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Disney+ users in Europe must come to terms with yet another drop in picture quality. The platform has removed support for 4K UHD resolution and HDR10 in many European countries. This follows an earlier removal of support for Dolby Vision and 3D content. The issue also affects subscribers paying for the top-tier Premium plan. Disney says it is working to resolve the situation, but so far it has not given a date for restoring the lost features.
Disney+ again reduces picture quality for European users
The first restrictions appeared in mid-June, when support for Dolby Vision and 3D content was removed from the platform. Despite that, users could still watch films and TV series in 4K resolution using HDR10. Now Disney has also removed those technologies, meaning a further downgrade in picture quality. Users from various European countries began reporting the issue. The situation was also confirmed by a representative of The Walt Disney Company Nordic & Baltic. The company explained the decision is related to a recent court ruling concerning the technology used to stream 4K UHD and HDR content. Disney acknowledges it understands its customers' dissatisfaction. At the same time, it says it is working hard to restore the service's full functionality. So far, however, no timeframe has been disclosed for how long it will take to fix the problems. The restrictions affect many European markets, although the company has not published a full list of the countries affected. This is the second change in a short period to affect picture quality on Disney+.
Premium subscribers are paying for features they currently aren't receiving
Those most affected are users on the Premium plan. At present that subscription no longer offers 4K UHD or HDR10, even though these are part of its standard package. Disney has not said whether customers will receive any compensation for the temporary reduction in service capabilities. The company also has not disclosed details of the court ruling that led to the current situation. It is only known that the earlier removal of Dolby Vision was linked to a decision by the Unified Patent Court in Europe. The dispute concerned patents owned by the US technology company InterDigital. It is unclear whether the current restrictions have the same cause, although Disney points to the same legal issue. The platform says it is working to restore all features as quickly as possible. No specific completion date has been given so far. Until then European users will be using a service with lower picture quality than their subscription entitles them to. The situation may be particularly disappointing for people with modern TVs that support 4K and HDR.
Disney+ has once again reduced picture quality in Europe, removing support for 4K UHD and HDR10. The company says the move is due to issues arising from a patent court ruling, but it does not say when users will regain full functionality or whether Premium subscribers will receive any compensation.
source: flatpanelshd
