started · updated
Disney+ suspends 4K and HDR streaming in Europe after court ruling
Disney+ has temporarily disabled 4K Ultra‑HD and HDR (including HDR10 and Dolby Vision) in a number of European countries following a court injunction that found the service infringing InterDigital patents on HEVC video‑encoding technology. The injunction, issued by courts in Germany and the Unified Patent Court, applies to at least eleven EU states – among them Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Turkey and Finland – though the full list has not been disclosed.
Premium‑tier subscribers in the affected markets continue to pay the higher price for the Premium plan even though the promised 4K and HDR benefits are unavailable. Disney+ has said it shares customers’ frustration, is working to restore the features, but has offered no compensation or timetable for reinstatement. The United Kingdom and some other regions are not impacted by the restriction.
The removal follows earlier cuts to Dolby Vision and 3D support earlier in the year, also linked to the same patent dispute with InterDigital.
Entities
Disney+ · Düsseldorf District Court · European Union · HEVC video‑encoding technology · InterDigital · InterDigital Inc. · The Walt Disney Company (Disney+) · Unified Patent Court
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 6 SOURCES] The injunction concerns alleged infringement of InterDigital patents covering HEVC video‑encoding technology. fwd.nl · www.neeo.es · www.nwradu.ro · www.iphoned.nl · www.numerama.com · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] The removal applies to Disney+ Premium subscription, making it similar to the Standard plan. fwd.nl · www.neeo.es · www.nwradu.ro · www.iphoned.nl · www.numerama.com · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] A German court injunction in Düsseldorf granted InterDigital a ruling against Disney for patent infringement. fwd.nl · www.neeo.es · www.nwradu.ro · www.iphoned.nl · www.numerama.com · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] The injunction covers multiple EU countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Romania. fwd.nl · www.neeo.es · www.nwradu.ro · www.iphoned.nl · www.numerama.com · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Disney+ has not announced a date for reinstating 4K or offered refunds to affected subscribers. fwd.nl · www.neeo.es · www.nwradu.ro · www.iphoned.nl · www.numerama.com · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Disney+ has disabled 4K UHD streaming for users in Europe. fwd.nl · www.neeo.es · www.nwradu.ro · www.iphoned.nl · www.numerama.com · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Disney+ has also removed HDR10 and Dolby Vision streaming in Europe. fwd.nl · www.neeo.es · www.nwradu.ro · www.iphoned.nl · www.numerama.com · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Disney+ continues to offer Full HD (1080p) streaming without HDR, 3D or IMAX. fwd.nl · www.neeo.es · www.nwradu.ro · www.iphoned.nl · www.numerama.com · +1 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] Disney+ has not announced a date for restoration nor offered compensation to affected users. www.instalki.pl · www.neeo.es · www.nwradu.ro · www.series-80.net · www.china-gadgets.de · +7 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] Disney+ has temporarily removed 4K Ultra‑HD streaming in several European countries. www.instalki.pl · www.neeo.es · www.nwradu.ro · www.series-80.net · www.china-gadgets.de · +7 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] The removal is due to a court injunction related to InterDigital patents on HEVC video‑encoding technology. www.instalki.pl · www.neeo.es · www.nwradu.ro · www.series-80.net · www.china-gadgets.de · +7 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The United Kingdom and some other regions are not affected by the 4K/HDR removal. www.whathifi.com