Dolby Vision 2: The future of HDR on TVs
By | Published: 2025-10-31 14:45:00 | Source: Digital Trends
It’s very hard to believe that Dolby Vision has actually been around for 10 years. At least for me. Maybe because, in this day and age, what do you know that goes 10 years without a sequel? Besides, like the movie Avatar.
Anyway, not long ago, Dolby announced Dolby Vision 2, an HDR format that promises to take your TV viewing experience to new heights, which can be a lot of good considering the current format still looks great.
But the new version promises a lot of really cool things.
Smarter HDR with Content Intelligence
Content intelligence features, with AI capabilities, should give viewers the best view of content depending on the device and environment.
One feature Dolby offers for Vision 2 is Precision Black, which aims to prevent images from being “too dark.”
Think Game of Thrones. Precision Black will make the content clear enough to see without sacrificing artistic intent. So, if the director wants a dark scene, it will still be dark, but you will be able to see it clearly. It will be interesting to see.
Light sensor and smarter image adjustments
Light Sense adjusts picture quality by detecting ambient light and optimizing how your TV displays content.
I’m curious to see how different it is and how much better it is than the ambient light sensors and automatic settings natively built into many current TVs.
Improve sports and games
Sports and Gaming Optimization will offer white point adjustments and enhanced motion control specifically designed to meet the unique needs of live sports and gaming.
So, I suppose this is a unique way to make quick adjustments to the random movements and actions you get from sports and games. And in HDR, I’m sure it will be great to watch.
Dolby also mentions improvements to tone mapping that will take advantage of existing TVs and their brighter, more colorful range.
Which TVs will get Dolby Vision 2?
After hearing all that, the question in the room is which TVs will get these features, and when. We know that Hisense was the first to start working on introducing Dolby Vision 2 into its TVs, but should we expect more?
Fortunately, Dolby was kind enough to answer some of my questions. So let me tell you what I was able to learn.
Will existing TVs be updated?
The first question is one that’s been on everyone’s mind since the announcement: Are there any TVs currently available that are capable of receiving Dolby Vision 2 via a firmware update? Or does it have to be built into the hardware when the TV is manufactured?
I ask this question because a large part of what is offered with Dolby Vision 2 is hardware dependent. A feature like Light Sense, for example, adjusts picture quality by detecting ambient light and optimizing how the TV displays content.
So, you need to have a light sensor, first and foremost, and I think most high-end TVs do to some extent, but I assume you also need it to work well enough to meet Dolby standards.
Dolby’s answer is that it’s no different than when Vision first launched. This is primarily a decision of the manufacturer to update TVs in the field. After that, it will depend on the capabilities of the TV and whether the TV is capable of enabling Dolby Vision 2.
This answer says a lot, and is likely great news. They point to the launch of the original Dolby Vision because at the time, in 2014, even though it was brand new, manufacturers were able to roll out firmware updates for compatible TVs. So it looks like this will be the case again. We just need to hope that the manufacturers play ball and send out the update instead of making us buy a new TV with the new format.
At least we know that there are some TVs capable of supporting Dolby Vision 2.
What about streaming devices?
The next question was: Will the streaming devices be able to support Dolby Vision 2 or Dolby Vision 2 Max? Or does it need to be built into a TV because of the features we mentioned, like Light Sense and Precision Black, which are features you need to be aware of in your projector and TV viewing environment?
The answer is that all Dolby Vision-equipped source devices will continue to provide excellent picture quality on any Dolby Vision-equipped TV, and even better picture quality on Dolby Vision 2 TVs.
This makes sense. on Frequently asked questions pageindicates that existing Dolby Vision content will not need to be remastered for Dolby Vision 2, and that there will be tools and encoders available to enhance this existing content for Dolby Vision 2 devices and add new metadata to help those devices improve picture quality.
All of this means that if your TV is only capable of playing regular Dolby Vision, this is what you’ll get. But if your TV supports Dolby Vision 2, you’ll see improvements over existing Dolby Vision content.
What’s next for Dolby Vision 2?
I promise I’m almost there because I don’t know how many times I can say Dolby Vision.
The last question I asked was a Hail Mary that I assumed might not be answered. Basically, which other TV makers, besides the Hisense we already know, are working on bringing Dolby Vision 2 to their TVs? When will we see the first TV that supports the new format from Hisense or any other party?
The two words I got back were: Stay tuned. That’s fair. But I had to ask.
I imagine CES is when we might hear more about Dolby Vision 2, but I’m not really holding my breath on that. If history repeats itself, we may see 2026 lineups from a few brands, and at least one of those brands, Samsung, doesn’t support Dolby Vision in its TVs at all.
Final thoughts
Features like Precision Black and Light Sense we talked about, and some clever content optimizations for things like sports viewing and gaming, make it seem like Dolby thought everything through with the new format.
We’ll have Dolby Vision 2 Max for the best TVs, and Dolby Vision 2 for the rest of the devices that support them.
My questions for another day will be: Where will this cut be? We’ve already gone through the spec sheets and details with a fine-tooth comb in an attempt to find the slight differences between the TV models. Now we will need to look more seriously.
Also, what is the size of the difference that we will see? As I said before, on a lot of the best TVs we have now, Dolby Vision actually looks great. Would it be worth upgrading the TVs?
And is this what will finally push Samsung to include Dolby Vision in its HDR formats? It certainly doesn’t hurt business and sells some great TVs, but the lack of Dolby Vision seems to be a turnoff for a lot of you.
And if you’re fighting for buyers, and a brand like Hisense is already pushing you into the Mini LED segment, does Dolby Vision 2 now give it a definitive edge?
(Tags for subtitles)Audio/Video
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