Netflix has announced a partnership with Razer to bring support for HDR10 and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 to the Razer Phone, marking the first time that a mobile device supports both premium formats. As the Razer Phone has only two front-facing speakers, the audio will be downmixed from the 5.1 stream, though the phone—at least on paper—has one of the most powerful speakers available.
The Netflix / Razer partnership also brings a special widget which allows subscribers to watch videos from their home screen. I'm unsure who exactly spends time just looking at their home screen—bringing picture-in-picture support would be preferable, though that requires Android 8.1, which has not yet been released for the Razer Phone.
Naturally, content delivered in this format necessarily uses a very high bitrate. Here's to hoping you have either unlimited data or a strong Wi-Fi signal to take full advantage of these features.
PRESS RELEASE
RAZER PHONE FIRST TO DELIVER NETFLIX IN BOTH HDR AND DOLBY DIGITAL PLUS 5.1 FOR PREMIUM SMARTPHONE ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE
Razer Phone HDR10-enabled display and dual Dolby-certified speakers provide an unmatched mobile theater experience
LAS VEGAS (CES 2018) – Razer™, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced that Netflix will be supported in HDR and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 on the Razer Phone. The Razer Phone now stands as the first smartphone to support both premium audio and video formats for Netflix.
“We engineered the Razer Phone to handle HDR video and sound like no other phone on the market,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “We are incredibly excited to deliver Netflix entertainment on a smartphone like never before, enabling us to take full measure of the Razer Phone’s HDR10-enabled display and dual-firing, front-facing Dolby-optimized speakers and THX-certified headphone connectivity.”
The Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 support on the Razer Phone is a first for Netflix on a mobile phone. The designation is typically reserved for high-end entertainment systems and PCs. 5.1 is the most commonly used layout in home cinema. It exploits five full-bandwidth channels (the “five”) and one low-frequency effects channel (the "point one"). 5.1 is also the standard surround sound audio component of digital broadcast and music.
“The Razer Phone brings an incredible Netflix viewing experience to the smartphone,” says Anthony Park, vice president of engineering at Netflix. “We look forward to delivering this experience to our members around the world so they can watch their favorite entertainment on the go in the best possible quality.”
Existing Razer Phone users will also benefit from the Netflix and Razer partnership with an over-the-air update later this month. This update will include the Netflix app and home screen widget for easy access, as well as firmware improvements to screen and sound to ensure a great Netflix experience. This update will come preloaded on all future Razer Phone releases.
Netflix members must be subscribed to the premium plan to watch in HDR, which includes titles like “Bright,” “Stranger Things 2” and the entire Marvel series.
