Disney+ disables 4K and HDR streaming in Europe after court order
Disney+ has temporarily removed 4K UHD and HDR10 video quality from its service across Europe following a German court injunction that favored InterDigital’s patent claims over HEVC video‑encoding technology. The injunction, issued by the Düsseldorf district court, requires Disney to obtain a licence for the patented technology and has been applied to multiple EU countries.
As a result, even subscribers to the Premium plan—priced at €15.99 per month—now receive only Full HD (1080p) content without HDR, Dolby Vision, 3D or IMAX features, making it effectively identical to the Standard plan. Disney has not announced a date for reinstating the higher‑quality streams nor offered refunds, stating the change is temporary while negotiations continue.
The change affects all catalog titles, including Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic series, and impacts users in the Netherlands, Spain, Romania, France and other EU markets.
Entities: Disney+ · Düsseldorf District Court · InterDigital · InterDigital Inc. · The Walt Disney Company (Disney+)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 6 SOURCES] The injunction concerns alleged infringement of InterDigital patents covering HEVC video‑encoding technology. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] The removal applies to Disney+ Premium subscription, making it similar to the Standard plan. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] A German court injunction in Düsseldorf granted InterDigital a ruling against Disney for patent infringement. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] The injunction covers multiple EU countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Romania. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Disney+ has not announced a date for reinstating 4K or offered refunds to affected subscribers. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Disney+ has disabled 4K UHD streaming for users in Europe. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Disney+ has also removed HDR10 and Dolby Vision streaming in Europe. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Disney+ continues to offer Full HD (1080p) streaming without HDR, 3D or IMAX. (multiple articles)