Netflix Now Supports HDR10+ Streaming

Netflix can now stream content in HDR10+ for Premium subscribers with compatible equipment. HDR10+ provides better image quality than standard HDR10 thanks to dynamic metadata, similar to the proprietary Dolby Vision format.

Netflix has supported standard HDR10 and Dolby Vision for years for some of its content. However, some TV manufacturers like Samsung have opted to support HDR10+ instead of Dolby Vision on their high-end smart TVs. Other TV manufacturers choose to support both Dolby Vision and HDR10+, but that’s not always the case. Dolby Vision is generally considered to be superior to HDR10+.

“In the last five years, HDR streaming has increased by more than 300%, while the number of HDR-configured devices watching Netflix has more than doubled,” the company said on its Technology blog. “Since launching HDR with season one of Marco Polo, Netflix now has over 11,000 hours of HDR titles for members to immerse themselves in.”

Just like Dolby Vision, HDR10+ uses dynamic metadata instead of static metadata to optimize tone mapping adjustments for each scene. HDR10+ content on Netflix will only be available on devices that support the AV1 video codec, which Netflix expects to replace H.264/AVC as the most popular codec on the platform due to its higher efficiency.

Netflix has started adding HDR10+ support to both existing and new HDR titles, and the company expects the totality of its HDR content to be available in HDR10+ by the end of this year. To enjoy Netflix content in HDR10+ (or Dolby Vision or regular HDR10), you’ll need a Netflix Premium plan and a Smart TV, streaming device, phone, or tablet that meets Netflix certification for HDR10+.