Prime Video is becoming the first streaming service to offer HDR10+ Advanced, bringing the next generation of Samsung-backed HDR technology to compatible televisions worldwide.
The format is rolling out during August on supported Prime Video films and programmes, initially through selected models in Samsung’s 2026 television range.
HDR10+ Advanced promises brighter highlights, improved shadow detail and more intelligent motion processing. However, Samsung and Amazon have yet to confirm the complete list of compatible televisions or launch titles.
What is HDR10+ Advanced?
HDR10+ Advanced is an evolution of the existing HDR10+ picture format.
Standard HDR10 uses fixed information to determine how brightness and colour should be displayed across an entire video. HDR10+ adds dynamic metadata, allowing compatible televisions to adjust their presentation from one scene or frame to another.
The new Advanced specification gives televisions more detailed information with which to optimise the picture.
According to Samsung’s official announcement, the technology has been designed around modern displays with higher peak brightness, greater colour depth and more powerful image processors.
Its headline improvements include Enhanced Overall Brightness and Intelligent Motion Smoothing.
Enhanced brightness without losing detail
Modern premium televisions can produce substantially brighter images than the models available when HDR10+ was first introduced.
Enhanced Overall Brightness is intended to use that additional capability more effectively. Compatible televisions can apply advanced tone mapping to produce stronger highlights while preserving detail in darker areas of the picture.
That could prove particularly valuable in films containing bright effects alongside deep shadows, such as science-fiction, action and fantasy releases.
The final result will still depend heavily on the television’s panel, backlighting system and image processor. HDR metadata cannot make an entry-level display perform like a flagship Mini LED or OLED television, but it can help compatible hardware use its available capabilities more effectively.
Intelligent Motion Smoothing explained
Motion smoothing remains one of the most divisive television features.
Strong processing can make sport and fast action appear clearer, but applying the same settings to films can create the artificial appearance commonly called the “soap opera effect”.
HDR10+ Advanced introduces content-aware motion information that allows a television to alter its processing according to the scene.
In principle, a fast sporting sequence could receive stronger motion treatment while a cinematic scene retains more of its original presentation. This should reduce the need to change picture settings manually when moving between films, television programmes and live sport.
Its effectiveness will ultimately depend on how manufacturers implement the feature and how much control viewers receive.
Which televisions support HDR10+ Advanced?
Samsung says the first compatible products will come from its 2026 television range.
The company has not published a definitive global model list, making it important for buyers to check the specification of an individual television rather than assuming every 2026 Samsung model will support the format.
Older Samsung televisions can continue displaying ordinary HDR10 and HDR10+ material, but there is currently no confirmed upgrade path that would add the complete Advanced feature set.
Availability may also differ between countries and models. UK owners should check Samsung’s support information and ensure their television and Prime Video app are fully updated.
Which Prime Video programmes will use it?
Prime Video will provide HDR10+ Advanced on supported titles globally, including access for both advertising-supported and premium subscribers, according to the HDR10+ organisation.
Neither Amazon nor Samsung has released a complete catalogue of compatible films and programmes.
That means the initial selection could be limited while Amazon prepares additional masters and compatible metadata. Viewers should look for HDR10+ Advanced labelling within the Prime Video interface once the rollout reaches their television.
Prime Video has supported the original HDR10+ standard since 2017, so it already possesses a substantial catalogue and delivery infrastructure built around dynamic HDR metadata. Tech Torque Media’s streaming-services comparison explains how Prime Video’s wider offering compares with its major rivals.
Does it replace Dolby Vision?
HDR10+ Advanced is best understood as a rival to next-generation Dolby Vision technology rather than a universal replacement.
Samsung televisions continue to support HDR10, HDR10+ and several related formats, but the company has historically chosen not to include Dolby Vision.
Other television manufacturers use different combinations of HDR formats. A television’s overall picture quality, local dimming, peak brightness and processing remain more important than support for a single logo.
Buyers comparing new televisions should also consider their preferred streaming services. Format support is only valuable when both the display and the selected content use it. The choice between a television’s own apps and another playback device is explored in Tech Torque Media’s Apple TV 4K versus built-in smart TV apps guide.
What viewers need to watch HDR10+ Advanced
- A compatible Samsung 2026 television
- Current television firmware
- The latest Prime Video application
- A Prime Video subscription
- A film or programme mastered in HDR10+ Advanced
- Sufficient broadband speed for 4K HDR streaming
An external streamer will not automatically add HDR10+ Advanced to an incompatible television. Every device in the playback chain must recognise and pass the required format.
Owners using an AV receiver or soundbar with HDMI passthrough should also check its video-format support. Connecting the streaming source directly to the television may provide the simplest route where compatibility is uncertain. Further practical advice is available in Tech Torque Media’s guide to building a home cinema on a budget.
A meaningful upgrade with unanswered questions
HDR10+ Advanced has the potential to improve how modern high-brightness televisions present streaming content, particularly when scenes combine intense highlights, deep shadows and rapid movement.
Prime Video’s participation gives the format an important launch platform, while Samsung’s position in the television market could help it reach a considerable audience.
However, several practical details remain unclear. Buyers still need confirmed model compatibility, a visible catalogue of supported content and independent testing before the real-world benefit can be judged.
For now, HDR10+ Advanced is a promising addition rather than a reason to replace an otherwise capable television.
Tech Torque Verdict
HDR10+ Advanced has the potential to deliver a more consistent and immersive viewing experience on compatible Samsung TVs. While not every viewer will notice a dramatic difference, the update represents another step forward in bringing premium picture quality to mainstream streaming services.
