Register Hardware

Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01/24/htc_class_action_response/

HTC to include high-res video support in handsets

By James Sherwood
Published Thursday 24th January 2008 12:08 GMT

HTC has promised to include video acceleration hardware in its future video-centric handsets, which some users may see as a move by the manufacturer to calm a pressure group seeking blood over performance issues with its handsets.

Earlier this month, the organisers behind the HTCClassAction (http://www.htcclassaction.org/) website warned that they would file a Class Action lawsuit against HTC if it didn’t do something to rectify the slow performance of certain handsets, or at least respond to its cries for help. The organisers claim that drivers in HTC’s phones using Qualcomm’s MSM7200 and MSM7500 chips, such as the Touch Cruise (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/12/htc_touch_cruise/), stop them from working at their full potential.

HTC pledged to Register Hardware last week that it was in the process of “investigating and validating these reports”. However, the company’s latest statement now promises that video acceleration hardware will be built into its upcoming video-centric handsets, enabling them to provide high-resolution video support.

However, it maintains that it doesn’t offer dedicated or optimized multimedia devices. HTC’s phones are, apparently, based on a combination of functionality and connectivity. This, it believes, exceeds the phones’ abilities to play or render high-resolution video.

HTCClassAction has already handed 4000 signatures over to HTC, from users experiencing problems like choppy video game performance, touchscreen lag, poor battery performance and slow operation whilst using the camera.