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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE] · [TECHNOLOGY]

8 clusters · 65 sources · 50 days · First seen about 2 months ago · Last updated 2 days ago

Disney+ 4K/HDR availability fluctuates in Europe

Overview

Following a July 23, 2026, Unified Patent Court injunction regarding InterDigital’s HEVC patents, Disney+ suspended 4K UHD and HDR support across eleven EU member states, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. This forced Premium subscribers to a maximum of 1080p SDR resolution.

By early August 2026, Disney+ began a phased restoration of 4K using an alternative streaming technology, likely the VP9 codec. This rollout was limited to specific hardware, such as certain Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, LG (2020+), Sky Glass, and Sky Stream devices, while Apple TV remained excluded. HDR and Dolby Vision remained unavailable as Disney sought a FRAND licence.

However, the technical workaround faces new legal challenges. As of September 2, 2026, InterDigital has expanded its legal proceedings before the Unified Patent Court to include the VP9 codec. InterDigital’s Chief Legal Officer, Josh Schmidt, stated that the company has expanded its case, asserting that VP9 is not a valid workaround and that Disney’s use of the codec still infringes on their patented innovations.

InterDigital claims Disney is using VP9 to avoid paying fair royalties while delivering an inferior experience, noting that the codec lacks HDR support. A court in Düsseldorf previously ruled in favor of InterDigital regarding technologies for seamless video playback, affecting markets like Germany and the Netherlands.

By mid-September 2026, the financial scale of the dispute became clearer as InterDigital sought at least 101.7 million euros in damages specifically concerning HDR streaming patents. This figure does not represent total potential liability, as additional claims involve 4K streaming, Google Cast, and Apple AirPlay 2. The removal of AirPlay 2 and Google Cast has rendered the platform unusable on certain older Chromecast devices. If the court rules in favor of InterDigital regarding the VP9 expansion, Disney+ may be forced to remove 4K support once more.

Entities

Disney+ · InterDigital · Unified Patent Court · The Walt Disney Company · Germany

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 12 SOURCES] Disney+ has temporarily removed 4K Ultra‑HD streaming in several European countries.
[● 12 SOURCES] Disney+ has also removed HDR, including HDR10 and Dolby Vision, in those countries.
[● 12 SOURCES] The removal is due to a court injunction related to InterDigital patents on HEVC video‑encoding technology.
[● 12 SOURCES] Premium subscribers continue to pay the higher price despite loss of 4K and HDR features.
[● 12 SOURCES] Disney+ has not announced a date for restoration nor offered compensation to affected users.
[● 11 SOURCES] The injunction covers multiple EU countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Turkey and Finland.
[● 6 SOURCES] The removal applies to Disney+ Premium subscription, making it similar to the Standard plan.

Timeline

2 days ago

[BUSINESS] 8 sources
InterDigital sues Disney for 101.7 million euros over HDR patents
InterDigital is suing Disney for 101.7 million euros over patent infringements related to HDR technology used on Disney+ across Europe, leading to the removal of premium features like 4K and Dolby Vision.
14 days ago

[BUSINESS] 8 sources
Disney+ faces potential loss of 4K in Europe amid patent dispute
Disney+ faces renewed legal pressure from InterDigital, which has expanded patent litigation to include the VP9 codec, potentially stripping 4K streaming capabilities from European subscribers.
26 days ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
Disney+ faces ongoing 4K availability issues for Premium subscribers
Disney+ subscribers are experiencing prolonged loss of 4K-HDR capabilities on Premium plans across several devices, including Amazon Fire TV and Sky platforms, with no clear timeline for restoration.
about 1 month ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 10 sources
Disney+ Restores 4K in Europe, Grants Refunds to Premium Subscribers
Disney+ restores 4K in Europe after a patent dispute, but HDR stays off; German Premium users get early‑cancellation refunds.
about 1 month ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 8 sources
Disney+ restores 4K streaming in Europe after court‑ordered shutdown
A court injunction forced Disney+ to drop 4K and HDR in 11 EU countries; the service now offers 1080p only, keeps the €15.99 premium price, and is gradually restoring 4K with HDR still pending.
about 2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 18 sources
Disney+ suspends 4K and HDR streaming in Europe after court ruling
Disney+ has temporarily removed 4K and HDR streaming in many EU countries after a court injunction over InterDigital patents; Premium users still pay extra, with no restoration date announced.
about 2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 15 sources
Disney+ removes 4K Ultra HD and HDR in Germany
Disney+ in Germany has suspended 4K Ultra HD and HDR, limiting streams to 1080p SDR with no set return date, after earlier Dolby Vision loss.
about 2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
Disney+ Removes 4K and HDR Support from Premium Tier
Disney+ 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

1001web.fr · 4kfilme.de · afdigitale.it · androidnews.de · anime2you.de · apach57.fr · apcmag.com · bild.de · cheerworld.dk · china-gadgets.de · colombia.com · disneycentral.de · donanimhaber.com · dutchcowboys.nl · fehmarn24.de · flatpanelshd.com · frandroid.com · fwd.nl · gamereactor.de · gamereactor.fi · gamereactor.fr · gamereactor.it · greenmangaming.com · hifi.de · iculture.nl · ifun.de · imtest.de · indiantelevision.com · instalki.pl · iphoned.nl · it-boltwise.de · itopnews.de · k118.com · kreiszeitung.de · kurierverlag.de · linkedInlearning.com · m.winfuture.de · mannheim24.de · merkur.de · mobiili.fi · movieplayer.it · neeo.es · numerama.com · nwradu.ro · op-online.de · pcgameshardware.de · phonandroid.com · presse-citron.net

This summary has been updated 13 times: see revision history