Amazon Prime Video strips Dolby Vision and Atmos from the ad tier

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Amazon Prime Video recently hiked the prices of its subscriptions in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and Austria, following in the footsteps of its competitors, Netflix, Disney Plus, and Hulu.

However, the platform is taking a different approach. It has introduced a new ad-free tier for $2.99 extra per month over what the Amazon Prime members already pay. While the Prime membership gets you the base tier – it’s now an ad-supported tier, as it will force advertisements onto users. 

Now, a report from 9to5Google has revealed the platform has also stripped the ad tier of Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos support.

Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos limited to the ad-free tier on Amazon Prime Video

Prime Video was one of the selling points of the Amazon Prime subscription. Like Netflix, Disney Plus, and others, Amazon Prime Video also offers a library of content, including feature films, TV shows, and its own originals.

However, the company is forcing ads on customers who aren’t willing to pay the additional fee of $2.99/month. 

While this was an abrupt change, customers haven’t received it positively. It seems there’s more to it. 

4KFilme was the first to spot that Amazon Prime Video isn’t offering Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos surround sound to the ad tier anymore. 

But you will get them back immediately after paying the extra $2.99 and upgrading your subscription. 

However, losing Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos support isn’t the issue. The issue is that the company didn’t say anything about these changes prior to the new tier’s rollout. 

Some even thought this was a glitch, but Amazon has confirmed to The Verge that this is intentional. 

“Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos capabilities are only available on the ad-free option, on relevant titles.”

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