Thanks for the reply. What had got me thinking that it was possible was this article that I found on the web:
Upgrade/Update HTC One SV to 4.4 KitKat.
I'm copy paste this tutorial from xdaforums.com :
The HTC One SV owners may also want to keep their device up-to-date. So we thought of giving you a tutorial of how to upgrade HTC One SV to Android 4.4 KitKat. With new version of android operating system on your device, you will have more benefit. Your device will have more feature, more secure, more fast performance, and more cool he...3x. But prior to telling you how to install Android 4.4 KitKat on HTC One SV, let’s see what do you want in order to be able to perform the installation. You will have to download 4.4 KitKat HTC One SV ROM. You will also have to root your HTC One SV to prepare it for Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade. Discover how to root HTC One SV and install Android 4.4 KitKat from here. Here are the download links of the files you want to update HTC One SV to Android 4.4 KitKat. Just before beginning to upgrade your HTC One SV to Android 4.4 KitKat don’t forget to backup your information, as contacts, text messages and the apps installed from Google Play Store who maybe lost when the installation finishes. Now let’s see how to update HTC One SV to Android 4.4 KitKat :
1. Install the ROM Manager on your HTC One SV. Get it from Google Play Store, then install the clockwork mod recovery.
2. Connect your HTC One SV to your PC employing the USB information cable. Copy the “ROM.zip” file you downloaded to the SD memory card.
3. Restart your device in the recovery mode using ROM Manager. As soon as in Recovery Mode, go to ROM Manager and select backup / restore to back-up your information.
4. From the Recovery Menu do a total data erase (including Delvik Cache). When completed, go back to Recovery Principal Menu and choose Flash ROM from SD Card. Navigate the location you copied the ”ROM.zip” file and follow the directions for installing Android 4.4 KitKat on your HTC One SV. As soon as the installation is over, just reboot your HTC One SV device, and here you go, you’ve just upgraded it to the new Android 4.4 KitKat.
Note: Here Is Link To Download the ROM =
The ROM File size is 128 MB, so I split the file into 3 parts :
ROM Part 1 :
http://goo.gl/7pyL97
ROM Part 2 :
http://goo.gl/ffHU2x
ROM Part 3 :
http://goo.gl/l1zKh5
To combine 3 parts files above into 1 file just use WINRAR, then extract the files into ZIP format.
If any problem with the ROM, maybe because the ROM have corrupted during the download process, you can try to re-download the ROM.
Thank you for visiting Upgrade/Update HTC One SV to 4.4 KitKat
I was under the impression that stock android could be installed on most any modern phone with the right knowledge.