Amazon Grabs Key Tech Advantage Over Netflix With World's First HDR Streaming Service [Updated]

[Update: Since writing the story below, Amazon has informed me that adding HDR (using 10-bit encoding) to its video streams requires no extra broadband bit-rate. It has also confirmed that HDR is available on all streams of its HDR-enabled titles. In other words, it's not just available with the UHD versions of Mozart In The Jungle and Red Oaks, but can also be enjoyed right down to Amazon's lowest 150Kbps video streams.]

Amazon has announced that from today (June 24 2015) Amazon Prime members in the US can watch the whole of the first season of Amazon Original Series ‘Mozart In The Jungle’ plus the pilot episode of ‘Red Oaks’ in the AV world’s new high dynamic range (HDR) image format.

So long as they happen to have one of Samsung’s SUHD TVs, that is.

According to Amazon’s statement about this ground-breaking news, Prime members will be able to stream the series in HDR through the Amazon app on their Samsung SUHD TVs at no extra charge to their membership.

This is great news as it suggests that HDR - which offers an expanded luminance range to improve contrast, colour response and shadow detail - is going to be treated as a selling point for streaming platforms rather than a justification for higher subscription charges.

Given its decision to charge extra for its Ultra HD service, mind you, it will interesting to see if Netflix takes the same approach when it launches its own HDR streams.

In case you’re not sure if your Samsung TV fits the SUHD bill, you’re basically looking at one of the brand’s 2015 JS9500, JS9100, JS9000, JS8600, JS8500 and JS850D series models, plus the soon to be launched 60in JS7000. Samsung SUHD TVs are at the time of writing the only TVs able to play HDR sources.

Michael Paull, VP of Digital Video at Amazon, had this to say about the HDR launch: “We can’t wait for our Prime members to watch and re-watch ‘Mozart In The Jungle' in HDR at no additional cost to their membership, and we look forward to adding more titles and devices that support HDR this year.”

The other devices Paull refers to will likely be the other HDR-capable TVs just coming to market, once those TVs - including some Sony , Panasonic and (OLED) LG models - have received the firmware updates necessary to unlock their HDR potential. VIZIO’s Reference TV series can probably also be expected to support the HDR streams at some point.

Series writer/director Roman Coppola is also, not surprisingly, pretty pleased with the HDR launch of his show. “It's been a great year for ‘Mozart In The Jungle’,” he says. “Now, having the first season available for fans in an upgraded visual experience is exciting — the enhanced quality makes every scene look even better and we hope it's something that our viewers really enjoy.”

The fact that Amazon has beaten Netflix to the high dynamic range punch is striking, and underlines just how keen Amazon is to change the past perception that it usually had to play technology catch-up with its arch streaming rival.

I’ve asked Amazon for more details on the HDR service - such as how much extra broadband speed it might need, and when it might be rolling out beyond the US - and will update this story when I find out more.