Dell and HP have quietly disabled hardware-accelerated HEVC video support on specific PC models, forcing some customers to pay $1 for a Microsoft Store extension or face performance issues when streaming 4K and HDR content. This move, which also saw Synology remove transcoding capabilities from its NAS devices, stems from a complex web of patent licensing disputes and royalty fees, according to industry experts. Consumers are now grappling with a technology once seamlessly integrated into their devices.
The practical implications for users are immediate. High-resolution video streams, particularly 4K and HDR content from services like Netflix and Apple TV+, often fail to play correctly in web browsers or desktop applications. Videos captured on an iPhone, frequently HEVC-encoded, might not open in many standard media players.
This includes Windows’ own Movies & TV app. Editing HEVC files in professional software, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, also slows considerably. Software now handles these tasks.
Hardware acceleration is faster. It is more efficient. A Microsoft Store extension, priced at $1, can restore some hardware acceleration.
Many users find this frustrating. The capability was once standard. It was intentionally removed.
HP confirmed in 2024 it disabled HEVC codec hardware on "select devices," an HP spokesperson told Ars Technica. No public explanation followed. These models often lack discrete graphics or 4K screens, suggesting they were not meant for high-resolution video.
Dell offered a clearer rationale in November. A Dell spokesperson stated only "premium systems" with "hardware or software, such as integrated 4K displays, discrete graphics cards, Dolby Vision, or CyberLink Blu-ray software" would retain HEVC support. This implies a strategic choice.
It considers user needs and cost management. Synology, a prominent NAS vendor, also removed HEVC transcoding from its DSM and BeeStation OSes in 2024. A Synology spokesperson explained an internal review showed most customers did not rely on server-side HEVC transcoding.
Playback devices handled most video processing. While patent licensing costs played a role, Synology cited "long-term product optimization" and "best possible performance" as primary drivers. They prioritized server efficiency.
Resource usage was reduced. This allowed better scaling. The root of these widespread changes lies in the complex, opaque world of HEVC patent licensing.
Companies like Ericsson, InterDigital, and Nokia hold essential patents. To use HEVC, a manufacturer must pay licensing fees and royalties. These fees vary, depending on direct licensing or a "patent pool." Access Advance and Velos Media administer licenses in the U.S.
Access acquired Via Licensing Alliance's HEVC/VVC program in December. Access manages licenses for nearly 29,000 patents. This covers about 80 percent of global HEVC patents.
One speculated reason for foregoing HEVC support involves Access Advance’s royalty rates. New, higher rates for its HEVC Advance patent pool were slated for January, but Access pushed the effective date to July 1. John Pint, Senior Vice President of Licensing at Access, clarified licensees sign 10-year contracts.
Rates are guaranteed not to increase for five years. After that, rates can rise by up to 20 percent, a licensor decision. "If a company is a licensee starting from [the] 2015 [to 2016] timeframe, they’ve never seen their royalty rates increase," Pint explained to Ars Technica, despite "dramatically increased... patents." Dell and HP are not immediately affected. Their rates are locked until 2030.
A potential 20 percent increase could come in 2031. Pint believes a 2031 increase is unlikely. Patents are time-limited assets.
A "significant drop-off in the amount of patent coverage" will occur around 2032 to 2033, he noted. Who pays HEVC licensing fees often causes confusion. Many assume chipmakers, like Intel or AMD, cover these costs, especially since HEVC is integrated into CPUs.
This is not always accurate. Intel declined to comment; AMD did not respond. Pint confirmed Access licenses only consumer-facing products.
They license an HP laptop, not the Intel chip itself. Chipmakers pay licensing fees, but not to Access. Their deals are separate.
Access’ HEVC pools lack a mechanism for chipmakers to cover OEM customer royalty fees, a departure from past practices. "If Microsoft has an OEM customer... Microsoft can’t cover that [licensing fee] for HP," Pint explained. Access’ strategy offers OEMs more flexibility, allowing them to "just pay one royalty at the time of sale." The industry has largely moved away from private chipmaker-OEM deals, Pint believes.
Beyond financial burdens, lawsuits from patent holders deter companies. The legal landscape is crowded. Nokia, holding standard essential patents (SEPs) for HEVC, aggressively pursues legal action.
SEPs are typically licensed under Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) terms. Acer and Asus were prohibited from selling PCs in Germany since January due to a Munich Regional Court ruling. Their computers infringed a Nokia HEVC patent.
Germany is known for fast, patent-holder-friendly rulings. Nokia has also sued HP, Hisense, Amazon, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) in the U.S.
HP, Hisense, and Amazon reached agreements. Other cases are active. Pint speculated HP's decision to disable HEVC support might "make their risk with respect to somebody like Nokia less." A Nokia spokesperson defended the company’s actions: "Nokia’s aim is to ensure that we receive fair compensation for the use of our technologies." Litigation is a last resort.
It ensures compliance. Other patent holders, like InterDigital and Ericsson, have also engaged in litigation. The Nokia representative pushed back against claims that aggressive patent litigation limits user access.
They argued third-party streaming services would not function without Nokia’s research. "Nokia is seeking compensation for the use of these key inventions, royalties which we will reinvest... powering innovation," the spokesperson said. When tech companies decide HEVC support is too costly or risky, the burden shifts to users. A SysAdmin subreddit commenter detailed laptop issues: "People with older hardware were not experiencing problems, whereas those with newer machines needed to either have the HEVC codec from the Microsoft Store removed entirely… or have hardware acceleration disabled." This causes performance degradation.
This is a real problem. It affects everyday tasks. Pint believes a "conscious decision is being made to lessen or worsen the consumer experience."
Why It Matters: What this actually means for your family, whether you're trying to stream a movie on Netflix or edit a home video, is that a feature you once expected to just work now comes with a hidden cost or a performance penalty. The policy says one thing – that companies need to protect their intellectual property and recoup R&D investments. The reality says another – that ordinary people are left navigating technical workarounds or paying extra for basic functionality on devices they just bought.
For many working families, a new computer represents a significant investment. Discovering that essential video capabilities are disabled or require an additional purchase feels like a bait-and-switch. This affects how we consume media, how we work, and how we connect digitally.
It's a fundamental shift in user expectation. Amidst HEVC licensing complexities, AOMedia Video 1 (AV1), an alternative codec, offers a potential solution. Created as an open, royalty-free video codec by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), AV1 emerged in 2018.
Its goal: avoid the HEVC patent thicket. AOMedia, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Netflix, Nvidia, and Samsung, claims AV1 is 30 percent more efficient than HEVC. "AOMedia believes that its royalty-free patent policy... help bring next-generation media experiences to more people, faster," Dr. Pierre-Anthony Lemieux, executive director of AOMedia, told Ars Technica.
Despite advantages, AV1 faces challenges. Its advanced algorithms demand more powerful hardware. Meta identified client-side hardware decoding as AV1’s biggest hurdle in 2023.
Hardware companies hesitate. Increased requirements could raise consumer prices. Budget smartphones and Blu-ray players often lack full AV1 support.
Software solutions exist, but they consume more resources. Companies outside AOMedia also attempt to collect licensing fees. Critics question AV1’s royalty-free claim.
Dolby accused Snap Inc. last month of patent infringement by implementing AV1 in Snapchat. InterDigital is also suing Amazon over AV1 support. These lawsuits cast a shadow.
They could impact broader AV1 adoption. - This removal forces consumers to either pay for a $1 codec extension, accept degraded performance for 4K/HDR content, or use specific software workarounds. - The HEVC patent landscape is dominated by complex licensing agreements and patent pools, with companies like Access Advance and Nokia actively enforcing their intellectual property through lawsuits. - AV1, a royalty-free alternative, aims to mitigate these issues but faces its own challenges with hardware adoption and ongoing legal disputes over its patent-free status. What comes next: The landscape for video codecs remains volatile. and InterDigital against Amazon, which could significantly shape the future of AV1 adoption and potentially HEVC support. For new licensees, Access Advance's higher royalty rates take effect on July 1, potentially influencing future product development and pricing.
Dell and HP's current contracts lock in rates until 2030, but the possibility of a 20 percent increase in 2031 looms. This could further impact how widespread HEVC support remains in consumer devices. Manufacturers will continue to weigh the costs of patent compliance against consumer demand for high-quality video, likely pushing more towards royalty-free alternatives if the legal risks and fees for HEVC continue to escalate.
Key Takeaways
— - Major tech companies like Dell, HP, and Synology are disabling hardware HEVC video support on various devices, citing patent licensing costs and litigation risks.
— - This removal forces consumers to either pay for a $1 codec extension, accept degraded performance for 4K/HDR content, or use specific software workarounds.
— - The HEVC patent landscape is dominated by complex licensing agreements and patent pools, with companies like Access Advance and Nokia actively enforcing their intellectual property through lawsuits.
— - AV1, a royalty-free alternative, aims to mitigate these issues but faces its own challenges with hardware adoption and ongoing legal disputes over its patent-free status.
Source: Ars Technica
