HP and Dell have cut support for hardware-accelerated High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) playback on select laptops, a change that has left some users unable to view HEVC content in browsers such as Chrome and Firefox. The codec compresses large video files into smaller sizes while maintaining quality, and modern processors from Intel’s sixth-generation Core line onward — as well as AMD chips from the last decade — include built-in HEVC support.
Users Report Playback Failures in Browsers
Reddit users with affected HP and Dell laptops said they encountered infinite loading screens when trying to stream HEVC content online. The issue does not apply to standalone applications, meaning programs like VLC and Windows Media Player still play HEVC files normally.
HP and Dell Provide Limited Documentation
Ars Technica located documentation for several HP business models, including the HP ProBook 460 G11, ProBook 465 G11, and EliteBook 665 G11. The documentation states that “hardware acceleration for CODEC H.265/HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) is disabled on this platform.”
Dell did not explicitly state that it disabled HEVC support, but a Dell support page says that HEVC streaming is available only on devices with specific configurations.
Company Explanations and Software Workarounds
HP told Ars Technica that it disabled HEVC on select devices in 2024 and encouraged users to rely on “licensed third-party software solutions.” Dell said its premium laptops still support HEVC playback and suggested that users on base and standard models install third-party applications if browser-based playback no longer works.
Possible Link to Rising Licensing Fees
Neither company explained why the feature was switched off. Ars Technica noted that the change may relate to increased HEVC licensing fees. After September 30 of this year, the royalty rate for the codec rose from 20 cents to 24 cents per unit for manufacturers producing more than 100,001 devices. With HP and Dell ranking among the world’s largest laptop makers, the adjustment represents a substantial cost increase.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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