Disney Plus is finally upon us. For viewers outside of the US and The Netherlands, it’s been a long and painful wait, with a serious risk of encountering spoilers from hit new shows like The Mandalorian airing months ahead of the service’s global launch.
If you’re hoping to be streaming Disney Plus on a Samsung television, however, there's a cut-off point at which your set may be too old to support the flashy Disney streaming app.
Samsung has announced that new Samsung TVs released from 2016 onwards will be perfectly capable of supporting the service, with the app being available for download on Samsung’s Tizen smart TV platform – or pre-installed on 2020 models – and compatible with the Bixby smart assistant for voice control options.
This isn’t unusual in itself: modern apps and streaming services are made with modern operating systems in mind, and there comes a point at which older software simply isn’t compatible with the code for a new app.
Does my Samsung TV support Disney Plus?
Here's a quick cheat sheet for reading a Samsung label:
Example: Samsung UN55MU7000FXZA
1. UN: Territory that the TV is offered in (UN for America, UE for Europe and UA for Asia/Australia)
2. 55: Screen size (this is a 55-inch TV)
3. MU: Indicates what year the TV was made (MU indicates a 2017 model)
4. 7000: The last number is the series (higher is better but also more expensive typically)
There are a lot of Samsung TVs released each year, and hopefully you’ll know which year you bought one in; if you’re unclear, though, here’s a rough guide to finding out.
The easiest way is to look in the Apps section of your Samsung’s smart TV platform, though the Disney Plus app may not appear there before the March 24 release date in the UK or across Europe (excepting The Netherlands).
You can find the serial code and model number on the back of your Samsung TV – or head to Menu > Support > Contact Samsung to find this information digitally on newer Samsung smart TVs.
In an example model number – UN55MU7000FXZA – the two letters after ‘55’ refer to the year the product is released. ‘MU’ means the model was released in 2017, so any model numbers that say MU, NU, RU, or SU will support Disney Plus. Model numbers that use letters earlier in the alphabet, such as 'F' (2013), won’t support Disney Plus.
My Samsung TV has failed me! What do I do?
If your Samsung TV isn’t up to the task of hosting the Disney Plus app, you have a few alternatives.
For one, Disney Plus is available on a host of different platforms, including smartphones, tablets, PC, Xbox One and PS4 consoles, as well as Nvidia Shield TV, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Sky Q, Fire TV Stick, and Google Chromecast. Hisense TVs, LG TVs, and Philips TVs support Disney Plus too (in case you have more than one TV in your home).
If you can't take advantage of any of those solutions, you should still have access to other TV streaming services on your Samsung TV, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV Plus.
Hang on, I want a new Samsung TV!
You can check out some prices on Samsung TVs below, or head to our guide to the very best Samsung TVs on the market today.
- Check out these 12 smart TV apps for your Samsung TV
