P: Please support HEVC (H.265) video support for Windows

[EGingras]

Support for this video format is needed.

[john beardsworth]

I solved the immediate problem on my Windows machine by converting the files to mp4 using LR on a Mac (I am uncertain if this is lossless), and the longer term one by ensuring that the phone didn't record any more incompatible videos.

[tmickow]

Another release today (v8.2) and it appears still no support for h.265 on Windows.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Seriously, are you kidding me? This is no longer negligent - it's clearly willful but I can't figure out WHY??

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Please Adobe, I have been requesting H.265 support for Lightroom on Windows for over 3 years now, I am not asking much as I am not even asking to view the files I am only asking to get the files imported at the same time as images.

I have reached out to support multiple times over the last years and only answer is it is coming soon, or the latest ones have been get a MAC, I mean come on, how hard can this be? I use it all the time in Premiere and have for a very long time.

I am almost giving up on keep paying and paying without any updated to the Classic version as you seem to mostly focus on the consumer orientated version and ignoring the Pro market. Shame on you.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Still waiting, 7 months after support was added for Macintosh.

[TheShihan]

Tragedy is: I used Mac for years, was happy that it was finally solved for MacOS. But since a month I am now on Windows... very uncool.

[tmickow]

Another release (v8.3) and still no support for h.265 on Windows.

9 months ago, Barry Young, Director of Engineering, Lightroom products posted -
 
"HEVC support is coming soon. As I mentioned earlier, I cannot discuss release schedules. Please be patient."

Perhaps he could be troubled to give an update to those of us who have been waiting (semi) patiently?

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

v 8.3 still can't open h.265 files (on Mac) from a DJI Mavic 2 Pro.

[pieterv66384721]

This complete lack of support makes me think it is time to find a LR replacement, e.g.
https://petapixel.com/2019/05/21/alternatives-to-adobe-lightroom-in-2019/

[john beardsworth]

There's an ironic saying about "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence".  Not one of those apps supports video of any kind.....

And yes, I am hacked off about this h265/Windows issue.

[pieterv66384721]

I know, but if LR if does not support my video files, I may just as well look elsewhere to other apps.

[Victoria Bampton LR Queen]

Please do let us know which one of those apps supports your video files then Pieter.

[pieterv66384721]

As far as I know none of the apps listed in the article support video?
Maybe I wasn't clear what I meant; if LR does not support my video files, video support is no longer a competitive advantage of LR over other non-video supporting apps.

I've started syncing all my mobile generated content to OneDrive and to Google Photos, and I synced my entire video and image catalog to Google Photos using the Google Backup and Sync desktop app. I get 1TB of original file storage space on OneDrive via my Office Home subscription, and I get unlimited "high res" storage in Google Photos for free. Both OneDrive and Google Photos have no issues with any of my (HEIC, HEVC, MTS, MP4, DNG, RW2, NEF, etc) image or video formats, automatically tags based on image recognition, allows me to tag, automatically builds albums, has ok editing.
Yes, nothing like LR in image editing features, but my requirements for cataloging video was never editing, just archiving and cataloging. So maybe I don't need LR for video any more, maybe one day I will not need LR for any cataloging, just occasionally a RAW image editor.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Effective with Lightroom Desktop version 2.3 uses the native OS functionality for video playback. If you are a Lightroom Desktop user - version 2.3 and later versions yet to be released, make certain you've installed the Codec from Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/hevc-video-extensions/9nmzlz57r3t7?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

Please note that this codec does not affect Lightroom Classic - which does not yet have HEVC (H.265) support.  The Classic team continues to work on providing support in a future version.  Unfortunately I have no ETA to share at this time. 

[alanm83853438]

Thank you for responding. I’ve been reading a lot of mutinous posts about Lightroom lately. I think more communication like this will help.

[john beardsworth]

Why bother doing video with HEVC? I imported all the HEVC video I'd shot on my phone using Lightroom Mobile and the files arrived in my catalogue on Windows with blank thumbnails. When Lightroom eventually reads them, great, but for now at least they are managed in the catalogue. But then I switched my phone to non-HEVC formats. I can wait, and wait and wait for Adobe....

Those "competing" apps are mostly just raw converters. It's not as if Lightroom is good at editing video but they can't do anything at all, not even catalogue.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

> Why bother doing video with HEVC?
well one reason is because some devices will only write HEVC. For example, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, probably the most popular high end drone for landscape photography, will only write this format if you want to use DLOG (video equivalent of raw) as most professionals will do.

[john beardsworth]

Thanks for that info.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

The Classic team continues to work on providing support in a future version.  

I do hope they will get on with this.  As of 8.3.1 Lightroom Classic (on Mac) is still in the embarrassing mess of throwing a meaningless error message when we import H.265 videos from a DJI Mavic 2 Pro, one of the most popular drone cameras for professional users.  We can import the raw stills but not the raw video.  This is a complete pain for our workflow.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

The Classic team continues to work on providing support in a future version.  

I do hope they will get on with this.  As of 8.3.1 Lightroom Classic (on Mac) is still in the embarrassing mess of throwing a meaningless error message when we import H.265 videos from a DJI Mavic 2 Pro, one of the most popular drone cameras for professional users.  We can import the raw stills but not the raw video.  This is a complete pain for our workflow.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Also eagerly awaiting HEVC support for Lightroom Classic CC. (For e.g. Hero 7 footage cataloging.)

[operative11]

Over a year LR developers cannot implement a freaking video codec. What do you guys DO there in the office?

[operative11]

I would really like to see HEVC support in LR.
Guys, a year of complaints and nothing is done? What do you do?

[alanm83853438]

Actions speak louder than words and I think it's pretty obvious they are trying to sunset LR desktop/classic. if you look at the update frequency between Classic and CC or whatever they're calling them these days, Classic isn't the priority. When really there are just a few features Classic needs to make us happy right now, when instead there are many CC updates. That tells the story. Now, I'm not opposed to moving more to CC, *if* I can either be selective about the GB's of photos I have not all going to the cloud and making me pay more, or if I don't have to pay more than I am now for moving my collection up. But feature parity should be the new priority. Like tag import (Adobe: I am NOT re-tagging my 10 x 1000's of images to get them into CC). Also graphics accelerator usage would be nice. Really I think they need to make 1 product but call it Lightroom and Lighrroom Professional or something. And better communication would be nice too. This isn't Instagram. Your users are heavily invested in your products.

[john beardsworth]

All that further application of GPU acceleration in 8.4 tells a different story.
That said, I am mystified why Lightroom on Windows still doesn't support HEVC video.