HEVC support in browsers on 155H

[CacheSk]

I have HP ProBook 460 with Intel(R) Core(TM) Ultra 7 155H, using Windows 11 Enterprise, fully updated system, bios and all applications and browsers. I also purchased HEVC support from the Microsoft store.

Using latest drivers for Arc iGPU - 32.0.101.6874 - installed via Intel Driver & Support Assistant.

Standard Windows players, VLC, Kodi and other can play HEVC without any issue.

But, none of the Web Browsers is capable to play HEVC video.

According to this page - https://www.gumlet.com/tool/browser-capabilities-checker

Chrome shows NO support for HEVC. Edge and Firefox shows "probably" but can't play HEVC video.

For example, this:

https://bitmovin.com/demos/stream-test?format=hls&manifest=https%3A%2F%2Fdemo.unified-streaming.com%2Fk8s%2Ffeatures%2Fstable%2Fvideo%2Ftears-of-steel%2Ftears-of-steel-hevc.ism%2F.m3u8

On HP EliteDesk 805 G6 Desktop Mini PC with Ryzen 5 PRO 4650GE - playback works on any browser.

On PC based on ASUS PRIME N100-D D4 (Intel N100) motherboard - playback works.

(I tried several PCs, it worked everywhere, I don't have to name them all.)

I have tried everything - inkognito modes, disabling all extensions, trying multiple flags, older drivers, .., except make changes in Bios, because it is not allowed (it is my work laptop with bitlocker and if somethings go bad, it will be my responsibility - It is highly recommended by our technicians not to change anything in the BIOS). 

NOTE - mentioned video is only as publicly available example. I want to watch local stream/tv service, which have H264 encoded SD and 720p streams and HEVC encoded 1080p streams.

But only on this modern CPU, i can't watch in full HD.

How is this possible?

[RandyT_Intel]

Hi @CacheSk,

I understand that on other machines, this feature works without any issues. I also double-checked the CPU you have and found that it is indeed supported. However, codec capabilities may vary by device and configuration. I highly advise contacting your manufacturer (HP) to understand the enabled hardware acceleration and codec capabilities for individual devices.

Hover under GPU Specifications: Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Processor 155H

H.265/HEVC Hardware Encoding and Decoding Support

Encode and Decode Capabilities for 7th Generation Intel® Core™...

Regards,

Randy T.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[RandyT_Intel]

Hi @CacheSk,

Just checking in on my previous message regarding your inquiry. Have you had a chance to review it? If you need more information or have any questions, feel free to reach out. I'm here to help!

Regards,

Randy T.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[CacheSk]

Hi @RandyT_Intel ,

Yes, I read your response and plan to contact HP support, but I haven't found the time to do so yet.

However, I'm afraid that this is a situation where HP support will either recommend that I install older drivers or refer me to Intel support.

In the meantime, another update to the graphics card drivers has arrived, to version 32.0.101.6881, and it didn't help.

[RandyT_Intel]

Hi @CacheSk,

Sorry to hear that. I'm unable to comment or speak on behalf of HP, but I recommend contacting them for more information about why this feature is not working on your HP system. As much as I want to investigate further, codec capabilities may vary by device and configuration. I don't have visibility into how HP customized your device, as they are the ones who assembled and made it. Therefore, understanding the enabled hardware acceleration and codec capabilities is limited on my end. Thank you for understanding

Regards,

Randy T.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[RandyT_Intel]

Hi @CacheSk,

Following our investigation, I wanted to inform you that the Intel® Core™ Ultra with Intel® Arc™ GPU does indeed support HEVC. For more detailed information, you can refer to our article on Video Codecs Supported by Intel® Arc™ GPUs.

Given this scenario, it would be advisable to contact HP to determine why HEVC playback is not functioning on your computer. It's possible that your OEM may have made some customizations that are affecting this functionality.

We apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused and appreciate your understanding as we work to assist you.

Regards,

Randy T.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[CacheSk]

Well.. after some problems (post disabled because the moderator considered it spam), I got a response on the HP support forum...

There is small footnote in datasheet for this line of HP laptops: 

Hardware acceleration for CODEC H.265/HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) is disabled on this platform.

No further explanation, nothing.

I'm still waiting to see if I can get some explanation directly on the forum.

Preliminary conclusion - never buy HP products, you have no idea what meaningless bombs they hide in the footnotes.

Seriously, this blew my mind.