MS Win10 HEVC codecs - free vs. payed

[janos666]

Does anybody know if there is any difference between these two codec packs beside their price tags?
HEVC Video Extensions (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/hevc-video-extensions/9nmzlz57r3t7?activetab=pivot%3Aoverviewtab) ($0.99)
HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/hevc-video-extensions-from-device-manufacturer/9n4wgh0z6vhq?irgwc=1&OCID=AID2000142_aff_7593_159229&tduid=%28ir__thmtlevkdgkfrmoqkk0sohz30n2xgxevo6jawi6100%29%287593%29%28159229%29%28%29%28UUwpUdUnU56397YYwYg%29&irclickid=_thmtlevkdgkfrmoqkk0sohz30n2xgxevo6jawi6100&activetab=pivot:overviewtab) (free)
Even though $1 is pocket change but paying even $0.01 for something free is just stupid (not to mention the encumbrance of registering a credit card with the MS Store). [Edit: I mean, a donation to a free software dev is a nice thing but it's MS, the Win10 key wasn't free.]
I am wondering because I have the free one installed and the Netflix store app has several issues (frequent random stuttering and heavy color banding in HDR mode). Since the free version is now hidden (you can still grab it from the link above but the search engine won't list it when you try to find it) I guess it's possible that MS stopped updating it but the latest app versions from the store (like Netflix) were tested with the payed version (and the same goes for any potential changes in the OS, WDDM, VGA drivers, etc).
I can't see any version information but the package sizes are supposedly different (according to the descriptions on the linked web pages).

[nevcairiel]

The price is for patent licensing, basically. The free one leverages decode hardware, for which the hardware manufacturer already paid licenses.

[janos666]

Well, looks like there is nothing wrong with the image quality of the Win10 Store Netflix app (and the free codec pack). It turns out Win10 1903 still has some strange color banding issue when the desktop is in HDR mode.

[BetA13]

i recently watched this here...

BEWARE!!! kind of a crazy Guy :P
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5Cqxz69EcE

thought i post it, since its the exact same question. :P

[benwaggoner]

Does anybody know if there is any difference between these two codec packs beside their price tags?
HEVC Video Extensions (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/hevc-video-extensions/9nmzlz57r3t7?activetab=pivot%3Aoverviewtab) ($0.99)
HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/hevc-video-extensions-from-device-manufacturer/9n4wgh0z6vhq?irgwc=1&OCID=AID2000142_aff_7593_159229&tduid=%28ir__thmtlevkdgkfrmoqkk0sohz30n2xgxevo6jawi6100%29%287593%29%28159229%29%28%29%28UUwpUdUnU56397YYwYg%29&irclickid=_thmtlevkdgkfrmoqkk0sohz30n2xgxevo6jawi6100&activetab=pivot:overviewtab) (free)
Even though $1 is pocket change but paying even $0.01 for something free is just stupid (not to mention the encumbrance of registering a credit card with the MS Store). [Edit: I mean, a donation to a free software dev is a nice thing but it's MS, the Win10 key wasn't free.]
I am wondering because I have the free one installed and the Netflix store app has several issues (frequent random stuttering and heavy color banding in HDR mode). Since the free version is now hidden (you can still grab it from the link above but the search engine won't list it when you try to find it) I guess it's possible that MS stopped updating it but the latest app versions from the store (like Netflix) were tested with the payed version (and the same goes for any potential changes in the OS, WDDM, VGA drivers, etc).
I can't see any version information but the package sizes are supposedly different (according to the descriptions on the linked web pages).
I would hope that the "free" version is just a feature of Windows now. Passing on a bitstream to a HW decoder is how it works with H.264, MPEG-2, and pretty much all other video decoders supported in HW.