Microsoft will support the relatively new HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) video compression standard in Windows 10 out of the box, according to a statement from Gabriel Aul, the leader of its Operating Systems Group's Data and Fundamentals Team.

Aul confirmed the HEVC support in Windows 10 in a Twitter message earlier today, while also stating that earlier reports that the operating system supports MKV video files were correct as well. He added, "MKV is supported at the platform level so will be available to all types of apps."

HEVC is a successor to the well known H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video compression standard. In very basic terms, it allows for 4K resolution video to be compressed and streamed on an Internet connection. In theory, it will even allow for 8K resolution video to be streamed. The fact that Microsoft is adding HEVC into Windows 10 shows that the company continues to anticipate the next generation of Internet video needs.

Do you plan to watch streaming videos in 4K when the final version of Windows 10 is launched sometime in 2015?

Source: Gabriel Aul (Twitter)