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

[EGingras]

Support for this video format is needed.

[alanm83853438]

To me that was low-hanging fruit on Classic. They already tapped the GPU. To me the non-support of HEVC and tagging are more of a red flag. Maybe their views are evolving but communication would be great.

[john beardsworth]

It's significant work, not low hanging fruit, which you wouldn't do if you were trying to sunset the product. Just like all the other things they've done on classic Lightroom since they introduced Cloudy.
This HEVC problem is a mystery, and I just wouldn't draw any wider conclusions.

[alanm83853438]

I'm happy to stand corrected on that. But every week or two when I get a CC update, but go months without a Classic update, that makes me skeptical. Hopefully you're right.

[Victoria Bampton LR Queen]

> But every week or two when I get a CC update, but go months without a Classic update, that makes me skeptical

Every time there's been a Cloudy desktop update, there's been a Classic desktop update too, other than the occasional double dot update on either to fix an urgent bug. Mobile ones may get bug fix updates in between as they're easier to push out, but feature wise, they're all on the same release schedule. Releases over the last year have been every 2-3 months across the board.

[alanm83853438]

Maybe my Cloud app doesn't always show me. I'll have to log when I get CC notices vs. Classic. But from what I have seen, the ratio is like 3:1 (CC:Classic) on the update cycle for Win10 in the US on my computer.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

There has been one additional update to the Lightroom Desktop app that was not released with a Lightroom Classic update as well. That was 2.3.1 which was a special release to put Lightroom Desktop in the Mac App Store. 

Otherwise - they've had the same number of releases. Sometimes Lightroom Classic gets more features added than Lightroom Desktop...

[alanm83853438]

Rikk,
Maybe another way to ask... do you know of a roadmap for Classic? Do you have any documentation where Adobe is re-affirming support? Do we know if they're even working on the HEVC problem, or the CC tagging issue?

[johnrellis]

Informed speculation:

LR support for Windows HEVC isn't technical, since end users can buy an HEVC codec from the Microsoft store for $0.99. Since it's not technical, perhaps the problem is caused by the HEVC/H.265 patent-licensing mess, e.g. 

The Future of HEVC Licensing Is Bleak, Declares MPEG Chairman
The HEVC IP Mess is Worse than you Think

Most of the industry biggies are backing the Alliance for Open Media, which is developing AV1, a royalty-free alternative to HEVC, due to be released "soon".

Unlike Apple and Mac OS, Microsoft doesn't bundle an HEVC codec in the default Windows 10 installation, though supposedly some computer manufacturers do in their OEM installations.  The description of the $0.99 HEVC add-on says, "Play High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) videos in any video app on your Windows 10 device" (emphasis added).  The license agreement doesn't mention HEVC/H.265, but it does have a paragraph for the older H.264, restricting the use of Microsoft's H.264 codecs to personal and noncommercial use by consumers.

So perhaps the Microsoft license terms for the HEVC codec have similar restrictions, such that Adobe lawyers feel it necessary to negotiate a separate license for Creative Cloud products, for which Adobe doesn't want to pay (remember the Dolby legal fiasco)? Or maybe there are other uncertainties about the Microsoft licensing (e.g the patent-licensing mess) that Adobe lawyers are balking at. 

And whatever the detailed reasons, maybe Adobe has decided to stop putting more effort into Windows HEVC licensing, hoping that AV1 will supplant HEVC "soon"?

Lots of maybes. It would be naive to expect Adobe to shed any light on this. Licensing contracts usually have confidentiality clauses. And like most other large companies, the suits at Adobe often treat customers like growing mushrooms -- keep them in the dark and shovel in lots of organic material.

[Victoria Bampton LR Queen]

> Do you have any documentation where Adobe is re-affirming support?

I'm busy working on a blog post of what's changed in Classic since LR6. It's currently 23 pages... I'm trying to trim it down! Honestly, going back and working on the foundations for things like GPU and folder enumeration (new in 8.4 alone) is absolute proof that this is not sunset.

[alanm83853438]

I'm really glad to hear that, and I appreciate the responses I have hope again.

[atomicSpaceKitten]

Any plans to develop a more robust version of Lightroom that doesn’t corrupt via mobile sync leading to endless sync inconsistencies? For a user that produces hundreds if not thousands of assets, LR remains very “rinky dink” pardon my French

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Also eagerly awaiting HEVC support for Lightroom Classic CC. Even if there is a new standard coming I have hundreds of existing HEVC files that I'd like to be able to view in Lightroom.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

There is still no support for HEVC (H.265) on Windows 10. So I am neither able to integrate my smartphone videos (Samsung Galaxy S10) nor my GoPro videos into Lightroom Classic CC. I asked the support today and their response was that there is no information available when this functionality will be available for windows. And I think this is really bad.
Yes I know there are similar posts but they have been added two years ago. And I hope to add a new one might help. 

[fuerstchristian]

Hi,
I just bought an iPhone 11 Pro just to realize that the regular iphone files HEVC and HEIC are obviously not supported. at least the greyed out pictures won't open. when I tried to download and opend the files in the Windows (19) Photo viewer it told me that a codec was missing and I should downloadit for 99 cents (euro). after I did, at least windows could open the images, but LR is completely dead on those formats. In a way the new iPhone seems to be useless for LR users, all other solution a waste of time. Also PS refuses the task.

Any idea what could be done?? I consider giving the iPhone back. Unfortunately I haven't got a clue why Apple is using such an unusual format for their RAW (and is it really a sensible solution??

Image is not available

[tmickow]

It's frustrating when this stuff festers for so long out here, but there isn't much you can do about it.  Absent of some direction/communication from Adobe, your only option right now is to change your phone settings to save in the old formats.  You can do this by going to Settings --> Camera --> Format --> Most Compatible.

[johnrellis]

"[Windows] LR is completely dead on those formats"

Support for HEIC photos was added to Windows Lightroom Classic CC 7.5 and Lightroom CC 1.5 (now called "Lightroom Classic" and "Lightroom" respectively).  If you're not able to import .heic files into your LR, do Help > System Info and verify you're up-to-date (the most recent version of LR Classic is 9.0).

Windows Photoshop still can't read HEIC photos.

Windows Lightroom Classic and Lightroom still don't have support for HEVC (H.265) video.

See here for more details on the workarounds mentioned by Tom Mickow: 
https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-cc/kb/heic-files-support.html

[normanj74096902]

ADOBE PLEASE SUPPORT HEVC (H.265) video in Windows Lightroom Classic and Lightroom 

[operative11]

Again, we need support for HEVC (H.256)! I would faster get rid of lightroom than I would forget the iPhone or switch it to an inferior format. I wish I could talk to your boss about company priorities!!

[normanj74096902]

Imagine the poor understaffed workers supporting Adobe Lightroom Classic. How is their moral given the low priority that Adobe mgmt gives to the project. 
For the sake of your users and employees - support H.256

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

HEVC plays just fine for me on Windows 10. No plugin needed. It’s Lightroom that doesn’t handle it.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I, too, am frustrated with the lack of support for H.256 in either Classic or CC on Windows. This is more than annoying and the lack of response from Adobe may be enough to push me to cancel my subscription and move to another platform.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Pretty please...

[john beardsworth]

Just noticed this blog post - maybe read between the lines?

[owlhuang]

Has been 2 years and still waiting for the support for HEVC video files!

[owlhuang]

I thought Lr in Windows 10 still supports video files.