Disney+ loses access to Dolby Vision in some European countries

Disney+ loses entry to Dolby Imaginative and prescient in some European nations

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Disney+ subscribers in some European nations 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 at the moment additionally impacts subscribers in Portugal, Poland, France and the Netherlands, in response to FlatpanelsHD.

“Dolby Imaginative and prescient help for content material on Disney+ is at the moment unavailable in a number of European nations attributable to technical challenges,” Disney stated in a press release. “We’re actively working to revive entry to Dolby Imaginative and prescient and can present an replace as quickly as potential. 4K UHD and HDR help stay out there on supported gadgets.”

If the problem is in actual fact a technical one, it looks like 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 could be authorized, somewhat than technological. An organization known as InterDigital received an injunction in a German courtroom in opposition to Disney in November 2025 as a result of it violated at the very 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 way for dynamically overlaying a primary video stream with a second video stream comprising, for instance, subtitles.” It isn’t totally clear how that performs into the corporate providing Dolby Imaginative and prescient in Europe, however it could clarify why subscribers in Germany had been a number 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 received an injunction within the US, however the firm is pursuing a patent case in opposition to Disney in the USA District Courtroom for the Central District of California. That does not essentially imply Dolby Imaginative and prescient help can be taken from US subscribers subsequent, however 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+ shedding HDR10+ help in Europe, however Disney says it by no means provided HDR10+ in that area. The article has been up to date accordingly.