Dolby Vision is now fully software based

[Mavrick]

Originally Posted by KenHurd

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.

There's no reason it couldn't other than Samsung for whatever reason not adding it to an update. This info only surfaced a day ago, so there is no way of knowing how many devices will be getting the update.

[Mavrick]

LG's flagship phone delivers HDR-grade video content from Netflix and Amazon Video that Dolby promises will save on battery life and data consumption.

The LG G6 wants to bring the big screen experience to your phone.

Dolby, the audio and imaging quality developer, announced Sunday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that the LG G6 will be the first phone to support its Dolby Vision high dynamic range video technology.

"The LG G6 is one of the most prominent smartphones with a very important position in the mobile market and it's an industry endorsement that Dolby Vision really works," Taeho Oh, vice president of consumer electronics for Dolby, told CNET.

With Dolby Vision on the LG G6 consumers will notice image quality that comes closer to what the human eye can see. This means videos will be brighter, with a better contrast between light and dark, and with a wider color gamut.

Conceived originally for the cinema and now available on televisions, including LG and Vizio models, the LG G6's 5.7-inch screen will be the smallest so far to host the Dolby Vision HDR. But the smaller screen size won't affect the image detail nor will the surrounding light environment that the viewer finds themselves in while watching, Oh explained.

However, consumers might really enjoy these other reasons even more. According to Oh, Dolby Vision will save the phone's battery power by at least 15 percent because the LG G6's LCD won't have to physically brighten to display the image in HDR. He said this could be independently verified. Further he added that consumers will spend less data when streaming because Dolby Vision content on a compatible device uses fewer bits per second during transmission without sacrificing quality. This is something the rival format, HDR 10, can not offer, added Oh.

As for content, any Dolby Vision-compatible titles currently available on Netflix and Amazon Video will be available at launch on the LG G6. In total, 85 Hollywood titles and nearly 100 hours of TV programming is available across all streaming partners, including Vudu.

At its launch, the LG G6 will also be compatible with HDR 10, the rival format to Dolby Vision. Although the formats are similar, there are some differences. Devices compatible only with Dolby Vision can display content developed in HDR 10, but the opposite is not true: devices with only HDR 10 don't transmit Dolby Vision content. In addition, Dolby Vision offers more luminosity per square meter, but this is only noticeably in few devices. When it hit the market, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was the first phone with HDR 10.

Of course, the proof is in the pudding, so when we have the LG G6 on hand we can see if Dolby Vision on will really be a revolutionary phone feature.

I guess this is the reason they made it software based? Getting this in to millions of mobile devices can only be a good thing right? With the added benefit of being able to retroactively be added to an already established user base of TVs it can only be a good thing.

[bruceames]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

I guess this is the reason they made it software based? Getting this in to millions of mobile devices can only be a good thing right? With the added benefit of being able to retroactively be added to an already established user base of TVs it can only be a good thing.

I wonder though to what extent. Dolby Vision still needs a lot more processing power. Would 2015-2016 TVs have enough? (other than the Z9). Would be nice if my Sony 940C gets it, but I don't think it will.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

There's no reason it couldn't other than Samsung for whatever reason not adding it to an update. This info only surfaced a day ago, so there is no way of knowing how many devices will be getting the update.

There is a reason which is processing power, though I don't claim to know what that player's silicon can handle nor what DV actually demands. But it does help that the core of both HDR10 and DV is the PQ EOTF, not that I'm insinuating that any HDR10 capable UHD Blu device can automatically 'do' DV because we need to factor in the 'on the fly' combination of the 3840x2160 base layer and the 1920x1080 enhancement layer for the final 12-bit DV signal with its embedded metadata.

Yes, some wags might say "well if a phone can do it..." but it wouldn't surprise me if the GPU in most modern phones was more powerful than the silicon in the average UHD player.

[BozQ]

Hmph. I thought I posted my reply this morning.

Anyway, this is excellent news for me. Crossing my fingers that Xbox One S or Xbox Scorpio will support Dolby Vision.

Also, LG G6 supporting DV HDR. That was quite surprising. But considering that LG has been producing DV 4K TVs for a while now, putting this on their flagship smartphone might just give them the edge. Otherwise, the G6 is somewhat underwhelming.

[davcole]

I would love to see my Roku Ultra receive it!

Sent from my SM-T817T using Tapatalk

[aneed123]

what does that mean for my 2014 LG 4k tv with no hdr?

[BozQ]

Originally Posted by aneed123

what does that mean for my 2014 LG 4k tv with no hdr?

You won't be able to watch any Dolby Vision HDR, or even HDR10 for that matter.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by BozQ

You won't be able to watch any Dolby Vision HDR, or even HDR10 for that matter.

Right, but that's as it's always been re: SDR TVs. If aneed has a UHD player then it will ignore the DV layer and downconvert the HDR10 layer to SDR as per normal.

[JohnAV]

Considering that this rumor only originated from John Archer - Forbes, which was picked up by CNET, Engadget, and he also writes for PocketLint, and there is no information at all from Dolby it's all beginning to remind me of the theme song from Netflix's Lemony Snickets - A series of unfortunate events! Yep look away!

A Series of Unfortunate Events | Theme Song [HD] | Netflix - YouTube