Microsoft Becomes Licensor For HEVC Advance Patent Pool

For some time now, the Redmond-based company Microsoft has been selling various video extensions through its store. The group has now joined the HEVC Advance patent pool. This means that the video codec could be available free of charge for many devices in the future.

The advantage of the HEVC codec, also known as H.265, is that it achieves better compression rates than other standards. A difference of up to 50 percent is achieved without reducing the quality. The licenses are managed by Access Advance. Microsoft has now joined the HEVC Advance patent pool and is now acting as both licensee and licensor.

Microsoft patents now part of the pool license

All major Microsoft H.265 patents are now included in the pool license. At the same time, the Redmond-based company has immediate access to more than 16,500 patents that are required for the implementation of the HEVC standard. Access Advance announced this in a press release. In addition to Microsoft, many other companies have joined the HEVC Advance patent pool. Full listings can be found on this page.

Anyone with a Windows 10 or Windows 11 device and would like to use the H.265 codec, currently has the option of downloading the extension for 99 cents from the Microsoft Store. It is conceivable that the Redmond-based company will work to ensure that the standard is soon integrated into the operating system and offered free of charge for many Windows devices. Then users would no longer have to resort to a chargeable download.