Disney+ subscribers in some European international locations have misplaced entry to superior HDR options like Dolby Imaginative and prescient, TechRadar and FlatpanelsHD report. The problem was first noticed by German Disney+ subscribers on Reddit, however presently additionally impacts subscribers in Portugal, Poland, France and the Netherlands, in accordance with FlatpanelsHD.
"Dolby Imaginative and prescient help for content material on Disney+ is presently unavailable in a number of European international locations because of technical challenges," Disney mentioned in an announcement. "We’re actively working to revive entry to Dolby Imaginative and prescient and can present an replace as quickly as doable. 4K UHD and HDR help stay out there on supported units."
If the problem is in truth a technical one, it looks as if it might be round for the long-term. Disney has eliminated any reference to Dolby Imaginative and prescient from its Disney+ video high quality help web page in Germany. As of now, the corporate lists HDR10 as its default HDR format, regardless of Dolby Imaginative and prescient help being a characteristic of Disney+ for a number of years now.
FlatpanelsHD writes that the true problem may be authorized, reasonably than technological. An organization referred to as InterDigital gained an injunction in a German court docket in opposition to Disney in November 2025 as a result of it violated at the least one of many firm's patents on streaming video know-how. The injunction particularly requires Disney to cease violating InterDigital's patent on "a technique for dynamically overlaying a primary video stream with a second video stream comprising, for instance, subtitles." It's not solely clear how that performs into the corporate providing Dolby Imaginative and prescient in Europe, however it will clarify why subscribers in Germany had been a few of the first individuals to note Dolby Imaginative and prescient's absence.
Engadget has contacted Disney for extra details about Disney+'s lacking HDR help and whether or not InterDigital's injunction performed a task. We'll replace this text if we hear again.
Mentions of Dolby Imaginative and prescient had been additionally stripped out of the US model of Disney+'s video high quality help web page. InterDigital hasn't gained an injunction within the US, however the firm is pursuing a patent case in opposition to Disney in the USA District Court docket for the Central District of California. That doesn't essentially imply Dolby Imaginative and prescient help shall be taken from US subscribers subsequent, nevertheless it does counsel there's extra occurring right here than simply technical challenges.
Replace, February 6, 3:44PM ET: The unique model of this text included point out of Disney+ dropping HDR10+ help in Europe, however Disney says it by no means provided HDR10+ in that area. The article has been up to date accordingly.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/leisure/streaming/disney-loses-access-to-dolby-vision-in-some-european-countries-193930702.html?src=rss