Dolby Vision is now fully software based

[Mavrick]

Dolby's HDR standard is now available in a software version, which means it can show up on existing TVs and game consoles.

Dolby has announced that its HDR standard Dolby Vision is now fully software-based, meaning that existing devices such as consoles and televisions can take advantage of it.

"There are implementations that can run Dolby Vision in software, certainly in the console space but also in the TV SoC (System On a Chip) space," Dolby reps said Friday in Forbes.

Dolby Vision is a standard for High Dynamic Range (HDR) video that allows compatible displays and source devices to show content with much higher contrast and color saturation than previous broadcast material. It is a competitor to another standard, HDR10.

Many proprietary standards require specific hardware. And while there will be hardware implementations of Dolby Vision as well, offering a software version means customers won't necessarily need to buy a new TV to watch encoded content.

That means Dolby Vision could conceivably be added to a Sony PS4 or Microsoft Xbox One game console, or a streaming device like Nvidia Shield. All the device needs, according to Dolby reps cited by Forbes, is sufficient processing power.

Several products that support Dolby Vision are already on the market, including TVs from LG and Vizio, as well as the Google Chromecast Ultra streaming device. Sony said its Z9D television from 2016, as well as select 2017 models, will add Dolby Vision via a software update later this year.

At the moment, no discs or games have been released with Dolby Vision on board, but Amazon, Netflix and Vudu offer Dolby Vision streaming content.

One advantage that Dolby Vision has over HDR10 is that Dolby Vision won't require HDMI 2.0a to run. It will run with HDMI 1.4, which potentially allows compatibility with more legacy hardware.

Representatives from Dolby did not respond immediately to CNET's request for comment.

https://www.cnet.com/news/dolby-visi...ource=facebook

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnarc.../#5d2a71694664

[legends of beyond]

Can we take a step back and appreciate how big of a development this is for HDR implementation. This opens the door to so much for the technology and for displays as well.

[img eL]

Ray Dolby would've been proud

[vincentric]

Sounds good, can save a few hundred bucks towards more movies if they updated the PS4 and or XB1S with it.

And wonder if this will usher in disney uhd support a lot sooner?

[Show spoiler]50/50 chance perhaps

Edit: major brain freeze regarding ps4/pro, totally forgot that it doesn't have uhd bd disc support.

[davcole]

I suppose it would be a pipe dream to come to my Roku Ultra?

Sent from my SM-T817T using Tapatalk

[moviemike4]

This is fantastic news for those who have older 4k tvs , i wonder how would it work for people who have a 4k tv with no HDR hardware built in.

[dncpunke]

Been lurking these forums and learning as much as I can as I am getting very close to purchasing a tv. I had already had my eye on the Vizio P75-C1 as it had Dolby Vision AND really good reviews.

Excuse if its a noob question but is it fair to say I can now expand my search to at least all brands/models that have HDR10 as well?

[HeatEquation]

Originally Posted by dncpunke

Been lurking these forums and learning as much as I can as I am getting very close to purchasing a tv. I had already had my eye on the Vizio P75-C1 as it had Dolby Vision AND really good reviews.

Excuse if its a noob question but is it fair to say I can now expand my search to at least all brands/models that have HDR10 as well?

Buying a TV simply because it has Dolby Vision is a huge mistake. TVs like the LG OLED and Vizio P desperately need DV because of their limitations when it comes to HDR. They can't get very bright (especially the Vizio P - I believe it has a peak brightness of only 500 nits) and they don't have accurate tone mapping. Dolby Vision is the only way these TVs can deal with content mastered at 1000 or 4000 nits. Obviously there are reasons other than Dolby Vision to purchase an OLED, but the Vizio P really doesn't have much going for it.

Whereas the 2016 Samsung SUHD TVs have a peak brightness of nearly 1500 nits and exceptional tone mapping, so they don't really need Dolby Vision (although Samsung will be firmware updating them to support dynamic metadata for HDR10, which is essentially the same thing.)

[dncpunke]

Originally Posted by HeatEquation

Buying a TV simply because it has Dolby Vision is a huge mistake. TVs like the LG OLED and Vizio P desperately need DV because of their limitations when it comes to HDR. They can't get very bright (especially the Vizio P - I believe it has a peak brightness of only 500 nits) and they don't have accurate tone mapping. Dolby Vision is the only way these TVs can deal with content mastered at 1000 or 4000 nits. Obviously there are reasons other than Dolby Vision to purchase an OLED, but the Vizio P really doesn't have much going for it.

Whereas the 2016 Samsung SUHD TVs have a peak brightness of nearly 1500 nits and exceptional tone mapping, so they don't really need Dolby Vision (although Samsung will be firmware updating them to support dynamic metadata for HDR10, which is essentially the same thing.)

Appreciate the info. Glad I posted the question

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

Dolby has announced that its HDR standard Dolby Vision is now fully software-based, meaning that existing devices such as consoles and televisions can take advantage of it.

"There are implementations that can run Dolby Vision in software, certainly in the console space but also in the TV SoC (System On a Chip) space," Dolby reps said Friday in Forbes.

What is not said here is that the involved SoC has to have the CPU reserve capacity to do that. John Archer tends to not always relate facts correctly.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by HeatEquation

Buying a TV simply because it has Dolby Vision is a huge mistake. TVs like the LG OLED and Vizio P desperately need DV because of their limitations when it comes to HDR. They can't get very bright (especially the Vizio P - I believe it has a peak brightness of only 500 nits) and they don't have accurate tone mapping. Dolby Vision is the only way these TVs can deal with content mastered at 1000 or 4000 nits. Obviously there are reasons other than Dolby Vision to purchase an OLED, but the Vizio P really doesn't have much going for it.

Whereas the 2016 Samsung SUHD TVs have a peak brightness of nearly 1500 nits and exceptional tone mapping, so they don't really need Dolby Vision (although Samsung will be firmware updating them to support dynamic metadata for HDR10, which is essentially the same thing.)

Oh please, that comes across so much like a plug for Samsung displays that claim 1500 nits or more. On the opposite people with these bright sets are most likely to complain that a video is too dark and it looks horrible.

Yes I have both Samsung UDTV's and LG OLED's!

[HeatEquation]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

Oh please, that comes across so much like a plug for Samsung displays that claim 1500 nits or more. On the opposite people with these bright sets are most likely to complain that a video is too dark and it looks horrible.

Yes I have both Samsung UDTV's and LG OLED's!

Dark videos look great on my Samsung. I love the shadow detail in Daredevil's darkest scenes.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by HeatEquation

Dark videos look great on my Samsung. I love the shadow detail in Daredevil's darkest scenes.

Very good. Still this insight brings a another very obvious question whether Samsung/Panasonic and other holdouts will back off their HDR10 + dynamic metadata pilgrimage? I tend to look at this all from the point that recent set owners should be not be pawns in HDR disagreements or minor licensing costs considering what you currently pay for a quality UDTV.

[nukedkaltak]

Fingers crossed Microsoft will keep being a good lad and update the One S with this. If they do, the One S might well be the best thing money can buy at this point.

[Mavrick]

The same stuff we alread knew but from Engadget

Wonder why you can only get Dolby Vision's high dynamic range video on a limited number of devices? It's because you've needed specialized hardware -- if a device wasn't designed with Vision in mind, you're out of luck. Expect to see it in many more places before long, though. Dolby tells Forbes that Vision is now available in pure software form, enabling its take on HDR for any reasonably capable device. In theory, your console, media hub or TV can get Vision support through an update. It could also lower the cost of including Vision by avoiding the cost of dedicated components.

There shouldn't be a performance hit, Dolby adds, so you won't necessarily need a brawnier processor. And unlike the competing HDR10 standard, you don't need a newer HDMI 2.0a connector to make HDR happen -- HDMI 1.4 is enough. Your launch day PlayStation 4 could handle it, as Dolby once demonstrated by running Vision on Sony's console.

Dolby hasn't offered a definitive list of devices that will get Vision upgrades, but Sony's Z-series TVs are already in line, as is Oppo's Ultra HD Blu-ray player. Don't be surprised if the format becomes relatively commonplace on older devices (those still getting firmware updates, at least), and if it shows up in products where you'd either get HDR10 by itself or wouldn't get HDR at all.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/02/25/...ource=Facebook

[Adam_ME]

Any idea if a software update would work on the Samsung 65JS9500? Provided of course Samsung actually comes around to supporting that format.

[img eL]

Sounds like from around the web that even smartphones will have Dolby Vision

[Mavrick]

Originally Posted by img eL

Sounds like from around the web that even smartphones will have Dolby Vision

Indeed, MWC kicked off today and LG announced the first mobile to support DV, the LG G6.

[Steedeel]

Which makes the whole 4K PS4 situation even more frustrating. Sony are idiots IMO.

[KenHurd]

Originally Posted by HeatEquation

Whereas the 2016 Samsung SUHD TVs have a peak brightness of nearly 1500 nits and exceptional tone mapping, so they don't really need Dolby Vision (although Samsung will be firmware updating them to support dynamic metadata for HDR10, which is essentially the same thing.)

I have a Samsung KS8000; if Dolby Vision is the better of the two formats, why wouldn't my KS8000 be able to take advantage of it if it can be delivered by a firmware update? I haven't stayed up-to-date on this whole Dolby Vision vs. HDR debate because I purchased my TV last year and I don't really want to deal with a new format war. And it sounds like the studios will be able to completely bypass a format war by delivering Dolby Vision as a firmware update.