Dolby Vision 2 Is Coming, however Your TV Is not Out of date (Yet)

Dolby Vision 2 is an up to date and upgraded model of its proprietary HDR format that is present in a number of of our picks for the greatest TVs of 2025, and Dolby has introduced that it is coming quickly. The highlights embrace, nicely, the promise of higher highlights, plus simpler playback and different enhancements.

But don’t fret — your TV’s not going to go darkish. This is not a format substitute. In reality, in case your TV is Dolby Vision suitable now, you should not discover any modifications. DV2 brings a couple of behind-the-scenes upgrades on the manufacturing facet, together with modifications to new TVs that may carry the Dolby Vision 2 branding. Those updates might be fairly fascinating, as I’ll clarify under.

Since this was simply introduced, we have solely obtained primary data, however we’ll discuss this extra as we begin getting our fingers on DV2-compatible TVs.

Dolby Vision 2

At the core of DV2 is a “redesigned and even more powerful image engine.” What which means is not completely clear, however the thought appears to be that it takes benefit of how a lot brighter and extra succesful TVs have change into since Dolby Vision first launched. DV2 appears to be designed to reap the benefits of that larger efficiency with new tone mapping, amongst different enhancements. Helping creatives take higher benefit of the capabilities of contemporary TVs is a part of the behind-the-scenes upgrades as nicely.

The largest change with DV2 is “Content Intelligence,” which “introduces new tools to better bridge the creative suite to the viewer’s living room.” As in, what you see at house is nearer to what the artistic staff behind the present or film you are watching wished you to see. Broadly talking, this facet is to assist HDR content material look higher on a greater diversity of screens and viewing environments. There are three elements to this. Here’s how Dolby describes them:

Perfect Black is intriguing. In my evaluations, I’ve usually discovered that shows with poor HDR efficiency really look brighter and higher with HDR turned off — projectors particularly. How Precision Black will work stays to be seen, however hopefully that is extra than simply robotically adjusting the brightness. I believe Dolby’s use of the phrases “clear” and “clarity” listed below are extra within the vernacular sense, not associated to element or sharpness. 

Put merely, this implies brightening the picture when there’s loads of ambient gentle within the room and darkening it when there is not. Many shows already do that robotically, so it is sensible that Dolby would wish to take again management on behalf of creators. How nicely it really works in observe stays to be seen.

Lastly, there’s Sports and Gaming Optimization, which goals to will “address the unique needs of live sports and gaming.” Part of that features what I believe is essentially the most fascinating and probably controversial facet of DV2: Authentic Motion.

‘Authentic Motion’

One of the issues I despise most about new TVs and projectors is movement smoothing, aka the cleaning soap opera impact. “Hate” does not even cowl it — and I’m not alone. It’s an abomination of a know-how, and I truthfully cannot fathom why anybody would take pleasure in it. Yet individuals do, so what do I do know? Now, with DV2’s new Authentic Motion function, Dolby is pushing past the confines of HDR:

• Authentic Motion is billed because the world’s first creative-driven movement management instrument, designed to make scenes really feel extra cinematic with out undesirable judder, adjusted on a shot-by-shot foundation.

I reached out to Dolby for clarification on this, because it made the hair on the again of my neck arise. The firm’s response: “[Authentic Motion allows a creative] to adjust the amount of de-judder for the specific shots or scenes they feel best matches the look of what they are trying to convey. It’s driven by artist intent and can/will only be used on the shots they feel really need it and only at the amount they believe is needed.” That means a director will be capable of select to add movement smoothing to particular scenes in the event that they really feel it is necessary. I hope it additionally means they will be capable of disable it completely if the TV has it on already. We’ll must see how that is carried out. To be clear, that is simply an possibility in DV2 — which means a director or artistic has to allow it, and also you’d additionally want a DV2-compatible TV for it to matter. So, put down the pitchforks (for now).

DV2 coming 2 U 

Dolby Vision 2 is available in two flavors: Dolby Vision 2 Max, geared toward high-end TVs with “additional premium features” (presumably together with Authentic Motion), and the usual Dolby Vision 2, or “Vanilla,” which nonetheless consists of Content Intelligence and the brand new Image Engine, designed for mainstream TVs.

The tl;dr (conveniently on the backside): Dolby Vision 2 is on the best way. It’ll be in new TVs, will not have an effect on present ones and will result in extra Dolby Vision content material total as the brand new artistic instruments make it simpler to make use of.

Hisense would be the first to supply TVs with DV2 in a few of its upcoming mini-LEDs. Other firms will doubtless observe. Expect to see a bunch introduced at CES 2026 in January. 

---

In addition to overlaying cameras and show tech, Geoff does photograph essays about cool museums and different stuff, together with nuclear submarines, plane carriers, 10,000-mile street journeys.

Also, take a look at Budget Travel for Dummies, his journey ebook and his bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines. You can observe him on Instagram and YouTube.