Disney's Premium Content Takes a Hit as Dolby Vision Fades from European Subscribers' Screens
In a sudden turn of events, Disney+ subscribers in several European countries are finding themselves without access to one of the most sought-after features: Dolby Vision. The HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology, which promises unparalleled picture quality, has been mysteriously removed from Disney's streaming platform.
The issue was first reported by German Disney+ users on Reddit, who noticed that their beloved premium content was no longer available in Dolby Vision format. Since then, similar reports have surfaced from Portugal, Poland, France, and the Netherlands, leaving many fans baffled.
In a statement to TechRadar and FlatpanelsHD, Disney acknowledged that the issue is indeed technical, but failed to provide any concrete details on when or if access to Dolby Vision will be restored. However, it seems that this may not just be a matter of coding tweaks. Sources close to the situation suggest that a patent dispute with InterDigital might be at play.
InterDigital won an injunction in a German court earlier this year, claiming that Disney was violating one of its patents on streaming video technology. While Disney maintains that Dolby Vision's absence is due to technical challenges, some are wondering if there's more to it than meets the eye.
In fact, Disney has removed any mention of Dolby Vision from its video quality support page in Germany and has listed HDR10 as its default format, despite having offered Dolby Vision as a feature for several years now. This raises questions about whether InterDigital's patent victory is part of a larger strategy to limit Disney's content offerings.
As the situation unfolds, it remains unclear when or if access to Dolby Vision will be restored in Europe. One thing is certain, however: this development marks a significant setback for Disney+ subscribers who have come to expect the best picture quality available.
In related news, similar issues with HDR10+ support seem to have affected European subscribers as well. However, Disney has clarified that it never offered HDR10+ in these regions, making it unlikely that InterDigital's patent dispute is directly responsible for its removal.
In a sudden turn of events, Disney+ subscribers in several European countries are finding themselves without access to one of the most sought-after features: Dolby Vision. The HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology, which promises unparalleled picture quality, has been mysteriously removed from Disney's streaming platform.
The issue was first reported by German Disney+ users on Reddit, who noticed that their beloved premium content was no longer available in Dolby Vision format. Since then, similar reports have surfaced from Portugal, Poland, France, and the Netherlands, leaving many fans baffled.
In a statement to TechRadar and FlatpanelsHD, Disney acknowledged that the issue is indeed technical, but failed to provide any concrete details on when or if access to Dolby Vision will be restored. However, it seems that this may not just be a matter of coding tweaks. Sources close to the situation suggest that a patent dispute with InterDigital might be at play.
InterDigital won an injunction in a German court earlier this year, claiming that Disney was violating one of its patents on streaming video technology. While Disney maintains that Dolby Vision's absence is due to technical challenges, some are wondering if there's more to it than meets the eye.
In fact, Disney has removed any mention of Dolby Vision from its video quality support page in Germany and has listed HDR10 as its default format, despite having offered Dolby Vision as a feature for several years now. This raises questions about whether InterDigital's patent victory is part of a larger strategy to limit Disney's content offerings.
As the situation unfolds, it remains unclear when or if access to Dolby Vision will be restored in Europe. One thing is certain, however: this development marks a significant setback for Disney+ subscribers who have come to expect the best picture quality available.
In related news, similar issues with HDR10+ support seem to have affected European subscribers as well. However, Disney has clarified that it never offered HDR10+ in these regions, making it unlikely that InterDigital's patent dispute is directly responsible for its removal.
I mean, I'm sure the Dolby Vision thing was just a technical glitch... nope, wait, that can't be right... 
I remember now, I totally trust Disney to do what they say and keep their promises... no, scratch that too... 
It's probably something with those patent people from InterDigital. Yeah, that makes total sense... but at the same time, it feels like they're being super sneaky about it... 
I don't know, man... can we just get back to the good stuff? 
I'm kinda surprised about this. I mean, Dolby Vision was supposed to be a major selling point for Disney+, but now it's just... gone 
.
Only time will tell... 
honestly, who needs a fancy TV when you can just watch your fave shows on Disney+ with a slightly better picture quality 
. And now they're having some drama with InterDigital over patents and stuff... like, can't they just settle already? 
It's not like it's the end of the world (although it kinda is for European subs 
). Anyway, I guess this means we'll have to get used to lower picture quality or just pretend it's good enough 
. Who needs all that extra tech anyway? 
i guess we'll just have to keep an eye out for any future "tech challenges" that might be connected to InterDigital's patent dispute