Dolby Vision 2 to Bring New Video Engine and More on New TVs

Dolby announced today Dolby Vision 2, the latest generation of the company’s proprietary HDR format that brings a next-gen video engine, new Content Intelligence tools, and a motion control tool called “Authentic Motion.” HiSense is the first TV manufacturer to announce Dolby Vision 2 support on an upcoming lineup of MiniLED TVs, and the new HDR technology will also be available in a premium “Max” tier.

“We’ve reached an inflection point where TV technology has dramatically changed while artists continue to demand even more innovative tools,” said John Couling, Senior Vice President, Entertainment at Dolby Laboratories. “Dolby Vision 2 redefines how we think of Dolby Vision to unleash the full capabilities of modern TVs while giving artists unprecedented opportunities to push their creative boundaries further than ever before.”

The French media group Canal+ is the first to announce its commitment to support Dolby Vision 2 across movies, series, and live sports. Dolby promises “dramatically improved picture quality” on TVs that will support the basic Dolby Vision 2 tier, while Dolby Vision 2 Max-compatible TVs will support additional premium features to deliver the best possible picture quality.

Dolby Vision was introduced back in 2010, and the technology delivers an improved HDR experience with the use of dynamic metadata to adjust image quality on a frame-by-frame basis. The improved Dolby Vision 2 image engine will improve the viewing experience even further with Content Intelligence tools, which include Precision Black, Light Sense, and sports and gaming optimizations.

“Building on Content Intelligence, Dolby Vision 2 introduces new tone-mapping that takes advantage of modern TV improvements,” the company explained in a press release. “With bi-directional tone mapping, creators now have new controls that let them make the most of these enhanced displays. This allows high-performance TVs to deliver higher brightness, sharper contrast, and deeply saturated colors while preserving the artist’s creative vision.”

Lastly, Authentic Motion will be able to remove judder to make scenes “more authentically cinematic.” Whether that works in practice remains to be seen, as many smart TVs today offer motion-smoothing technology that most power users prefer to disable.