Prime Video’s Ad-Supported Tier Loses Access to Dolby Atmos Surround Sound, Dolby Vision HDR
Fans who want top-quality video and sound must now upgrade to the $12.98 monthly ad-free plan to get these features.
At least when Amazon executed its plan to start showing ads on its existing tier of Prime Video on Jan. 29, it gave customers advanced warning. There was no similar heads-up from the company about its latest change, which was to remove Dolby Atmos Surround Sound and Dolby Vision HDR from its ad-supported plan. The Verge followed up on a report from German publication 4KFilme that these premium features are no longer available on Prime Video’s ads plan. The Verge confirmed with Amazon that their removal was not a mistake and that they are now exclusively available on the ad-free plan for an additional $2.99 per month.
- Amazon has confirmed the disappearances are not accidental, and that ad-supported Prime Video viewers no longer have them.
- To watch Prime Video with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, customers must now pay an extra $2.99 per month for Prime Video’s ad-free plan.
- Netflix and Max also reserve their best video and audio quality for their most expensive plans, but Prime Video’s ad rollout was quite different from those services.
Are Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos Gone From Ad-Supported Prime Video Permanently?
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that the changeover is indeed meant to be permanent, and that it’s not a mistake or glitch. Now, ad-supported Prime Video customers will find that their video quality tops out at HDR 10, and their sound will come up to Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, but no higher.
The change comes just weeks after Amazon brought ads to its already-existing Prime Video plan, forcing customers to either accept ads or pay an extra $2.99 per month if they want to continue streaming ad-free. Amazon is eager to start collecting ad revenue from its hundreds of millions of Prime Video customers, but it already faces a class-action lawsuit from annual subscribers who say their rights were violated by the strategy employed by Amazon to bring ads to its streamer after they had already paid for a year of ad-free service.
Dolby Vision improves on the video quality of HDR, or high dynamic range. HDR makes bright areas of the screen brighter, and makes dark areas darker, making for a much sharper picture overall. Dolby Vision adds another layer for more stunning color and contrast, making it one of the best video qualities available to stream. Likewise, Dolby Atmos provides a deeper and more immersive sound experience than even 7.1 surround sound, so Prime Video customers who want the best quality they can get will have to consider upgrading to the ad-free tier to get them.
Have Other Streamers Reserved Their Best Video and Audio Quality for Most Expensive Plans?
Prime Video is definitely not the first streaming platform to migrate its top video and audio features to its priciest plan. Netflix rolled out its spatial audio for its Premium subscribers only last February, and that’s the only plan that can watch titles in Ultra-High-Definition 4K on the streamer. That plan costs $22.99 per month.
Max also keeps 4K streaming exclusive to its $19.99-per-month Ultimate plan, which is the only Max option that offers Dolby Atmos sound. The Ultimate plan first came into being last May, when HBO Max integrated a wide selection of titles from discovery+ to become Max.
The biggest difference between Prime Video’s tactics and those of its competitors is that Prime Video simply forced its customers to accept ads or pay to upgrade, instead of creating a cheaper ad-supported tier as Netflix and HBO Max (at the time) did. At least in that arrangement, customers could trade fewer features for a lower monthly price; Amazon did not give its subscribers that choice, however. Prime Video viewers now have to accept paying the same amount of money to get fewer features, and many may decide that’s the final straw that causes them to cancel.
There’s also a good chance that casual Prime Video customers won’t even notice the difference in sound and video quality on their plan, which is likely exactly what Amazon is hoping for. Those who decide to keep their ad-supported Prime Video plan will no longer be able to enjoy TV and movies in Dolby Atmos sound or Dolby Vision HDR video.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Amazon Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.