H.265, or High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), is a video codec that offers the best quality and compression for media players. It is twice as efficient as the current H.264 standard, making it the ideal codec for high-definition and 4K video. While most media players do not yet support H.265, the codec is slowly becoming more widely adopted as more devices are released that can take advantage of its superior quality.
Because of the use of H.265 HEVC decoder, many players are playing videos that get smaller and smaller today. If a player does not, it will be necessary to install or use the H.265 HEVC decoder service.
Follow the instructions to download and install the H.265 HEVC decoder for Ubuntu Desktop.
Make sure that the third party repository PPA is enabled;
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:strukturag/libde265
- Perform the system update;
sudo apt-get update
- Now install the GStream application on server;
sudo apt-get install gstreamer1.0-libde265
The above application will install a default H.265 HEVC decoder and will set up a media player to be able to play the media files.
- If you are using VLC, then install following VLC plug-in by using the following command;
sudo apt-get install vlc-plugin-libde265
That’s it. Enjoy playing HD video files on your Offshore Dedicated Servers wth WebCare360.
1. Update your system
sudo apt-get update
2. Enable repositories (if needed)
universe and multiverse repositories, as they might be required for some codec packages:sudo add-apt-repository universe
sudo add-apt-repository multiverse
sudo apt-get update
3. Install the libde265 PPA and related packages
libde265 PPA provides GStreamer integration for H.265 playback in various applications like browsers and media players.sudo apt-add-repository ppa:strukturag/libde265
sudo apt-get update
4. Install GStreamer plugins
sudo apt-get install gstreamer1.0-libde265
sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-libde265
5. (Optional) Install VLC plugin
libde265 plugin for it: sudo apt-get install vlc-plugin-libde265
6. Verify installation
Why This Matters for Offshore Hosting
Providers like WebCare360 configure offshore dedicated servers to handle media streaming efficiently, often pre-installing codecs like H.265 for better compression and faster delivery. Following these steps ensures you can replicate that setup on your own Ubuntu environment.
Why should I install H.265 on Ubuntu?
Installing H.265 support ensures smooth playback of HD and 4K videos in media players like VLC, Totem, and other GStreamer-based applications.
Does Ubuntu come with H.265 support by default?
No. Due to licensing restrictions, Ubuntu does not include H.265 codecs out of the box. You need to manually install them using packages like gstreamer1.0-libde265 or VLC plugins.
Can I play H.265 videos on VLC after installing the plugin?
Yes. Once the vlc-plugin-libde265 is installed, VLC will be able to decode and play HEVC videos without additional configuration.
Is H.265 installation safe for my system?
Yes. If you install from trusted PPAs like ppa:strukturag/libde265, the process is safe and widely used in the Ubuntu community.
Why is H.265 important for offshore dedicated servers?
H.265 offers high compression with minimal quality loss, making it ideal for streaming large video files from offshore dedicated servers like those from WebCare360.
Can I use these steps on older versions of Ubuntu?
Yes, but older releases may require installing gstreamer0.10-libde265 for compatibility.
