HP and Dell have quietly disabled hardware support for High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) on several laptop models, according to a recent Ars Technica report. HEVC is a widely used codec that compresses large video files into smaller sizes without losing visual quality. The technology is supported by sixth-generation Intel Core processors and newer, as well as AMD chips from the past decade, all of which include built-in HEVC capabilities.
However, users of specific HP and Dell devices have reported problems when attempting to play HEVC content in web browsers such as Chrome and Firefox. Several Reddit posts describe an endless loading screen when trying to play HEVC videos online, even though the hardware is capable of decoding the format. This suggests the feature has been deliberately disabled on affected machines.
Statements and documentation from HP and Dell
Ars Technica identified documentation for specific HP business laptop models, including the HP ProBook 460 G11, ProBook 465 G11 and EliteBook 665 G11. The documents state: “Hardware acceleration for CODEC H.265/HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) is disabled on this platform.” This confirms that the company intentionally switched off HEVC hardware decoding on these devices.
Dell has not explicitly stated that HEVC support has been disabled. However, a company support page explains that HEVC streaming will only work on devices with specific configurations. This effectively limits full HEVC functionality to select models, leaving standard or entry-level laptops without browser-based playback capability.
Despite these changes, users can still play HEVC files through desktop applications such as VLC or Windows Media Player. The issue affects only playback in web browsers that typically use hardware acceleration.
HP told Ars Technica that it disabled HEVC support on some devices as early as 2024, encouraging users to rely on “licensed third-party software solutions” for viewing HEVC videos. Dell provided a similar comment, saying that its premium laptops continue to support HEVC, while users of base or standard models should turn to third-party programs to play HEVC content.
Possible link to rising licensing fees
Neither company has given a specific reason for removing HEVC hardware acceleration from selected laptops, but Ars Technica notes that the change may be linked to increasing licensing costs. After 30 September this year, royalty fees for the HEVC codec increased from 20 cents to 24 cents per unit for manufacturers producing more than 100,001 devices.
As two of the world’s largest laptop makers, HP and Dell would face a significant rise in expenses due to these updated fees. Disabling HEVC support in lower-tier or business-focused models may help limit these costs while continuing to offer the feature on high-end devices where customers expect full multimedia capabilities.
