Why We Built Cinemafly: Solving the HEVC Video Problem on Windows
Why We Built Cinemafly: Solving the HEVC Video Problem on Windows
At Minderfly, we build software for clients — and occasionally, we build software for ourselves when we encounter a problem worth solving. Cinemafly came from a real frustration.
The Problem
High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC, also known as H.265) is the standard format for modern video. iPhones record HEVC by default. GoPros record HEVC. Every major mirrorless camera system has added HEVC recording. Drones record 4K HEVC.
Windows 11 does not support HEVC natively. Open a .mov or .mp4 from your iPhone on a Windows machine and you see a black screen, a codec error, or — if Microsoft is feeling helpful — a popup directing you to pay $0.99 for the HEVC Video Extensions in the Microsoft Store.
This is a genuine user experience failure. A modern operating system on a $1,000 laptop cannot play a video from a $800 phone without a paid extension. The problem affects creative professionals, journalists, content creators, and millions of ordinary users.
Why Existing Solutions Weren't Enough
VLC handles HEVC reliably. But VLC is a 2001 application with an interface archaeology project for a UI. It works — and it looks like it was designed in 2009. On a high-DPI monitor, a modern Windows 11 machine, VLC feels immediately out of place.
Windows 11 Movies & TV requires the paid codec extension. Unacceptable for what should be baseline functionality.
Other media players either have the same codec limitation, require complex installation, or have UX that prioritises feature density over usability.
The gap: a media player that plays HEVC, MKV, 4K HDR, and any other modern format — with a UI that feels like it was designed this decade.
What Cinemafly Does
Cinemafly is a Windows media player built with modern Windows 11 UI conventions:
- Universal format support: HEVC, H.264, MKV, MP4, AVI, MOV, and over 30 other formats, without codec packs or extensions
- Hardware acceleration: Uses DirectX and GPU decoding for smooth 4K HDR playback without CPU throttle
- Immersive design: A dark, full-screen-optimised interface that disappears when you're watching content
- Privacy first: Fully offline — no telemetry, no account required, no file scanning
- Fast startup: Sub-second launch time
Download Cinemafly on the Microsoft Store
What This Project Means for How We Build
Cinemafly is an example of what we call product-led thinking: identifying a problem that real people have, designing a solution around the user's actual frustration (not around technical elegance), and shipping something that competes on experience, not just functionality.
This thinking applies to every client project we take on. We are not a code-for-hire shop that implements specifications. We are a product-minded studio that thinks about what the end user needs and builds toward that.
When a client comes to us with a specification, our first question is: does this specification solve the right problem? Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes we identify a more effective approach. Either way, the project benefits.
Building on Windows: The Opportunity
Windows software development has been underserved by the indie developer community. The App Store and Google Play economies have concentrated developer attention on mobile. The Microsoft Store, despite having hundreds of millions of potential users, is comparatively undercrowded with high-quality indie applications.
For developers and agencies willing to invest in the Windows ecosystem — building with WinUI, MSIX packaging, Windows 11 design conventions, and proper Store optimisation — the competitive landscape is favourable.
At Minderfly, we develop Windows desktop applications as one of our specialist service lines. See our desktop development services or contact us to discuss a Windows application project.
Cinemafly is available now on the Microsoft Store. If you have 4K footage sitting unwatched on your Windows machine, it will play it — immediately, without setup, without codecs.
