Background
In late 2025, viewers in Germany noticed that Dolby Vision and HDR10+ streams vanished from Disney+. Shortly after, similar reports emerged from other European countries, suggesting a broader rollout issue.
Legal Dispute
Disney is currently facing a patent infringement lawsuit in a Munich court. The Regional Court ordered Disney to cease using a specific video compression patent, prompting the removal of Dolby Vision and HDR10+ from its service in Germany—the first market to lose the features.
Impact on Users
European subscribers are paying full price for Disney+ while missing a key premium feature:
- Loss of Dolby Vision and HDR10+ HDR formats
- 4K UHD and standard HDR (HDR10) remain available
- Potential degradation of visual quality on compatible devices
Disney's Response
Disney issued a statement to FlatpanelsHD:
- “Dolby Vision support for content on Disney+ is currently unavailable in several European countries due to technical challenges.”
- “We are actively working to restore access to Dolby Vision and will provide an update as soon as possible.”
- “4K UHD and HDR support remain available on supported devices.”
The company attributes the outage to “technical challenges,” though the timing aligns closely with the court ruling.
What Comes Next
Analysts suggest Disney will either:
- Negotiate a licensing agreement for the disputed patent
- Implement a workaround that avoids the patented technology
- Potentially re‑introduce Dolby Vision and HDR10+ once the legal matter is resolved
Until then, European users will continue to receive 4K content without the premium Dolby Vision or HDR10+ experience.