01-24-2008, 08:55 PM
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Executive Editor, Android Thoughts
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,233
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HTC To Users: No New Video Drivers For You!
"So there's been a relatively weighty grassroots effort the past few weeks to convince HTC that there's something horribly flawed with its Qualcomm MSM7xxx-based devices -- essentially that video acceleration isn't nearly as well off as it could be because the company isn't taking advantage of the chipset's ATI Imageon circuitry. HTC has weighed in on the hullabaloo today, and in short, the news isn't good for anyone hoping to get a software update out of the deal: "HTC believes the overall value of its devices based on their combination of functionality and connectivity exceeds their ability to play or render high-resolution video. These devices do still provide a rich multimedia experience comparable to that of most smartphones and enable a variety of audio and video file formats," reads the official response, in part. Furthermore, the company has officially confirmed that Imageon drivers are not in use on the affected devices, but that it "plans to include video acceleration hardware in future video-centric devices that will enable high-resolution video support." To be totally fair, HTC never promised Imageon acceleration to begin with"
A response is better than no-response right? Well, perhaps not in this case. The rather heated issue of video drivers for the latest wave of HTC devices has come to a rather abrupt official resolution - HTC isn't going to release new drivers. However here is where the community can pick up the ball that ODMs do tend to drop on occassion.
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Dr. Jon Westfall, MCSE, MS-MVP
Executive Editor - Android Thoughts
News Editor - Windows Phone Thoughts
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01-24-2008, 09:01 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,768
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This is really too bad. While HTC did not specifically promise drivers, it was certainly implied with the lead up to the product's release. The sad thing is that only power users are going to complain and that is not enough for HTC to take notice. What they do not realize is that these same power users are very influential in the Windows Mobile community and it will leave a bitter taste to consume another HTC gadget.
If HTC somehow did not have the ability or the silicon by design (purposely or not) was unable to be accessed, than that would be a better explanation than this. Even something as simple as - in evaluating the performance of the hardware, we determined that the effect on battery life was too much. Something... rather than this statement which I read to say to all HTC customers who thought they would get something of equal or better value than previous generation devices: 'screw you'
Sound harsh? I think that is how many people feel right now.
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Jonathan (JonnoB)
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." -Edmund Burke
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01-24-2008, 09:18 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 702
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This leaves a sour taste in my mouth!!! :evil:
Even though HTC never promised or implied the support for this part of the processor, it is ridiculous that my Mogul doesn't even play video as well as my previous three Pocket PCs.
They may not have promised drivers, but a huge step backward in features is not something anyone expects when purchasing the latest PPC phone.
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01-24-2008, 09:48 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 378
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It seems like everytime I want to consider an HTC device, there are some flaws to it. For example, I had my eye on the HTC TyTN for a long time but the sliding keyboard loosening up and the stylus silo issues prevented me from getting it. I considered the HTC Trinity (P3600) for a while but over on xda-dev, there was a very long thread where numerous users had issues with the Trinity overheating and rendering the touch screen useless.
Now that I consider the Kaiser/Polaris, it appears it is plagued with poor video rendering. I'd like to use my device for more than just PIM, and the lack of support for multimedia just amazes me, in the age of the iPhone, N95, etc. It's things like these that make me not regret getting a Nokia N95. If HTC's stance is that their phone is good-enough just because it meets the limitations of other smartphone devices, then they had better re-think their strategy.
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01-24-2008, 10:31 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 68
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Typical response from HTC. Check two stories down; their sales will exceed 2 million units this year, so until something like this hits them in the pocketbook, they won't do anything about it.
The way they have treated the Mogul community is simply criminal.
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Ray
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01-25-2008, 12:47 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 454
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I'm completely enjoying my HTC Touch Cruise, and I must have used a dozen other models over the years. I know people want to demonise HTC over this 'cause they've got their righteous consumer indignation on, but I feel like my machine does everything that was promised and more.
Maybe they don't perform like older devices (which were bigger and single-purpose, not converged), but my experience is that they're really not "crippled" or horrible like these dramatic messages imply.
It's a shame, really, because this is getting a lot of press, which might deter people from buying HTC devices, when they'd probably all be perfectly happy with them -- and those extra sales mean more focus on the Windows Mobile platform, which means more software solutions and better integration between other systems and these devices. So the community is kinda shooting itself in the foot with this.
I know the horror of having a new device malfunction or be a disappointment, so I get it. But I'm just not experiencing this like a dead pixel or bad screen or that first dreaded scratch. It's a comparison rather than a flaw, and in all aspects of life comparison is the path to misery.
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01-25-2008, 12:48 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 31
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Tytn II will be the last HTC device I buy.
I don't like arrogance and even though HTC builds devices for numerous companies, there still are several other alternatives. :evil:
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01-25-2008, 12:50 AM
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Banned
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 38
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I own a Mogul, but purchased it from Sprint. Isn't Sprint the 'customer' here? Why isn't Sprint putting presure on HTC to deliver a product that meets a minimum of 'implied' specifications?
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01-25-2008, 04:22 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 378
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by hamishmacdonald
Maybe they don't perform like older devices (which were bigger and single-purpose, not converged), but my experience is that they're really not "crippled" or horrible like these dramatic messages imply.
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I think the point people are trying to make is if the hardware is capable, why is the software being the limitation? I'm sure HTC has their reasons but it would make them sound a lot better if they came clear with a specific reason and not "These devices do still provide a rich multimedia experience comparable to that of most smartphones and enable a variety of audio and video file formats".
Quote:
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Originally Posted by hamishmacdonald
It's a shame, really, because this is getting a lot of press, which might deter people from buying HTC devices, when they'd probably all be perfectly happy with them -- and those extra sales mean more focus on the Windows Mobile platform, which means more software solutions and better integration between other systems and these devices. So the community is kinda shooting itself in the foot with this.
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I'd sooner have the truth and everyone's opinion revealed than to have anything hidden. There are those such as yourself who do not mind the device in its current state and that's great. However, there is hard cold evidence on the internet of many people who have bought devices such as the TyTN II and were disappointed with what they got and this should be revealed - good or bad. Instead of looking at this as the "community shooting itself in the foot", you should realize that criticism such as this happens to everything from video games and computer hardware to anything the consumer can buy. This is no different than any other review and I have lost count of how many WM devices have gotten bashed in one way or another due to lackluster features, reliability issues, etc.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by hamishmacdonald
and in all aspects of life comparison is the path to misery
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I tend to disagree. My belief is comparison leads to competition, development, and progression. :mrgreen:
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01-25-2008, 05:02 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 160
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To those who say that HTC did not advertise that part of the chip, this is really not true. The specs of the devices say Qualcomm MSM7x00 Chipset. They do NOT say Qualcomm MSM7x00 Chipset minus the graphics acceleration features. Some product descriptions even went as far as boasting the capabilities of the Qualcomm chipset that they did not even deliver on. If you buy a motherboard with a certain chipset, dont you expect all parts of that chipset to work?
I don't think this if over. I think the above is an argument worthy of a lawsuit. I can't wait for the imate 9502 to come out so I can be rid of HTC devices hopefully for good. The imate uses the same chipset and I fully expect it to run circles around the tilt. Even if it is pushing a VGA screen, having video drivers is a major gain.
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