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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]
3 clusters · 27 sources · 4 days · First seen · Last updated
Categories: TECHNOLOGY
Disney+ 4K/HDR downgrade spreads across Europe
Entities: Disney+ · InterDigital · Germany · Düsseldorf District Court · InterDigital Inc.
Overview
In late July 2026 Disney+ halted 4K Ultra HD and HDR streams for its German Premium tier, limiting all tiers to 1080p SDR while retaining Dolby Atmos and IMAX Enhanced. The change followed an earlier loss of Dolby Vision in Germany due to a patent dispute, and no public explanation was offered; the website still listed the higher‑resolution features.
A German court later ruled that Disney+ was using InterDigital’s essential video‑compression patents without a FRAND‑compliant licence. Following the injunction issued by the Düsseldorf district court on 30 July, Disney+ temporarily suspended 4K and HDR across additional EU markets—including the Netherlands, France, Spain and Romania—delivering only Full HD and removing Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and other premium features. The Premium plan (€15.99/month) now provides the same 1080p SDR feed as the Standard plan, covering the full catalog (Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic). Disney has said the reduction is temporary while licence negotiations continue and has not announced a reinstatement date or refunds.
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 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] 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 concerns alleged infringement of InterDigital patents covering HEVC video‑encoding technology. (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+ continues to offer Full HD (1080p) streaming without HDR, 3D or IMAX. (multiple articles)
Timeline
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about 21 hours ago
[TECHNOLOGY] 10 sourcesDisney+ disables 4K and HDR streaming in Europe after court orderDisney+ has halted 4K and HDR streaming in Europe after a German court injunction favoring InterDigital’s patent claim, leaving Premium subscribers with only Full HD content and no refund date.
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4 days ago
[TECHNOLOGY] 15 sourcesDisney+ removes 4K Ultra HD and HDR in GermanyDisney+ in Germany has suspended 4K Ultra HD and HDR, limiting streams to 1080p SDR with no set return date, after earlier Dolby Vision loss.
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4 days ago
[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sourcesDisney+ Removes 4K and HDR Support from Premium TierDisney+ Premium users now get only Full HD as 4K and HDR have been removed, while prices stay the same and no reason has been given.
Sources
4kfilme.de · androidnews.de · apach57.fr · cheerworld.dk · disneycentral.de · donanimhaber.com · fehmarn24.de · fwd.nl · hifi.de · iculture.nl · instalki.pl · iphoned.nl · kreiszeitung.de · kurierverlag.de · mannheim24.de · merkur.de · neeo.es · numerama.com · nwradu.ro · op-online.de · pcgameshardware.de · presse-citron.net · schmidtisblog.de · tz-online.de · vlv.hu · wessels-filmkritik.com · whathifi.com
This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history