Many Disney Plus Premium subscribers in Europe recently noticed a drop in video quality. Television shows and movies no longer play in 4K resolution. High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Dolby Vision formats are also missing. This problem is not caused by slow internet connections or broken televisions. The Walt Disney Company intentionally disabled these features in 11 European countries during the summer of 2026.
The company made this change after losing a legal dispute concerning video technology patents. This situation affects users across multiple devices, including Smart TVs, streaming sticks, and gaming consoles. Some devices have regained 4K support through alternative technology. However, HDR support remains completely disabled in the affected regions. This article explains why the Disney Plus 4K HDR Europe issue happened, which devices are affected, and what viewers can do next.
Réponse rapide
Disney disabled 4K and HDR video in 11 European countries because of a legal dispute over the HEVC video format. Affected countries include France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. Disney recently restored 4K video using a different format called VP9, but HDR remains missing. VP9 support depends on your streaming device. Some Android TV devices can play 4K VP9 video, but Apple TV and Samsung Tizen TVs currently cannot. Affected Premium subscribers can contact Disney customer support for a partial refund.
Why Is Disney Plus 4K HDR Missing in Europe?
Streaming 4K video requires strong data compression. Without compression, a 4K video file is too large to send over standard internet connections. Streaming companies use specific software formats called codecs to compress these video files.
The HEVC Patent Dispute
Before July 2026, Disney Plus used a codec named High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC). HEVC is very effective for streaming 4K and HDR content. A technology company named InterDigital owns important patents related to HEVC. InterDigital claimed that Disney did not pay the required licensing fees for this technology.
European courts agreed with InterDigital. The courts ordered Disney to stop using HEVC technology in specific European markets. To comply with the court order, Disney completely disabled 4K, HDR10, and Dolby Vision streaming in those regions.
Affected European Countries
This legal ruling applies to the Unified Patent Court system in Europe. The Disney Plus 4K HDR Europe restriction currently affects users in exactly 11 countries:
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Italy
the Netherlands
Portugal
Romania
Sweden
Users in the United Kingdom and the United States are not affected by this specific ruling. Viewers in those unaffected countries can still watch Disney Plus in 4K and HDR.
Which Devices Still Support 4K on Disney Plus?
In August 2026, Disney introduced a partial solution for the missing 4K resolution. Disney switched the video stream from HEVC to an alternative codec named VP9. VP9 is an open video format created by Google. VP9 does not require the same patent licenses as HEVC.
However, this switch created new hardware compatibility problems. Not every television or streaming device contains the necessary hardware to decode VP9 video efficiently. Because of this hardware limitation, the return of 4K resolution depends entirely on the viewer’s device. Furthermore, the VP9 update did not restore HDR or Dolby Vision. HDR remains disabled on all devices in the 11 affected countries.
Device Compatibility for 4K VP9
Devices with Google TV or Android TV software generally process VP9 video well. Many Amazon Fire TV devices also handle VP9 video successfully. Users with these devices may see 4K resolution return to their Disney Plus application.
Other popular devices cannot process the new VP9 streams correctly. For example, Apple TV 4K devices currently display Disney Plus content in standard Full HD (1080p). Many older Samsung Smart TVs running the Tizen operating system also remain limited to Full HD. Modern video game consoles experience the same 1080p limitation.
If you are comparing television operating systems, our guide to Meilleur système d'exploitation pour Smart TV dédié à l'IPTV en 2026 : Tizen, Google TV et webOS en comparaison] explique les différences entre Tizen, Google TV et webOS.
4K Support by Device Category
This table compares current 4K availability on popular platforms in the affected European countries as of late 2026.
| Device Platform | 4K Resolution Available | HDR Available |
| Google TV (Chromecast) | Yes (on many models) | Non |
| Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K | Yes (on many models) | Non |
| Apple TV 4K | Non | Non |
| Samsung Tizen Smart TV | No (for most models) | Non |
| Sony BRAVIA (Google TV) | Yes (on many models) | Non |
| Game Consoles (PS5, Xbox) | Non | Non |
How to Check Your Disney Plus Resolution
You can easily check if your device is affected by the Disney Plus 4K HDR Europe issue.
First, open the Disney Plus application on your television or streaming device. Select a new, major movie that normally supports the highest video quality. Look closely at the information tags listed below the movie title.
If your device supports the new 4K streams, you will see a “4K UHD” tag. If you only see an “HD” tag, your device is restricted to 1080p resolution. You will not see an “HDR” or “Dolby Vision” tag on any device in the 11 affected countries until the legal dispute is fully resolved.
If you recently bought a new television, you might wonder why the picture looks soft. Our guide exploring Pourquoi l'IPTV est-elle floue sur un téléviseur 4K neuf ? provides helpful information about video upscaling and resolution limits.
Can You Get a Refund for Disney Plus Premium?
The Disney Plus Premium subscription plan normally includes 4K resolution, HDR, and Dolby Atmos audio. Because the company removed these premium features, Premium subscribers are paying for services they do not receive.
Disney does not issue automatic refunds to affected users. However, subscribers can manually request financial compensation. Disney allows Premium members in the 11 affected countries to request a partial refund for their current billing period.
To request this refund, you must contact Disney Plus customer support directly. You can open a text chat on the official Disney Plus Help Center website. Explain that you pay for the Premium plan but cannot access 4K and HDR features due to the regional restrictions.
Alternatively, you can downgrade your subscription. The Standard subscription plan costs less money and provides Full HD (1080p) video. Because many devices are currently limited to 1080p anyway, downgrading to the Standard plan is a practical choice for many European viewers. Note that the Standard plan only permits two simultaneous streams and removes Dolby Atmos audio.
If you purchased your subscription through a third-party billing platform like Apple, Google, or Amazon, you must request your refund through that specific platform instead of Disney.
Using Smart TVs for IPTV Streaming
Many users purchase premium 4K televisions to watch streaming services like Disney Plus and to use IPTV applications. TV Shadow IPTV provides access to television channels, but your Smart TV operating system controls which IPTV player applications you can install.
When choosing a television for IPTV, the operating system is very important. Samsung televisions use the Tizen operating system. Tizen requires developers to create specific applications for the Samsung App Store. LG televisions use the webOS system, which also has a closed application store.
Televisions running Android TV or Google TV offer more flexibility. These televisions access the Google Play Store. The Google Play Store contains many popular IPTV player applications that support M3U playlists and Xtream Codes.
We recommend checking which IPTV players are available in your TV’s application store before buying an IPTV subscription. Remember that TV Shadow IPTV does not have an official partnership with Samsung, Sony, LG, or Google. An IPTV service provides the channel list, but you must find a compatible player application to watch the streams. To learn more about television choices, read our detailed comparison Samsung Tizen ou Sony BRAVIA Google TV : lequel est le meilleur pour l'IPTV en 2026 ?.
Live Football and Streaming Quality
Sports fans often notice video quality problems before movie viewers do. Fast camera movements during live football matches require excellent television performance.
While the Disney Plus patent dispute affects movies and television shows, live football streaming quality depends on different technical factors. If you watch live sports through an IPTV player, 4K resolution is beneficial but not the most important specification. Motion handling and refresh rates matter more.
A television with a 120Hz refresh rate updates the screen 120 times every second. This creates a smoother image when a football travels quickly across the field. A 60Hz television can sometimes produce a slightly blurred image during fast sports scenes.
Network stability is also crucial for live football. We highly recommend connecting your Smart TV directly to your internet router using an Ethernet cable. An Ethernet cable provides a much more stable data connection than Wi-Fi. Stable data prevents the live video stream from freezing just before a player scores a goal.
Conclusion
The missing Disney Plus 4K HDR Europe features have caused significant frustration for viewers. Because of a patent dispute over the HEVC video codec, Disney disabled premium video formats in 11 European countries. While 4K resolution has returned to some devices using the alternative VP9 codec, Apple TV and Samsung TV users are still watching in 1080p. HDR remains completely unavailable for everyone in the affected regions. Premium subscribers should check their device capabilities and contact Disney customer support for a partial refund if they are unhappy with the restricted video quality.
Foire aux questions
Why did Disney Plus remove 4K and HDR in Europe?
Disney removed these features after a court ruled the company infringed on patents related to the HEVC video codec. Disney disabled the HEVC streams in 11 European countries to comply with the legal order.
Which European countries lost Disney Plus 4K and HDR?
The affected countries are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, and Sweden. Viewers in the United Kingdom are not affected.
Will HDR and Dolby Vision return to Disney Plus in Europe?
Disney states they are working to restore these features, but there is no official date for their return. HDR will likely remain unavailable until the legal dispute is resolved.