What is Dolby Vision? Dolby's own HDR tech explained

(Pocket-lint) - One of the biggest video technologies to look successful caller times is High Dynamic Range, different known arsenic HDR.

There are respective antithetic formats of HDR available, not conscionable connected TVs but besides mobile phones and different devices, and 1 of those is from Dolby.

So, present we explicate precisely what Dolby Vision is, however it differs to HDR10 (the astir communal HDR format), which manufacturers enactment it and what contented determination is. 

What is Dolby Vision?

HDR is simply a video exertion that presents pictures successful with a wider magnitude of colours, brightness and contrast, allowing them to look much earthy connected a HDR-enabled display.

Dolby Vision takes things 1 measurement further. It is simply a mentation of HDR that is designed to sphere a batch much accusation that tin travel done from the archetypal contented instauration - astatine a Hollywood studio, for illustration - to that content's accomplishment connected your TV oregon mobile device. This accusation is called metadata and it carries the brightness accusation for each framework of a movie oregon TV show, truthful the TV (or phone, oregon tablet) knows precisely however to show representation done the full movie.

Because this accusation is determination for each frame, it's called dynamic metadata, whereas stardard HDR10 lone has 1 information point, oregon static metadata. So, successful short, Dolby Vision is an HDR modular that uses dynamic metadata. The purpose is to springiness you amended visuals and amended the representation quality.

The main quality betwixt Dolby Vision and HDR10 is the colour extent and brightness the contented and instrumentality is susceptible of achieving. Dolby Vision contented is mastered up to 12-bit colour depth, compared to HDR10's 10-bit (which is wherever HDR10 gets its sanction from). 

You mightiness beryllium wondering what quality 12-bit makes implicit 10-bit? Well, 12-bit colour extent gives entree to implicit 68 cardinal colours, compared to 1 cardinal with 10-bit. This means the colours you spot from Dolby Vision films and connected compatible TVs are expected to beryllium acold much close and arsenic the manager intended.

Dolby Vision contented tin besides beryllium mastered for 10,000 nits highest brightness but astatine the moment, nary show tin enactment this, truthful contented is really mastered to astir 4,000 nits. However, it's acceptable for erstwhile the displays enactment it.

What is Dolby Vision IQ?

Dolby Vision IQ is an improvement of the Dolby Vision modular that allows for changes successful ambient light. It uses the sensor connected your TV to observe the ambient airy levels and tin past set the Dolby Vision contented truthful that everything remains accurate. 

Unlike a nonrecreational grading workplace wherever Dolby Vision masters are created, your mean location volition person differing airy levels passim the time - that mightiness beryllium agleam sunshine, artificial lighting successful the evening, oregon possibly you crook everything disconnected for movie night. Dolby Vision IQ tin observe these changes and set the contented accordingly, truthful things aren't excessively acheronian oregon agleam due to the fact that the airy level successful the country has changed. 

Dolby Vision IQ was introduced successful 2020 and is disposable connected Panasonic and LG televisions, specified arsenic the LG C1 OLED oregon Panasonic HZ1500. It volition not beryllium availalbe connected mobile devices.

Which manufacturers enactment Dolby Vision?

In bid to ticker Dolby Vision contented you request to person the close equipment. The payment of Dolby Vision TVs is that they tin enactment HDR10 arsenic well, but HDR10 TVs can't necesarily play Dolby Vision content, truthful if you privation the champion of some worlds, Dolby Vision is the mode to go.

Originally, Dolby Vision instrumentality had dedicated chips wrong which work the metadata and reproduced the images. However, arsenic TV processors person go much advanced, it's present imaginable to alteration Dolby Vision done a software update. More precocious we've smartphone support get which is wholly software-based and Dolby Vision is connected a fig of tablets and laptops too.

The pursuing manufacturers each enactment Dolby Vision connected a fig of TV sets (not an exhaustive list):

• LG
• Panasonic
• Philips
• Sony
• TCL
• Hisense

You'll enactment that Samsung isn't connected the list. That's due to the fact that Samsung is simply a spouse successful a rival format called HDR10+. This is simply a strategy that besides uses dynamic metadata, but is inactive 10-bit alternatively than 12-bit. Many caller TVs (Panasonic, Philips, Sony) enactment some Dolby Vision and HDR10+, you conscionable won't find a Samsung TV that offers Dolby Vision supprt.

The Apple TV 4K, Chromecast with Google TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K each enactment Dolby Vision too, meaning you tin watercourse Vision contented to a compatible TV via those devices. Dolby Vision is supported connected the Roku Ultra, arsenic good arsenic the caller Roku Streaming Stick 4K.

You tin besides bargain Dolby Vision-compatible Ultra HD Blu-ray players from Sony and Panasonic among others. 

squirrel_widget_4445575

What astir Dolby Vision connected mobile devices?

Let's not disregard mobile HDR successful this equation. With the motorboat of the LG G6, Dolby Vision playback appeared connected its archetypal mobile device. Since then, galore others person jumped connected board. There are present galore different mobile devices person been released that enactment Dolby Vision.

• Mobile HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10 and everything you request to cognize astir aboriginal mobile entertainment

Apple is 1 marque to follow the format for itself and, successful the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max handsets for 2020, it introduced video seizure successful Dolby Vision. Apple was the archetypal mobile shaper to enactment Dolby Vision for idiosyncratic recordings.

What Dolby Vision contented tin I watch?

With galore radical getting their contented from streaming services, that's wherever astir radical volition acquisition Dolby Vision contented - yes, it's supported connected immoderate Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, but it's truly streaming services that are delivering the Vision goods. For illustration (again, not exhaustive).

• Netflix
• Apple TV+ and Apple Movies
• Disney+
• Amazon Video

This has produced immoderate large shows successful Dolby Vision - for illustration Amazon's Jack Ryan, Netflix's Altered Carbon, tons of movies from Apple, oregon The Mandolorian connected Disney+.

Dolby Vision and gaming

Dolby Vision isn't conscionable constricted to TV content, it has besides made its mode into gaming. Again, you'll devices that enactment it - but with the Xbox Series X and S supporting Dolby Vision, if it's hooked up to a DV-compatible TV, past you'll beryllium capable to bask the benefits it brings to your games.

Xbox says that over 100 titles are oregon volition soon beryllium disposable successful Dolby Vision for the Xbox Series X and S.

squirrel_widget_2744430

Writing by Max Langridge. Editing by Chris Hall. Originally published connected 9 January 2017.