Last updated on January 23rd, 2024 at 02:31 am
If you’ve come across 4K HDTVs or Blu-ray players with the Dolby Vision logo and are wondering what it’s all about, this post will clear the air on the matter.
Dolby Vision Explained
Dolby Vision is a type of High Dynamic Range (HDR ) employed in TV, Blu-ray players and streaming video.
It is an improvement on the current HDR standards popular in the market, namely HDR10 and HDR10+ and HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma).
Dolby Vision works by adding an extra layer of video information to an existing HDR 10 signal.
HDR10 contains scene-by-scene video information. It does a good job of improving color contrast and color accuracy. When Dolby Vision is added to it, there’s a significant improvement in picture quality.
Viewers get to see brighter brights and darker blacks. Your TV gets to show a fuller range of colors.
Is Dolby Vision 4K?
Yes, Dolby Vision works only on a 4K setup. You can’t get Dolby Vision to work on equipment that supports only Full HD 1080p video.
More and more devices are supporting Dolby Vision. 4K TVs and Blu-ray players aside, it is supported in smartphones and tablets as well.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro support Dolby Vision. The latter even comes with a Dolby Vision camera.
Dolby Vision HDR vs HDR10
HDR10 is an open standard. This means device manufacturers aren’t compelled to pay royalties for using the technology.
Dolby Vision, on the other hand, is Dolby’s proprietary HDR standard. A license fee is required to use the technology.
HDR10 has a bit depth of 10, whereas Dolby Vision HDR has 12.
HDR10 has the capability of displaying 1.07 billion colors.
Dolby Vision shoots ahead with 68.7 billion colors.
So, when it comes to Dolby Vision vs HDR10 it’s the color bit depth and the number of colors that make the difference.
The standout advantage of Dolby Vision over HDR10 is its support of dynamic metadata. HDR10 supports only static metadata.
Metadata carries scene-to-scene instructions. Static metadata carries instructions that apply to the whole of the movie. Dynamic metadata, however, can dictate how a specific scene or shot should be displayed.
So, you get a better immersive experience when watching a Dolby Vision movie.
HDR10+ vs Dolby Vision
HDR10+ is Dolby Vision’s closest rival. In April 2017, Samsung, the largest-selling TV brand in the world, announced that it will be partnering with Amazon Prime Video to support the development of HDR10+.
Panasonic also supports the format while supporting Dolby Vision as well.
HDR10+ supports dynamic metadata which allows devices to extract the best picture quality from every single frame of video.
But then it loses out to Dolby Vision when it comes bit depth and the number of colors. HDR10+ has a 10-bit color depth whereas Dolby Vision’s color depth is 12 bit.
HDR10+ can display up to 1.07 billion colors.
Dolby Vision supports a whooping 68.7 billion colors.
Currently, Amazon Prime Video has over HDR10+ 100 movies and TV shows. That’s more than Dolby Vision’s releases. Also, note that Prime videos with HDR are automatically streamed in HDR10+.
How to Enjoy Dolby Vision
If you’re bought into the advantage of Dolby Vision, you would need a 4K TV and a 4K Blu-ray player that support this state-of-the-art HDR technology.
If a TV set comes with Dolby Vision HDR it is backward compatible with HDR10. It means you can enjoy HDR10 content when you don’t play Dolby Vision content.
Dolby Vision TV
TV manufacturing giants like Sony, Panasonic, LG, and TCL have adopted the Dolby Vision technology in their 4K TV sets.
Only Samsung hasn’t followed the same route.
Here are some leading Dolby Vision TV sets you may want to check out.
TCL 50-inch 5-Series 4K UHD Dolby Vision HDR QLED Roku Smart TV
- Quantum dot technology with HDR10 and Dolby Vision for superior picture
- Roku Smart TV Platform supported
- Voice-enabled remote control and eARC
Hisense 55-Inch Class R8 Series Dolby Vision & Atmos 4K ULED Roku Smart TV
- Roku TV enabled with Dolby Vision HDR
- Motion rate 240-image processing for smoother fast-motion video
- Voice command supported
Dolby Vision Blu-ray Players
If you already own a Dolby Vision TV then it makes sense to include a Dolby Vision Blu-ray player to experience the state-of-the-art HDR technology.
Here are some Dolby Vision Blu-ray Players you may want to check out.
Panasonic Streaming 4K Blu Ray Player with Dolby Vision
- Supports HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HCG)
- Comes with Panasonic’s Hollywood Cinema Experience (HCX) processor
- Supports 4K VOD streaming services like YouTube, Netflix and Prime Video
LG UBK90 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray Player with Dolby Vision
- Supports wireless 4K video streaming
- Next-generation Dolby Vision compatible
- Supports 3D Blu-ray
Check out more Dolby Vision Blu-ray players.
Dolby Vision on Netflix
If you’ve got yourself a Dolby Vision HDR TV, you can start enjoying Netflix streaming in Dolby Vision.
If you already have a subscription, you can upgrade it to the Ultra HD streaming plan. Be reminded though that you would need to have an Internet connection speed of at least 25Mbps.
