HP and Dell have disabled hardware support for HEVC/H.265 decoding in some of their laptops, affecting how users can access high-efficiency video content online. Despite having processors capable of HEVC decoding, certain popular business notebooks from both manufacturers have had this feature intentionally turned off, leading to confusion among users.
Laptops equipped with sixth-generation Intel Core processors and newer, as well as AMD chips from 2015 onwards, come with integrated support for HEVC decoding and encoding. However, HP and Dell have chosen to deactivate this functionality on specific models, such as the HP ProBook 460 G11, ProBook 465 G11, and EliteBook 665 G11.
HP explicitly mentions in the data sheets for affected laptops that ‘Hardware acceleration for CODEC H.265/HEVC is disabled on this platform,’ leaving users to grapple with issues like videos failing to load in browsers or reduced performance in certain web applications. Dell laptop owners are also facing similar challenges, with some models lacking HEVC hardware decoding capabilities, albeit without clear disclosure on product pages or manuals.
This decision comes amidst increasing HEVC licensing costs set to take effect in January, prompting HP and Dell to adjust their laptop configurations. As a result, users are left to navigate the consequences of this change, including potential performance degradation and compatibility issues.
Source: Ars Technica