Netflix embraces HDR10+

Netflix, as reported by the FlatpanelsHD service, has officially joined the ranks of platforms supporting the HDR10+ standard. This format may not be a revolution, as it uses solutions similar to Dolby Vision, but it certainly represents an important step in the development of the HDR content market. HDR10+, like Dolby Vision, offers enhanced image quality with dynamic metadata, allowing for precise optimisation of picture quality scene by scene, which we have been able to confirm multiple times in tests.

What is HDR10+

HDR10+ is an extension of the classic HDR10 format that uses so-called dynamic metadata. This means that the image can be optimised scene by scene (or even frame by frame), resulting in better colour reproduction, deeper blacks, and more detailed bright areas of the image. Sounds great? But it's probably hard to imagine? No worries, below we have placed two images, one in HDR10 and the other in HDR10+, so you can see the differences in the image for yourself!

HDR10+ versus Dolby Vision – what’s it all about?

For years, Dolby Vision has dominated – mainly due to dynamic metadata and excellent picture quality. HDR10+ operates on a very similar principle, but it has one significant advantage: it is free and open! This means that television manufacturers and film studios do not have to pay a Dolby licence to use the dynamic codec. In theory, HDR10+ should therefore gain popularity more quickly. The problem is that it debuted a little later than Dolby Vision, which means that most studios had already opted for the format from California's Dolby. And so HDR10+ has struggled for the last decade… but fortunately (especially for owners of Samsung televisions), the situation is finally beginning to change.

After a decade, is Samsung's strategy starting to pay off?

Samsung has consistently ignored Dolby Vision, focusing solely on its own (developed with the help of Panasonic) HDR10+. Initially, this strategy seemed controversial, especially at a time when Dolby Vision was gaining significant popularity. However, today, after almost a decade, this decision is starting to yield results. Netflix is the latest major platform to officially adopt this standard.

Netflix bets on AV1 and HDR10+

It is worth adding that Netflix has launched streaming in HDR10+ using the advanced codec AV1. This format provides even better compression and data transmission efficiency, allowing films and series to be watched in higher quality even with a lower bandwidth. Netflix announces that thanks to AV1, HDR10+ will soon become one of the most commonly used standards on the platform.

How to watch HDR10+ on Netflix?

To watch a film or series in HDR10+ standard, several conditions must be met:

• have an active Netflix Premium plan,

• use a device compatible with the AV1 codec and HDR10+ (most Samsung televisions from the last few years meet this requirement),

• ensure that the HDR option is enabled in the Netflix app settings.

Detailed tests and comparisons of HDR10+ image quality with other standards can be found in the television tests in the section "HDR Effect Quality."

HDR10+ is becoming increasingly popular

Netflix announces that by the end of 2025 all productions available in HDR will also be in HDR10+ format (including older ones). This is great news, especially for those who for various reasons have not been able to use Dolby Vision. Of course, Dolby Vision will remain at the top for a long time, but the growing popularity of HDR10+ shows that there is room for both standards in the market. In the end, it will primarily benefit the viewers, meaning all of us – fans of good films and series.

Source: flatpanelshd.com