HDR10+ on Netflix? Yes… but only on the new Samsungs. Something is not right here.

Samsung and Netflix have announced their collaboration with great fanfare: the streaming platform officially supports the HDR10+ format. For many, this sounds like a concrete alternative to Dolby Vision, especially since HDR10+ is an open and free format. There are no licensing fees, everything works dynamically, and the metadata is transferred scene by scene – in theory, only positives.

But as is often the case, the deeper you go into the woods, the more surprises there are.

New models yes, older ones... no longer?

According to the press release, support for HDR10+ on Netflix includes Samsung TV models from 2025 and monitors from 2024 and 2025, and unofficially – also TVs from 2024. And here the problem begins. When on 26 March we reported this news, one of our editors launched Netflix on their personal Samsung S95C (the predecessor to the tested model S95D) from 2023 – and guess what? HDR10+ was working flawlessly.

The problem is that... a few days later it no longer worked.

Overnight, without any warning, after a software update, HDR10+ support disappeared. The TV still supports the technically standard AV1 codec, Netflix launches, but the image runs in standard HDR10 without dynamic metadata. No message, no explanation. Simply put: it was there and now it’s not.

Could "Netflix Ready" be a marketing trick?

Looking at it soberly – it is hard not to get the impression that this decision was made deliberately to boost the sales of the 2025 models. Because if the flagship OLED from 2023 supports HDR10+, it worked for a few days, and then suddenly someone turned it off, then… well, that looks poor. Samsung's official statement does not mention older models even once. There is no compatibility list, no support plan, nothing at all. And users who paid quite a lot for the equipment just a year ago now have to watch content without a feature that was available for a moment.

Voices of dissatisfied users are starting to appear online. On Reddit, you can find accounts from owners of 2023 models who have noticed the same thing – HDR10+ support was there and suddenly disappeared. Many of these posts are unanswered questions: is it a bug? A deliberate action? Or perhaps some temporary block?

What do we know at this moment?

• Support for HDR10+ officially only works on Samsung TVs from 2025.

• Some models from 2024 also have active support – but this has never been officially confirmed.

• Models from 2023, like the S95C, supported HDR10+ for a moment, but after the update, the feature was disabled.

• Samsung has not publicly commented on this change.

Quoting a press release from Samsung: "HDR10+ content offered by Netflix will be available on Samsung Neo QLED Mini LED, OLED and Lifestyle televisions from the 2025 model range, as well as on monitors from 2025 and 2024. This standard will also be supported on future models." - The question is what does this mean? In the future for newer devices or does it also apply to older equipment?

The situation is highly dynamic

HDR10+ on Netflix is undoubtedly an important step – especially in the context of market monopolisation by Dolby Vision. However, the way this change has been implemented leaves much to be desired. The lack of transparency, sudden updates, and silent deactivation of features on older models – these are not the things that build trust in a brand.

If the aim is indeed to artificially push customers into buying "latest, Netflix-ready" models – then this is an exceptionally inelegant move. It’s a shame, because technically HDR10+ should work on those older devices and could be a solid alternative, even on older equipment.

We will monitor the situation – and check if support returns. For now: if you have a Samsung television from 2023 or older and dynamic HDR10+ metadata is working for you – it's better not to update the software.