Netflix has introduced support for Samsung’s preferred HDR10 Plus format, providing Samsung TV owners with improved clarity and color for their streaming experience. This feature is now available through Netflix’s Premium plan, with HDR10 Plus accounting for approximately 50% of “eligible viewing hours.”
Samsung TVs do not support Dolby Vision, an HDR format that uses dynamic metadata to optimize tone and brightness for individual scenes. Launched in 2017, HDR10 Plus similarly adjusts tone mapping on a scene-by-scene basis but avoids the royalty fees associated with Dolby Vision. Although HDR10 Plus is less prevalent than Dolby Vision, Samsung holds the title of the world’s largest TV brand, capturing nearly 30% of the market.
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Prior to this update, Samsung TV owners had to settle for HDR10 when watching Netflix. Unlike HDR10 Plus and Dolby Vision, HDR10 employs static metadata for the entire film or show, which can result in less accurate lighting, particularly in very bright or dark scenes.
While initially, few streaming services supported HDR10 Plus beyond Prime Video, platforms like Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, and now Netflix have gradually adopted it. Other brands such as Panasonic, Hisense, and TCL also support HDR10 Plus, although many of these models also feature Dolby Vision.
Netflix has enabled HDR10 Plus using the AV1 video codec, so viewers will need a compatible TV. Most televisions manufactured in the last five years have adopted the AV1 standard. The company plans to expand its HDR10 Plus content library to include all HDR titles by the end of 2025.
SOURCE: THE VERGE
