HTC further responds to video driver issue, will improve future products

moe dope · #1 (**permalink**) 01-26-2008, 01:42 AM

just saw this on endgadget, let me know youre opinion about it
http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/25/h...mprove-future/
It's pretty clear HTC customers and Engadget readers both are none too impressed with the manufacturer's decision to omit the drivers necessary to enable hardware video acceleration on a number of their Qualcomm MSM 7xxx-based devices. We heard a little bit from HTC on the topic earlier this week, but we wanted to know more specifically: do they plan to meet consumers' requests and release drivers for these devices? (And if not, why?) Finally, what's going to be done about this video acceleration driver issue in the future? Here's the response we got to these questions (and the reader poll we posted):

"HTC does plan to offer software upgrades that will increase feature functionality, over the air wireless speeds, and other enhancements for some of the phones being criticized, but we do not anticipate including any additional support for the video issues cited in customer complaints. It is important for customers to understand that bringing this functionality to market is not a trivial driver update and requires extensive software development and time.

HTC will utilize hardware video acceleration like the ATI Imageon in many upcoming products. Our users have made it clear that they expect our products to offer an improved visual experience, and we have included this feedback into planning and development of future products."

More after the break.

...continued

"To address lingering questions about HTC's current MSM 7xxx devices, it is important to establish that a chipset like an MSM7xxx is a platform with a vast multitude of features that enable a wide range of devices with varied functionality. It is common that devices built on platforms like Qualcomm's will not enable every feature or function.

In addition to making sure the required hardware is present, unlocking extended capabilities of chipsets like the MSM 7xxx requires in-depth and time consuming software development, complicated licensing negotiations, potential intellectual property negotiations, added licensing fees, and in the case of devices that are sold through operators, the desire of the operator to include the additional functionality. To make an informed decision about which handset suits them best, consumers should look at the product specification itself instead of using the underlying chipset specifications to define what the product could potentially become."

Well, sounds like that's that. Users shouldn't expect drivers for current devices, but HTC apparently intends to beef up hardware video acceleration in some (but not necessarily all) future Qualcomm based devices.

htcphone · #2 (**permalink**) 01-26-2008, 02:00 AM

BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

Musicman247 · #3 (**permalink**) 01-26-2008, 02:17 AM

That's a bunch of crap. Why should current generation devices have any direct draw issues if models from two years ago do NOT have these issues? I am tired of having choppy scrolling! HTC is doing the wrong thing.

I'm sure it takes time to write software, but they shouldn't exclude current customers from the benefits of software THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE ANYWAY!!! When Palm came out with the 755p they put all the wanted features from that phone into a ROM for the 700p. HTC should do the same. And if they are planning on doing that, then why not SAY that?

Way to drop the ball, HTC.

**DHarvey** · #4 (**permalink**) 01-26-2008, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Musicman247

That's a bunch of crap. Why should current generation devices have any direct draw issues if models from two years ago do NOT have these issues? I am tired of having choppy scrolling! HTC is doing the wrong thing.

I'm sure it takes time to write software, but they shouldn't exclude current customers from the benefits of software THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE ANYWAY!!! When Palm came out with the 755p they put all the wanted features from that phone into a ROM for the 700p. HTC should do the same. And if they are planning on doing that, then why not SAY that?

Way to drop the ball, HTC.

I agree with all of you in many ways but should be looking at the bigger picture. I've been a member of the Wizard forum over at Xda-Developers for a long time and have seen great development over the time.

When the MDA was released, it was running WM5 at snail speed and as devices with newer features and newer operating systems were released, they were dumped and ported over to function and work quite well on the Wizard. I ended up with a T-Mobile MDA that had WM6 running on it ported from the Elf and had all of the features of the Elf as well all the way up to the Cube and TouchFlo.

What I am trying to say is that some of these new devices that will be released later on will have these new features that we are missing. That means that someone out there will buy those newer devices and some of them will dump the OS here or over at Xda. Someone will take that dump and build a new ROM dor the Touch that will include those new features. So what if it is not an OFFICIAL ROM... It'll still work.

Short and sweet, we're going to get those features. It may not be right away or even in the next couple of months but it's going to happen. If you're too impatient to wait for those newer devices' operating systems to be ported to work on the Touch then maybe you shouldn't be using one because it takes patience. Just look at the Wizard. T-Mobile branded snail speed WM5 to a very quick modified version of the Elf ROM equipped with TouchFlo and all of the latest and greatest features in less than 2 years. It takes time.

Hopefully this changes some points of views around here because the fact that HTC is actually going to be incorporating those features we all lack and want to badly into newer devices only means that there will be more opportunities to develop our Touch's.

But it's time for me to go get some sleep. I need to be up early in the morning so I'll talk to you guys later...

Dan.

Musicman247 · #5 (**permalink**) 01-26-2008, 02:49 AM

^^ Great post! Puts things in perspective nicely. Thank you very much. ^^

**DHarvey** · #6 (**permalink**) 01-27-2008, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Musicman247

^^ Great post! Puts things in perspective nicely. Thank you very much. ^^

I only speak the truth.

kellybrf · #7 (**permalink**) 01-27-2008, 06:53 PM

the problem is, and i could be wrong here, that the touch chips dont physically have the capability. they ordered them from qualcomm w/o the ati support, so from what im understanding this isnt an issue of drivers, its hardware.

Tenny · #8 (**permalink**) 01-27-2008, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kellybrf

the problem is, and i could be wrong here, that the touch chips dont physically have the capability. they ordered them from qualcomm w/o the ati support, so from what im understanding this isnt an issue of drivers, its hardware.

I've heard both. Some say the hardware isn't present. The first HTC response was like that where they tried to word it like the hardware is not there, without specifically stating that. With this HTC Update, I think it's more of a we didn't do it from this line "it is important for customers to understand that bringing this functionality to market is not a trivial driver update and requires extensive software development and time."

Oh well, I think our only hope now is to wait for them to release a new device with this functionality, and then try to pull it from that.