Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video didn’t just force ads, it took away Dolby Vision and Atmos too

Ben Schoon | Feb 13 2024 - 8:05 am PT

Amazon Prime Video has been a perk of Prime for years, but this year the company forced ads on users who weren’t willing to pay a bit extra for the service. As it turns out, Amazon also stripped Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos from Prime Video’s “free” tier too.

Prime Video, like Netflix, Disney+, and others, has a library of content including feature films, TV shows, and its own originals too. Amazon has invested in the service pretty heavily over the years, and one of its biggest selling points was that it was included in an Amazon Prime subscription. Users could subscribe independently of the bigger option, but with Prime already being a great deal for many, it made for a great offer. But, recently, Amazon forced ads on anyone using Prime Video unless they were willing to pay an additional $2.99/month.

The abrupt change was already viewed negatively, but there’s actually more to it.

First spotted by 4KFilme, Amazon Prime Video now also restricts Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos surround sound to that new paid tier. Across multiple streaming platforms, Prime Video only supports 4K, HDR10, and 5.1 surround sound if you don’t pay the extra $2.99, but Dolby Vision and Atmos return as soon as you upgrade your subscription.

Prior to the paid tier’s rollout, Amazon didn’t say that these options would be removed from Prime Video users.

There’s no glitch here either, as Amazon has confirmed this is intentional. Speaking to The Verge, Amazon says that “Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos capabilities are only available on the ad free option, on relevant titles.”