Disney+ faces consumer group demands over loss of 4K and HDR

Consumer advocacy group Euroconsumers, including DECO PROteste in Portugal, Altroconsumo in Italy, and Test Achats/Test Aankoop in Belgium, has issued a formal notice of non-compliance to Disney. The action follows the removal of 4K UHD and HDR capabilities from the Disney+ Premium plan in several European markets.

The reduction in service quality stems from patent infringement litigation brought by InterDigital against Disney in Europe. Following court decisions in Germany regarding Dolby Vision and HEVC compression technology, Disney suspended these features across eleven countries, including Portugal, Italy, Belgium, France, and Germany.

Euroconsumers is demanding that Disney implement an automatic and transparent mechanism to reduce monthly subscription fees for affected Premium users to reflect the limited 1080p service. They are also seeking automatic compensation of at least 5 euros per month for the period these features were unavailable, alongside clearer communication regarding the service changes.