps. For a source at a different rate, re-mux from the command line with `ffmpeg -r <rate> -i input.hevc -c copy -tag:v hvc1 output.mp4`.
Is there a difference between .hevc, .h265, and .265?
None. Three names for the same raw bitstream. Different encoders use different extensions by convention. Wave treats all three identically.
Can I combine with a separate audio track?
Not in the current build. Command line: `ffmpeg -i video.hevc -i audio.aac -c copy -tag:v hvc1 output.mp4` does it in one pass.
HEVC Main 10 (10-bit) - does that survive?
Yes. The bitstream is copied unchanged, so a Main 10 source produces a Main 10 MP4. Every recent Apple, Android, and Windows device decodes it in hardware. Older devices without HEVC Main 10 decode may show a black screen; check target-device compatibility before distributing widely.
What is the file-size comparison to H.264?
The HEVC bitstream is roughly 40% smaller than an H.264 encode of the same visual quality. If you have a raw HEVC file and you're considering re-encoding to H.264 for compatibility instead of remuxing to HEVC MP4, expect the H.264 output to be about 65-70% larger than the HEVC source.
Does it play on Windows without extra software?
Not on every PC. Neither Windows 10 nor Windows 11 includes an HEVC decoder out of the box. Many PCs come with a free one preinstalled by the manufacturer; otherwise Microsoft sells HEVC Video Extensions for $0.99 in the Microsoft Store, and every app that uses the Windows decoder benefits once it is installed. VLC plays HEVC without it. See HEVC Video Extensions explained.