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Disney+ may again lose the ability to offer 4K picture to users in Europe. In August the platform began restoring 4K resolution on some devices and for selected titles, using the VP9 codec. The move was intended as a way to bypass an ongoing patent dispute over HDR and HEVC technologies. InterDigital claims, however, that using VP9 also infringes its patented technologies. If Disney loses again before a European patent court, image-quality problems could worsen further.
Disney+ has been battling to restore 4K and HDR for months
Disney+'s problems in Europe began in February, when Dolby Vision and 3D were removed from the service. Some formats returned in mid-March, but in June they were removed again in many EU countries. In July the restrictions also affected 4K and HDR10. The situation stems from an ongoing patent dispute between Disney and InterDigital. The conflict concerns patents related, among other things, to HDR technologies and the HEVC codec. InterDigital has already won rulings in the case before the Unified Patent Court and a court in Brazil. Disney therefore began looking for ways to continue delivering high-quality picture without using the technologies covered by the dispute. One idea was to switch from HEVC to VP9. In August the platform began restoring 4K on selected devices and for some films and series by doing so. However, that did not mean a return to full quality, since HDR remained unavailable. To use VP9, Disney must re-encode the video material in that format. It now appears that even such a change may not end the platform's problems. InterDigital has expanded its lawsuit against Disney to include the VP9 technology.
InterDigital claims VP9 also infringes its patents
InterDigital claims Disney is using VP9 as a way to get around an earlier patent dispute. The company says VP9-related encoding technology also employs its patented solutions. In practice this means switching the codec from HEVC to VP9 may not be enough to keep 4K on the European version of Disney+. InterDigital emphasises it tried several years ago to reach a licensing agreement with Disney. According to the company, talks failed to produce a deal, so the matter went to court. Amazon Prime Video avoided a similar problem by signing a patent licence agreement with InterDigital. Disney therefore faces a choice between another legal battle and finding a different technology that can support high-quality video. VP9 can deliver 4K video — as seen on YouTube, among others — but the codec itself does not provide HDR support. Disney had previously said HDR would be restored at a later date. However, it is unclear how the platform plans to do that given the current constraints. One option is moving to the newer AV1 codec, which supports both 4K and HDR. The problem is that AV1 is still not widely supported by smart TVs and streaming devices. If Disney loses, it could face yet another problem involving technologies marketed as royalty-free.
Disney+ has been struggling in Europe for several months with picture quality restrictions resulting from a patent dispute with InterDigital. The service tried to restore 4K using the VP9 codec, but InterDigital says that technology also infringes its patents. Another potential option is AV1, but support for it in TVs and streaming devices is still not widespread enough. The resolution of the dispute could matter not only for Disney+, but for the entire streaming industry.
source: flatpanelshd
