VLC Can't Read GoPro HEVC/H.265 4K 60fps Videos? [Solved]

VLC not Playing GoPro 4K H.265/HEVC Videos? Why not Try VLC Alternative Best VLC alternative 5KPlayer can play GoPro videos in 4K/60fps and lower resolution/frame rate.Easier & Fast Solution

VLC Player Won't Play GoPro H.265/HEVC 4K Video Correctly? Reasons and Solutions

Videos shot on GoPro HERO7/6 have various resolution and frame rate combinations, and HEVC/H.265 4K 60fps is the highest one that is hard to digest for VLC as well as most media players. But before the explanation of the shortage of VLC media player when playing GoPro 4K HEVC/H.265 videos, you need to know some basic requirements for 4K HEVC video playback.

• Possible reason 1. Your device should support HEVC/H.265 No matter on mobile or desktop, the hardware is critically important and basic for successful HEVC playback. As if you are using the unsupported processor and operating system, neither the native Quick for desktop app from GoPro nor the third-party software like VLC will play HEVC/H.265 files very well. So, make sure your device is HEVC supported device. In general, HEVC is supported on Android 5.0+ devices using the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 820 series (or equivalent) processors and newer, and on iOS 11 devices using the Apple® A10 processor and newer. Computers manufactured before 2016 may not handle HEVC files well. Put simply, HEVC playback on computer needs Windows 10 computers using the Intel Kaby Lake processor and newer, and macOS High Sierra computers using A10 processor and newer.
• Possible reason 2. Your VLC media player lacks HEVC codec VLC can't read GoPro HEVC/H.265 videos in the earlier versions because VLC is lacking of HEVC/H.265 codec. And after receiving various negative feedbacks about VLC HEVC/H.265 4K playback problem, VLC finally adds HEVC support, and from version 3.0, you can also handle 4K HEVC videos much more easily due to the VLC HEVC 10bit hardware decoding support. However, despite the truth, VLC not playing GoPro 4K HEVC/H.265 error still exists.

How to Solve VLC Choppy, Stuttering or Broken up Playback of GoPro 4K HEVC 60fps?

Method 1. Copy your GoPro HEVC video to your computer
Playing back videos from your SD card can result in choppy playback, so make sure you copy your videos to computer's hard drive from your GoPro camera's SD card first and then play them with VLC.

Method 2. Record your video in a lower video resolution with GoPro
Though GoPro support suggests you to use VLC media player to play GoPro camera videos, it also suggests you to record your video in a lower video resolution considering that the VLC not playing 4K HEVC problem exists. BTW, the lower resolution also means that your computer will have less work to do. Even your computer doesn't satisfy the basic requirement to HEVC playback, VLC will be able to play the low-res videos.

Method 3. Change the record setting of GoPro to H.264 codec
If you are using the older devices, you can use H.264 to maximize compatibility with older devices. Namely, if your computer or mobile device is not HEVC compatible, change the record setting of GoPro to H.264 codec to record H.264 4K videos that VLC will digest much more easily.

Method 4. Convert GoPro 4K HEVC/H.265 60fps video to H.264 or other video
If you just had recorded 4K HEVC/H.265 60fps video with GoPro yesterday but find VLC can't read GoPro 4K HEVC today, you can also try to convert HEVC to H.264 with tool like WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe to let VLC play it on computer smoothly.

Method 5. Upload your GoPro 4K HEVC/H.265 video to online site
This is also a feasible way to solve VLC not playing GoPro 4K HEVC video error. By uploading GoPro 4K videos to site like YouTube, as long as your computer or mobile device supports the online site, you can watch your 4K HEVC/H.265 videos recorded with GoPro without VLC.

Method 6. Try VLC alternative to play GoPro HEVC/H.265 4K 60fps videos without choke
Now that your VLC is not that competent to play high-res GoPro HEVC/H.265 4K 60fps videos, why not try a VLC alternative when you just want to play such videos successfully. Here, we recommend free video music player 5KPlayer to play GoPro HEVC/H.265 H.264 4K videos.

One-click Solution to VLC Won't Play GoPro H.265/HEVC 4K Videos - 5KPlayer Best VLC alternative 5KPlayer can play GoPro videos in 4K/60fps and lower resolution/frame rate.Easier & Fast Solution

BTW, 5KPlayer also allows you to play 4K HEVC/H.265 videos from other resources without choke. If you have more requirements to this 4K video player, you can also use it to download GoPro 4K videos uploaded by others from site like YouTube, Dailymotion or Vimeo. Also, convert GoPro videos to more compatible formats.

Final Words:

According to the analysis above, you can get the information that VLC not playing GoPro 4K HEVC/H.265 problem is largely due to the compatibility of your VLC player. The equipment of your device is in the next place. So, to play GoPro 4K HEVC videos, you'd better choose an excellent GoPro video player like 5KPlayer that can handle any GoPro videos and other media files in an easy manner, despite you are using a low-end Windows 7 computer.