Supported codecs

This article lists the audio, video, and image codec and format availability for UWP apps by default for each device family. Note that these tables list the codecs that are included with the Windows 10 installation for the specified device family. Users and apps can install additional codecs that may be available to use. You can query at runtime for the set of codecs that are currently available for a specific device. For more information, see Query for codecs installed on a device.

In the tables below "D" indicates decoder support and "E" indicates encoder support.

Audio codec & format support

The following tables show the audio codec and format support for each device family.

Note

Where AMR-NB support is indicated, this codec is not supported on Server SKUs.

 

Desktop

Codec/Container MPEG-4 MPEG-3 MPEG-2 ADTS ASF RIFF AVI AC-3 AMR 3GP FLAC WAV
HE-AAC v1 / AAC+ D D
HE-AAC v2 / eAAC+ D D
AAC-LC D/E D
AC3 D D D D D D
ALAC D/E
AMR-NB* D/E D/E D
FLAC D/E
G.711 (A-Law, µ-law) D
GSM 6.10 D
IMA ADPCM D
LPCM D/E
MP3 D/E D/E D/E
MPEG-1/2 D
MS ADPCM D
WMA 1/2/3 D/E
WMA Pro D/E
WMA Voice D/E

* Not available on Windows Server SKUs.

Mobile

Codec/Container MPEG-4 MPEG-3 MPEG-2 ADTS ASF RIFF AVI AC-3 AMR 3GP FLAC WAV
HE-AAC v1 / AAC+ D D
HE-AAC v2 / eAAC+ D D
AAC-LC D/E D/E
AC3 D, Only on Lumia Icon, 830, 930, 1520 D, Only on Lumia Icon, 830, 930, 1520 D, Only on Lumia Icon, 830, 930, 1520 D, Only on Lumia Icon, 830, 930, 1520 D, Only on Lumia Icon, 830, 930, 1520 D, Only on Lumia Icon, 830, 930, 1520
ALAC D
AMR-NB D/E D/E D
FLAC D
G.711 (A-Law, µ-law) D
GSM 6.10 D
IMA ADPCM D
LPCM D/E
MP3 D D D
MPEG-1/2
MS ADPCM D
WMA 1/2/3 D
WMA Pro D
WMA Voice

 

WIndows 10 IoT

Codec/Container MPEG-4 MPEG-3 MPEG-2 ADTS ASF RIFF AVI AC-3 AMR 3GP FLAC WAV
HE-AAC v1 / AAC+ D D
HE-AAC v2 / eAAC+ D D
AAC-LC D/E D
AC3
ALAC D
AMR-NB D/E D/E D
FLAC D
G.711 (A-Law, µ-law) D
GSM 6.10 D
IMA ADPCM D
LPCM D/E
MP3 D D D
MPEG-1/2 D
MS ADPCM D
WMA 1/2/3 D/E
WMA Pro D/E
WMA Voice D/E

Xbox

Codec/Container MPEG-4 MPEG-3 MPEG-2 ADTS ASF RIFF AVI AC-3 AMR 3GP FLAC WAV
HE-AAC v1 / AAC+ D D
HE-AAC v2 / eAAC+ D D
AAC-LC D/E D
AC3 D D D D D D
ALAC D
AMR-NB D D/E D
FLAC D
G.711 (A-Law, µ-law) D
GSM 6.10 D
IMA ADPCM D
LPCM D/E
MP3 D D D
MPEG-1/2 D
MS ADPCM D
WMA 1/2/3 D
WMA Pro D
WMA Voice D

 

Video codec & format support

The following tables show the video codec and format support for each device family.

Note

Where H.265 support is indicated, it is not necessarily supported by all devices within the device family.

 

Desktop

Codec/Container fMP4 MPEG-4 MPEG-2 PS MPEG-2 TS MPEG-1 3GPP 3GPP2 AVCHD ASF AVI MKV DV
MPEG-1* D/E D/E D D/E D
MPEG-2* D/E D/E D/E D
MPEG-4 (Part 2) D D D D
H.265** D D/E D
H.264 D/E D/E D/E D/E D/E D/E D D
H.263 D/E D/E D
VC-1 D D D D
WMV7/8/9 D/E D/E D/E
WMV9 Screen D D D
DV D D D
VP8 D/E D
VP9 D D/E D
AV1** D D D
Motion JPEG D D

* MPEG-2/MPEG-1 codec is available with install of optional Microsoft UWP DVD application.

** H.265 and AV1 are avaliable with the install of the corresponding optional codec pack.

Mobile

Codec/Container fMP4 MPEG-4 MPEG-2 PS MPEG-2 TS 3GPP AVCHD ASF AVI MKV
MPEG-4 (Part 2) D D D D
H.265 D D/E D
H.264 D/E D/E D/E D/E D/E D/E D D
H.263 D/E D/E D D
VC-1 D D D
Motion JPEG D D

 

Windows 10 IoT

Codec/Container fMP4 MPEG-4 MPEG-2 PS MPEG-2 TS MPEG-1 3GPP 3GPP2 AVCHD ASF AVI MKV DV
MPEG-1 D/E D/E D D/E D
MPEG-2* D/E D/E D/E D
MPEG-4 (Part 2) D D D D
H.265** D D/E D
H.264 D/E D/E D/E D/E D/E D/E D D
H.263 D/E D/E D
VC-1 D D D D
WMV7/8/9 D/E D/E D/E
WMV9 Screen D D D
VP8 D/E D
VP9 D D/E D
AV1** D D D
DV D
Motion JPEG D D

* MPEG-2/MPEG-1 codec is available with install of optional Microsoft UWP DVD application.

** H.265 and AV1 are avaliable with the install of the corresponding optional codec pack.  

 

Xbox

Codec/Container fMP4 MPEG-4 MPEG-2 PS MPEG-2 TS MPEG-1 3GPP AVCHD ASF AVI MKV DV
MPEG-1 D/E D/E D D/E D
MPEG-2 D/E D/E D/E D
MPEG-4 (Part 2) D D D D
H.265 D D/E D
H.264 D/E D/E D/E D/E D/E D/E D D
H.263 D/E D/E D
VC-1 D D D
VP8 D/E D
VP9 D D/E D
AV1 D D D
DV D
Motion JPEG D D

Image codec & format support 

Codec Desktop Other device families
BMP D/E D/E
DDS D/E1 D/E1
DNG D2 D2
GIF D/E D/E
ICO D D
JPEG D/E D/E
JPEG-XR D/E D/E
PNG D/E D/E
TIFF D/E D/E
Camera RAW D3 No

1 DDS images using BC1 through BC5 compression are supported.
2 DNG images with a non-RAW embedded preview are supported.
3 Only certain camera RAW formats are supported.

For more information on image codecs, see Native WIC Codecs.