With the introduction of ads to its basic plan, Amazon Prime Video has also restricted Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos playback to its more expensive ad-free subscription plan.
When Amazon recently pushed ads into tens, if not hundreds, of millions of home between the January 29 (USA) and February 6 (UK, Germany, Canada), it seemingly also made changes to streaming quality.
Both reporters and users have noticed a shift, with content no longer playing in Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. However, 4K, HDR10, HDR10+ and 5.1 surround are still available.
The news was first reported by German website 4KFilme and later corroborated by Forbes in the UK. They conducted tests across LG, Samsung, Sony, and TCL TVs to confirm the changes.
You must upgrade to premium plan
If you opt for Prime Video's ad-free premium plan, available for an additional $3, €3, or £3 per month, Dolby Vision and Atmos streaming are once again available for movies and shows released in these formats.
While it is possible that this change is due to a technical error or a limitation related to ad breaks, Amazon Prime Video has nonetheless downgraded streaming quality for all users who are not subscribed to the pricier ad-free plan. Update: Amazon has now confirmed to Forbes that it is deliberate.
Left: Prime Video with ads. Right: Prime Video without ads. Photos: 4KFilme
This is merely the latest episode in Amazon's peculiar relationship with Dolby's video and audio formats. For years, Prime Video lacked Dolby Vision support on one of the most popular players, Apple TV 4K.
Ads will be introduced in Australia, France, Italy, Mexico and Spain later in 2024.
- Source: 4KFilme, Forbes
