Prime-exclusive movies and series are now only presented in up to 4K resolution with HDR10 and Dolby Digital 5.1 for those using Prime Video in the ad-supported Prime subscription. If you want Dolby, you’ll need to cough up the extra $3 each month.
Confirming the Reports
At no point has Amazon announced these additional changes. Despite checking through Amazon’s official communication, they could not find any indication that the introduction of ads visually affected the presentation of video streams. The removal of Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision from ad-supported Prime Video subscriptions was first noticed by the German AV site 4KFilme.
They attempted to verify this on three smart TVs from reputable manufacturers (Sony, LG, and Samsung), confirming their observations. Indeed as we stated earlier, for the standard subscription (with ads) Prime-exclusive movies and series are only delivered with a maximum of 4K resolution, HDR10, and Dolby Digital 5.1.
A Deceptive Hypocrisy?
Amazon was definitely not transparent about the qualitative downgrade. Only after selecting the ad-free option would the content again be played in full “feature scope,” including Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos 3D sound.
On the flip side, the ad-free option is not only suggested to users with a popup when starting the Prime Video app (only once) but is also prominently placed in the Prime Video app with its tile (blue TV symbol). Neither is Amazon’s official communication, nor when selecting the additional option could you find any indications that Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision features require an add-on subscription.
The general conclusion is that it is absolutely inappropriate for Amazon to impose such a downgrade on its customers without the appropriate notification.
Controversial Advertising Integration
Aside from that, integrating advertising from Amazon’s financial perspective is certainly not necessary so that “even more fantastic content can be offered to Prime members.” It is no coincidence that the consumer protection organization is currently dealing with this hidden price increase, and the lawsuit against the company also does not mention that there are no qualitative differences between the two subscriptions.
Overall, Amazon’s decision to offer Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision only in the add-on subscription is a move many users find in bad faith. Whether Amazon will respond to the criticism in the coming days remains to be seen.
One thing is for sure: this is something that will rumble on for a while. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
