HDR10+ on Netflix? Yes… but only on new Samsungs. Something's not right.

Samsung and Netflix have announced a partnership with fanfare: the streaming platform officially supports the HDR10+ format. For many, this sounds like a solid alternative to Dolby Vision, especially since HDR10+ is an open and free format. There's no licensing fee, everything works dynamically, and metadata is transferred scene by scene – theoretically, all positives.

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

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

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's where the problem starts. When on March 26 we wrote about this news, one of our editors launched Netflix on his private Samsung S95C (the predecessor of the tested S95D) from 2023 – and what? HDR10+ worked 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 technically supports the AV1 codec standard, Netflix launches, but the picture plays in regular HDR10 without dynamic metadata. No message, no explanation. Simply put: it was there and now it's gone.

Is "Netflix Ready" just a marketing trick?

Looking at it objectively, it's hard not to feel that this decision was made deliberately to boost the sales of the 2025 models. After all, if the flagship OLED from 2023 supports HDR10+, worked for a few days, and then suddenly someone turned it off, well... it doesn't look good. Samsung's official statement doesn't mention older models at all. There's no compatibility list, no support plan, nothing. And users who paid quite a bit for their equipment just a year ago now have to watch content without a feature that was available for a moment.

Voices of dissatisfied users are already starting to appear online. On Reddit, you can find reports from owners of 2023 models, who have noticed the same thing – HDR10+ support was there and then suddenly disappeared. Many of these posts are questions without answers: is it a mistake? A deliberate action? Or perhaps some temporary blockade?

What do we know at this moment?

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

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

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

• Samsung has not publicly addressed 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 TVs from the 2025 model range, as well as on monitors from 2025 and 2024. In the future, this standard will also be supported on subsequent device 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 very dynamic

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

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

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