Dolby Vision 2 is here! It will solve what every filmmaker hates and will soon come to new TVs

More than ten years after the original version was introduced, Dolby Vision has received a successor. The second generation comes with a significant dose of artificial intelligence and promises to finally solve the long-standing problem of overly dark HDR scenes. And beware – it gives filmmakers a tool to prevent the hated “soap opera effect” when smoothing motion.

AI will adjust the picture based on what you’re watching

At the heart of Dolby Vision 2 is a technology the company calls Content Intelligence. These are essentially smart algorithms that analyze what you’re watching and adjust the picture settings accordingly. It’s not just about recognizing whether you’re watching a movie or sports – the system also takes into account room lighting and your TV type.

The most interesting new feature is Precision Black. This addresses the eternal problem of HDR content – scenes that are simply too dark to see anything in them. Dolby promises that their solution will preserve the director’s creative intent, while also ensuring that even in a well-lit living room, you can see what’s happening in the dark corners of the image. Similarly, Light Sense works by using sensors to monitor ambient light and adjust brightness and contrast accordingly.

End of the Soap Opera Effect? Authentic Motion Aims to Preserve the Cinematic Feel

Motion smoothing is the bane of modern TVs. You turn on a movie, and suddenly it looks like a cheap TV series shot on video. Tom Cruise even filmed a video years ago, pleading with viewers to turn this feature off. Dolby is now introducing a solution called Authentic Motion.

It is reportedly the world’s first tool that gives creators control over motion smoothing – even at the level of individual shots. Filmmakers will thus be able to determine where smoothing is desirable (e.g., in panoramic shots) and where it would spoil the atmosphere. It sounds like a finally reasonable compromise between a smooth picture and preserving the cinematic feel.

Two Versions for Different Budgets

Dolby has learned from the past and is immediately dividing Vision 2 into two categories. Dolby Vision 2 Max will only be available in the most expensive TVs – these will utilize all the features, including advanced tone mapping and special optimizations. The standard version of Dolby Vision 2 will then target the mainstream with trimmed-down, but still useful, features.

Hisense Will Be First, Samsung Absent As Always

The first to adopt the technology will be Hisense, which will implement the new technology in its RGB Mini-LED TVs. These will run on the MediaTek Pentonic 800 chip, which is the first to offer hardware support for all Dolby Vision 2 features. When exactly these models will hit the market is not yet known – Hisense promises to announce dates later.

Dolby Vision 2 is here! It will solve what every filmmaker hates and will soon come to new TVs Jakub Kárník News Jakub Kárník News

French media group CANAL+ has also confirmed support – their films, series, and live sports broadcasts will gradually receive metadata for Dolby Vision 2. This is important because even the best technology would be useless without content.

It’s noteworthy that Samsung is once again on the sidelines. The Korean giant stubbornly supports only HDR10+ and ignores Dolby Vision. It’s questionable whether this strategy will work for them in the long run – while LG, Sony, TCL, and dozens of other brands use Dolby Vision, Samsung remains in opposition alone.

Backward Compatibility Maintained, But With a Catch

The good news is that current Dolby Vision content will also work on new TVs with Vision 2. Similarly, new content can be played on older TVs – you just won’t get all the enhancements. Dolby confirmed that older TVs simply ignore the additional metadata.

This means you don’t have to worry about the compatibility of your 4K Blu-ray collection or streaming services. Everything will work as before, only owners of new TVs will get something extra.

What do you think of Dolby Vision 2?

Source: Dolby