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Heading back in the time machine, you may recall a problem with some HTC devices lacking hardware video acceleration. Some people got fired up, threatened a law suit and starting furiously hacking their devices.

Fast forward a few months and the issue sort of died down, what with the Touch Pro and Diamond being released world-wide. These devices were promised by HTC to have better video performance and while it some aspects they do, in other areas evidently they fail.

Update: Ok, this is getting long. Join us after the break!

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For awhile now we've been covering the whole "HTC/Qualcomm Video driver drama" (read our insider Q&A for some perspective and more here).

So far we know that the unbranded HTC TyTN II (aka "Tilt") is getting WM 6.1 with a video performance boost, but no gurantees that the AT&T branded version will be getting the same. We also know that the HTC Touch Diamond, which is a powerful VGA device, does have the DirectDraw video drivers on board, though up until recently they too have underperformed.

The big question was whether the lot of other HTC devices that are based on the MSM-7xxx series chipset would be getting any help from HTC? So far, the answer appears to be "no".

Enter some crafty hackers and dedicated software pros to start piecing together bits and pieces from the TyTN II, Touch Diamond and the K620 and have a somewhat working version of the OpenGL ES driver, which according to the HTCClassAction.org site:

...provides the DirectDraw (2D) capability; so getting the OpenGL ES driver to work correctly is a big step in getting the D3D and DD working.

As you can see from their demo video, the tester app flickers during the test, but that is a result of a problem with the tester program, not the OpenGL drivers. But this proof-of-concept demonstration definitely hints that exporting and enabling these advanced video driver capabilities is possible.

Click the link to watch the the OpenGL ES Driver in action!

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MSMobiles is reporting from a reliable source that the HTC TyTN II (aka the "Tilt") is scheduled to get a new ROM update that will include "...improved graphics drivers and will offer improved performance".

What is more exciting is that this update is planned for this month and possibly even next week. (For those needing a refresher on the topic, click here for past coverage).

Yowzers. Though, fyi we're taking this with a huge grain of salt, so don't get those torches and mob ready just yet.

The potential bad news? This is only for unbranded HTC TyTN II devices, meaning the AT&T Tilt won't be included, for whatever reason (we're betting it has to do with this: money and who pays).

While unfortunate and inconvenient, at least it may be possible for the prominent hacker community to rip the driver for those unlucky owners of branded devices. Stay tuned.

However, what may be even worse, if true, is this quote from MSMobiles:

HTC is not not (!) preparing in near future updates for any other phones that might have these graphic issues.

Probably not what anyone wants to hear. Hopefully details will follow as pressure mounts on HTC if any of this pans out to be accurate,

We'll await for an official HTC response though for our final judgement.

It turns out that the email we reported on last week by HTC CEO Peter Chou was, in fact, accurate. HTC does indeed have a fix they're currently testing for beleaguered video lovers with HTC devices.

Brighthand is reporting that HTC has released a statement confirming that they have a software fix that “dramatically” improves performance, one they hope to release soon.

The fix isn't a video driver - that would, as we gathered from our insider Q&A, be a massive undertaking involving (we suspect) nearly as much work as just flat-out making a new device. It's not ideal (as HTCClassAction.org fully explains), but maybe it's enough to tide us over. Maybe?

Here's the statement:

Some of our top engineers have investigated video performance on our devices and have discovered a fix that they claim will dramatically improve performance for common on-screen tasks like scrolling and the like. The update is in testing and we hope to release it soon.

However this fix is not a new video driver to utilize hardware acceleration; it is a software optimization. Video drivers are a much more complicated issue that involves companies and engineers beyond HTC alone. We do not want to lead anyone to believe they should expect these.

After the break (because we somehow managed to not post it when Engadget originally reported it back on January 25th), HTC's original, official statement on the issue.

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