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Category: Samsung OLED

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  • Netflix on Samsung TVs just got a whole lot better, thanks to HDR10+

    Samsung is finally clearing the way for a major upgrade to a better Netflix streaming experience on your smart TVs and monitors. The prodigious Korean display maker has confirmed HDR10+ codec support for Netflix streaming is coming to its large screens after the streaming giant added support last week.

    In a newsroom post, Samsung confirmed HDR10+ content on Netflix will now be accessible on 2025 Samsung Neo QLED, OLED, and Lifestyle TV models. It added support for PC monitors from 2024 and 2025 as well, which should include the Smart Monitor M7, M8, and M9 series at the very least.

    While older models have yet to gain proper support, Samsung says it will be extending the compatibility in the future — but with no timeline specified. The update is a major convincing factor for anyone who has been on the fence about buying Samsung’s premium OLED and QLED TVs but avoiding them for the lack of proper HDR10+ support in Netflix.

    This is because Netflix has traditionally supported Dolby Vision, another dynamic metadata HDR codec. As a result, any content suited for Dolby Vision would downgrade to HDR10 (not the 10+), which is a free and far inferior HDR technology. Meanwhile, HDR10+ is more advanced, and on par with Dolby Vision, in that it adapts to changes in exposure levels in the video separately for each frame instead of applying an averaging treatment based on the entire video. More importantly, you do not need to a flip a switch manually, and can expect the TVs to show the best possible video based on the content.

    A resounding victory for Samsung

    While HDR10+ has been supported by other leading streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+, Netflix recently came around and added support, allowing playback on screens that support HDR10+ but not Dolby Vision.

    This also means a significant victory for Samsung, which has been resisting to adopt Dolby Vision on its TVs, monitors, or phone screens. That is primarily because Samsung co-owns the HDR10+ protocol and earns royalty from other brands that use it. This hesitation has also led to a lingering display problem on flagship Samsung phones, which should hopefully be solved soon, even though Samsung has yet to make an announcement specifying that.

    Incidentally, you can already enjoy HDR10+ content on Netflix if you own a Samsung Galaxy phone — or even a Google Pixel with the right display for that matter. These features were turned on last week for Android when Netflix announced support.

  • The base iPhone 17 display could look as good as the iPhone 16 Pro

    If we combine all the rumors we’ve heard so far about the iPhone 17, it looks like the entire lineup will be equipped with top-quality displays — rather than just the Pro models.

    In contrast, if you buy an iPhone 16 right now, the type of display you get will depend on the model you choose. The Pro gets you a larger, Always-On display with ProMotion technology and an M14 OLED panel from Samsung, made with super high-quality materials.

    Buy a non-pro iPhone 16 and you get a smaller display without Always-On or ProMotion, and the OLED panel is made with lower-quality M12 materials.

    Older rumors have already suggested the entire iPhone 17 lineup will get the Always-On displays and the ProMotion tech that enables a 120Hz refresh rate — and now, a new report from Korean outlet ETNews suggests that all models will get the superior M14 OLED panels as well.

    The report claims that Samsung will supply M14 OLED panels for all four iPhone 17 models (this includes the new slim model possibly dubbed the iPhone Air). This is interesting not because it means the more affordable models will get better displays, but because it means they will get the same displays as the Pro models.

    If that’s the case, then the only big differences between the base and Pro models this generation would be the internal tech and the cameras. This could be a good move, since display tech and features like Always-On are some of the most compelling and easy-to-sell features of an iPhone — simply because they’re obvious and visible upgrades. Keeping them limited to Pro models for the 16 likely discouraged some base model buyers from upgrading because they knew they’d miss out on the exciting stuff.

    We’ll have to wait to find out if these reports are true, but I definitely have my fingers crossed. I’m a base model buyer myself, and I want that Always-On tech.