Please explain your workflow from beginning to end.
Which exact program/version are you using?
Which output format & template did you use in Vegas? If you actually did use Vegas at all.
Edge and Chrome do play all video uploaded to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo etc..
If you uploaded video to YouTube or Video, it will play in any browser, but if you're hosting your own video on your website, that could be a problem depending on what web player you are using.

If you want to play HVEC video on Windows 10, using the Windows 10 media player, yes you need to purchase that H.265 Codec. However, that H.265 codec is only for the Windows Movies & TV app - nothing else.

VLC player should be able to play HVEC H.265 video, as well as players like Cyberlink PowerDVD.

Hi, do not understand Eric's answer that there is no need to purchase additional codes. In Vegas Studio 18 technical specs it says "HEVC encoding requires fee-based activation.".

In the Vegas Studio 17 version under MP4 one had the Magix HEVC/ACC MP4 encoding option.Is that gone in the 18 version and has it basic purchased version only MPEG-1/2/4 codecs that not cover HVEC/ACC? Just writing MPEG-4 codes for export does say not much as this is a wide standard. So more precision in the specs would be good for potential customers.

BR

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On:

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-movie-studio/specifications/#productMenu

Import

Video: (DV-)AVI, MJPEG, MKV, MOV, MXV, VOB, WMV(HD)

Video codecs: HEVC/H.265*

Audio: MP3, OGG, Multichannel sound (mixdown to stereo), WAV, WMA

Picture: BMP, GIF, HEIF, JPEG, PNG, TGA, TIF

*HEVC encoding requires fee-based activation.

Export

Video standards: AVCHD-Disc, Blu-ray Disc, DVD

Video formats: (DV-)AVI, MJPEG, MOV, MXV, VOB, WMV(HD)

Video codecs: MPEG-1/2/4

Audio: MP3, WAV

Picture: BMP, JPEG

"In the Vegas Studio 17 version under MP4 one had the Magix HEVC/ACC MP4 encoding option.Is that gone in the 18 version ..."

There is no "Vegas Studio 18" and Movie Studio 18 has nothing to do with VEGAS Movie Studio 17. These are completely different products developed from completely different teams.
I know it is extremely confusing because Movie Studio 18 still appears on the VEGAS website, but Movie Studio 18 is not a VEGAS product. If you have questions about Movie Studio 18 you need to ask in the Magix forums at Magix.info (this one here is for VEGAS products only).

I honestly do appreciate everyone's response, however, no one actually answered my question! Seems like each of you have your own axe to grind. I saw the notice that to use HEVC encoding an additional purchase was required, no problem. That seemed to me that I needed to codec to create the video, not to play back an mp4 file.

Marco, I appreciate the information that MAGIX is intentionally misleading us as this version is advertised as an update to Vegas Studio 17 which will help me should I desire to get a refund.

I suppose I have an answer.

Again, thanks to all of you

@Jack-Richardson If the whole time you have actually been referring to Movie Studio 18, you are on the wrong forum now. Movie Studio 18 is no longer a Vegas product. This Vegas forum does not offer support for Movie Studio 18. You need to post a message on the Magix forum, to ask question about MS18. If we had known in your first message you were talking about MS18, we would have given you different replies.
https://www.magix.info/us/video-forum/movie-edit-pro/

However, that all being said. None of this is your fault! Magix (Germany) are responsible for the new Movie Studio 18. They did not explain on the Sales page or Upgrade emails, that Vegas Movie Studio has been retired. If you are not happy (and I don't blame you for feeling this way), request a refund and don't take no for an answer.

Tell them you thought it was the new version of Vegas Movie Studio, because no mention of Vegas Movie Studio being retired was on the Sales page. Magix are the ones who have made an mistake, not you.

Ok Marco, Zen

All this is very confusing. I have Movie Studio 17 (platinum version) which I considered to be in the "Vegas" family as it also during the start shows the image included. Moreover when it starts it shows also an advertisement, Like Richard says, with an offer to upgrade to Movie Studio 18. For me that suggest that this upgrade still belongs to to Vegas family and there is no text in the offer or in subsequent purchase that the upgrade one purchases is no longer a Vegas product as Dr Zen also noticed. In addition the url leading to Movie Studio 18 is https://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/int/vegas-movie-studio/. Vegas do we read here, at least I do ;-).

All this is confusing, at least I would say, Marco and most would designate this as outright misleading. Also I do do not agree with dodging the issues by telling that one should go to another forum. Answer the question, and if you want to do that in in your other forum you could give a link here that would be more productive and helping to clarify matters in either fora. Like Dr Zen says it is Magix who is making mistakes here.

Then, coming back to the original question about the need to purchase codecs. If I "upgrade" my existing MS 17 via the offer by Magix do I have to purchase HEVC codecs or not (regardless if the upgrade takes me from a Vegas to a non-Vegas product) ?

With all this things revealed I would not recommend to take the upgrade until this has been properly rectified.