- Disney+ subscribers believe the platform is changing Dolby Atmos availability at different times of the day
- They think it's due to server loads during speak streaming times
- Disney has yet to address the situation
Have you noticed changes in audio quality while streaming titles on Disney+ recently? If so, you’ll be glad to learn that you’re not alone on this one.
Some Disney+ subscribers have been noticing that the platform is seemingly adjusting which audio formats are available at certain times — primarily peak times — based on server load. Though it could simply be a matter of misinterpretation, it appears that a handful of users have experienced this, and some have taken to Reddit to address the issue.
In the main Reddit post, the author notes that they were able to stream with Dolby Atmos during the day, but only in 5.1 audio during evening hours despite being subscribed to Disney+ Premium.
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Only the Premium Disney+ plan ($18.99/ £14.99/ AU$20.99 a month) gives you access to both Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision viewing, while the $11.99/ £5.99/ AU$9.99 a month basic ad-supported plan offers viewing up to 5.1 audio and 1080p full HD video.
Not surprisingly, users are confused as to why they’re experiencing this apparent issue when they believe they should be able to access Dolby Atmos-supported titles no matter the time of day since they’re subscribed to the Premium plan. “I only noticed because the sound was way quieter, and then noticed it was only showing 5.1 while I was certain it was Dolby Atmos. I thought I was going mad”, the author of the initial Reddit post said in a reply to another user.
The issue seems to occur during peak streaming times in the evening, and several posters suggest that because the Disney+ servers are busier during these times there isn’t enough bandwidth for users to stream Dolby Atmos-supported content, with one Reddit user describing it as “a pressure release valve”.
It appears that this is also happening across a range of devices on which Disney+ is available. One user shared “It happened across all my devices, LG C3, Xbox, PS5, and even my phone. I got on to a live chat with [Disney+] and actually got refunded because as far as I’m concerned, I’m paying for the premium tier and not getting all the features.”The Disney+ help page does outline cases where the highest-quality audio may not be streamed. The company states that while “Disney+ will automatically use the highest-quality audio supported on your device (including external audio systems or soundbars) and available with your plan”’, this still depends on internet connection, device capability, and platform settings, emphasizing that not all content on the platform is Dolby Atmos supported.
Disney+ hasn’t yet publicly addressed the issue, but we’ve reached out to it for comment, and to ask if there are any workarounds users can try. We’ll update this article if and when we get a response.
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