❌ Take up double storage space than a HEIC file

High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) is a file format that makes use of a modern compression algorithm that’s able to store images in smaller sizes – while still keeping that crystal clear, high-definition image quality.Īdvantages and disadvantages of HEIC photos: Actually, HEIF was created by the MPEG group. So, what is HEIC file? In fact, HEIC is a variant of HEIF that was chosen by Apple for naming the format. For this very reason, CopyTrans has developed a special tool to solve this persistent incompatibility problem: CopyTrans HEIC. It takes up about half the space of the JPG format but retains the same quality.Īlthough the HEIC format was introduced a long time ago, many users still face the problem of how to open HEIC file on their personal Windows PC. That being said, let’s get started.HEIC (High Efficiency Image Coding) is a new format, designed to replace the JPG format. So, in this article, I am going to show you how to install that particular codec so you can play HEIC, HEIF or HEVC files without paying a dime. Nevertheless, Microsoft is also offering another extension that does the same thing and it’s surprisingly free. It will ask you to pay $0.99 for installing the additional codec and I don’t know why. If you open a HEIF image on Windows 10, it will ask you to install an additional codec and will take you to the Microsoft Store. As a side note, all these file formats are developed by the MPEG Group and not Apple, as is the popular misconception. So, mostly you will find images with HEIC or HEIF file extension and videos with MKV format but compressed with HEVC standard. On the other hand, HEVC is a video compression standard and not a file format. Technically, there are some differences, but for general consumers, it’s almost the same thing so don’t worry if you encounter a slightly different file extension.

HEIC and HEIF are image file formats and are almost similar. Before we begin, let me clarify some key points.

Free heic viewer windows 10