Amazon Prime Video to stream HDR10+ on Samsung 4K TVs

By Becky Roberts
published

Samsung's proprietary HDR format is finally being made available through a video streaming service...

From tomorrow (Wednesday 13th), owners of Samsung QLED and 4K TVs (US models only) will be able to stream HDR10+ through their set's Amazon Prime Video app, as reported by Yonhap News.

For the unititiated, HDR10+ is Samsung’s own high dynamic range format that, like rival Dolby Vision HDR, is all about adding dynamic metadata to a HDR signal. This differs to standard HDR10, the static metadata of which means the boundaries of brightness are set at the start of a film or show.

While Dolby Vision and HDR10 formats have been widely adopted across the likes of Netflx and Amazon Prime Video, this collaboration between Samsung and Amazon marks the first time HDR10+ will be available through a streaming service.

Supposedly around 100 TV shows and movies will be available in HDR10+ on the platform, including The Grand Tour and The Man in the High Castle.

The format may be slow off the ground, but as HDR10+ is a free, open format any company can tweak and deploy as it sees fit, Philips and Panasonic are getting on board, as well as content providers like 20th Century Fox. 2018 may be the year for HDR10+, then.

At the moment, compatible US models are unknown – we’ve asked Samsung for further clarification – and the timeline for UK owners of Samsung TVs getting in on the HDR10+ action is unclear. We doubt it’ll be in time for Christmas – bah humbug! – but no doubt we’ll hear more at CES 2018.

MORE:

HDR10 vs Dolby Vision: which is better?

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Hybrid Log Gamma HDR - everything you need to know

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6 reasons the Apple TV 4K is huge news for Ultra HD

How to watch 4K video online and on TV

Becky Roberts
Becky Roberts

Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine. During her 10 years in the hi-fi industry, she has been fortunate enough to travel the world to report on the biggest and most exciting brands in hi-fi and consumer tech (and has had the jetlag and hangovers to remember them by). In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.