HDR10+ Advanced is the first major successor to HDR10+, and Amazon is taking it seriously: Starting in August 2026, Prime Video will be the first streaming service in the world to stream content in this new format. The catch: At launch, this will only work with Samsung’s 2026 model-year TVs; all other devices will have to wait.
Samsung and Amazon officially announced the partnership on August 11, 2026, via the Samsung Newsroom. It’s a major coup for both sides: Samsung gains a unique selling point for its new TVs, while Amazon can tout a true technological first—even before Dolby has announced a launch date for its competing technology, Dolby Vision 2.
In a nutshell
- HDR10+ Advanced is the next level of HDR10+, featuring smarter brightness control and AI-powered motion smoothing.
- Prime Video will launch in August 2026 as the first streaming service to support the new format.
- At launch, it will run exclusively on Samsung’s 2026 model-year TV lineup, with additional devices to follow.
- The standard is royalty-free and backward-compatible. MediaTek, Roku, and Colorfront are already on board as partners.
- Competitor Dolby Vision 2 does not yet have a launch date, so Samsung and Amazon will be the first to make their way into living rooms.
What Sets HDR10+ Advanced Apart from Previous Technology
HDR10+ has existed since 2017 as an open, royalty-free alternative to Dolby Vision. Unlike the static HDR10, HDR10+ uses dynamic metadata that adjusts brightness and contrast scene by scene. HDR10+ Advanced builds directly on this foundation but uses significantly more extensive statistical metadata. This allows compatible devices to control brightness, motion rendering, and color reproduction more precisely, without streaming providers or studios having to pay licensing fees. According to the technical documentation from HDR10+ Technologies, the new format also remains backward compatible with existing HDR10+ devices.
The Most Important New Features in Detail
In its announcement, Samsung highlights two features in particular. Enhanced Overall Brightness uses expanded metadata to truly tap into the brightness reserves of modern premium displays, rather than letting them go to waste. Intelligent Motion Smoothing uses AI to smooth out motion, distinguishing between a movie with its typical visual style and a sports or action scene that benefits from smooth motion rendering.
The technical documentation for HDR10+ Technologies lists additional components of the format:
| Function | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Local Tone Mapping | More precise brightness control in individual areas of the image, particularly relevant for Mini-LED TVs. |
| Genre Optimization | Automatic adjustment of picture settings based on content, such as movies, sports, or gaming. |
| Advanced Color Control | More precise color reproduction through dynamic calculation of the color space. |
| Adaptive Cloud Gaming | Real-time adjustment to ambient light, designed for cloud gaming sessions. |
The press release does not specify whether Prime Video will make full use of all six features at launch or will initially limit itself to the two core features.
Which TVs support HDR10+ Advanced?
At launch, the new technology will be exclusive to Samsung’s 2026 model-year TVs; according to Samsung, an expansion to future products is planned but no timeline has been set yet. The press release does not specify exactly which series are included—such as Neo QLED or OLED. Samsung EVP Taeyong Son puts it this way in the announcement: “We’re bringing HDR10+ Advanced to living rooms for the first time, offering a next-generation streaming experience.”
The announcement fits the bigger picture: With its first Micro-RGB-LED smart TV, Samsung had already demonstrated how intensively the company is working on new display technology; HDR10+ Advanced fits into this as a software-based upgrade.
Samsung explicitly mentions one limitation: HDR10+ Advanced does not work in Filmmaker Mode, which is actually intended to provide the most faithful image reproduction possible without post-processing.
Launch and Availability: When Does It Start?
Prime Video plans to roll out HDR10+ Advanced worldwide in August 2026. Amazon has not yet specified which titles will be the first to feature the new format. Prime Video VP BA Winston describes the vision behind it as follows: “Every scene can be displayed in full detail.”
HDR10+ Advanced vs. Dolby Vision 2: Who’s Faster?
The real competition is playing out between Samsung/Amazon and the Dolby camp. Dolby has announced a comparable next step with Dolby Vision 2, which is set to run on Peacock as well as on TVs from Hisense and TCL. However, as reported by TechRadar and others, a launch date has not yet been announced. This means Samsung, with Prime Video, will be the first to enter living rooms, even though Dolby Vision is the more established standard with significantly broader device and studio support.
| HDR10+ Advanced | Dolby Vision 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| First Streaming Partner | Prime Video | Peacock |
| First TV Partners | Samsung (2026 model year) | Hisense, TCL |
| Launch Date | August 2026 | TBD |
| Licensing model | License-free | Subject to fees for manufacturers |
Unresolved Issues and Points of Criticism
Things aren’t quite as smooth as the press release makes them sound. Neither Samsung nor Amazon has yet specified any particular TV series or model numbers for which HDR10+ Advanced will actually be enabled. Nor is it known which movies or series on Prime Video will be the first to benefit from the new format. And the fact that the technology remains disabled in Filmmaker Mode is likely to raise eyebrows among cinephiles in particular—after all, this mode is the top choice for many home theater enthusiasts. There’s also the question of how quickly other TV manufacturers and streaming providers will follow suit, because without broad support, any new HDR format remains, for the time being, a niche solution.
Conclusion: Is HDR10+ Advanced worth it?
For most users, nothing will change for the time being. However, anyone who has one of the new Samsung TVs from the 2026 model year in their living room and streams Prime Video on it will receive the upgrade virtually automatically in the coming weeks, at no additional cost. Whether HDR10+ Advanced establishes itself as the new standard in the long run depends primarily on how quickly other TV manufacturers and streaming services follow suit. And Dolby still has a significant say in the matter with Dolby Vision 2, even if Samsung and Amazon currently have the lead at launch.
