Dolby had already announced it months ago.Dolby Vision 2, the next-generation imaging standardHowever, it wasn't until this year's CES 2026 that the technical details were revealed to the public, and it was confirmed that the first wave of support would come from TV brands such as Hisense, TCL, and Philips.
Dolby Vision 2: Not just brighter, but smarter.
The core evolution of Dolby Vision 2 lies in "intelligence" and "ambient awareness." The new generation engine has stronger content recognition capabilities, automatically optimizing TV settings based on the type of content the user is watching and the ambient lighting.
Specifically, it addresses the following three major pain points:
• Shadow detail optimization:Many viewers often complain that HDR movies are "too dark to see" when viewed in a bright living room. Dolby Vision 2, on the other hand, uses dynamic compensation for ambient light to bring details in dark areas back to life without compromising contrast.
• New Tone Mapping:The on-site demonstration showed that the new standard has a significant improvement in color reproduction, which is also the most visually noticeable difference from the current version.
• Authentic Motion technology (realistic motion):For dynamic scenes, Dolby has introduced a new algorithm that eliminates judder while avoiding cheap "soap opera effects" (note), preserving the film quality and director's intent that a movie should have.
Note:The "Soap Opera Effect" refers to the phenomenon where modern smart TVs or displays use "motion interpolation" technology to make the picture look smoother and clearer, but at the cost of losing the film look and instead resembling the visual effect of a regular TV drama.
The initial hardware support lineup includes Hisense, TCL, and Philips.
To enjoy Dolby Vision 2, hardware support is essential. Since the new technology heavily relies on ambient light detection, the TV itself must be equipped with an ambient light sensor to achieve full performance. Dolby confirmed the first wave of supported devices at CES 2026.
• Hisense:It will be built directly into the 2026 RGB MiniLED TVs (UX, UR9, UR8 series), and there are plans to make more models support it through OTA updates.
• TCL:It promises that through future firmware updates, its 2026 X QD-Mini LED series and C series TVs will support the new standard.
• TP Vision (Philips):The entire lineup of OLED TVs in 2026, including the OLED811, OLED911, and the flagship OLED951, will support this feature.
As for major manufacturers like Sony, which haven't yet announced their new TV lineups at CES, they are expected to follow suit soon, while Samsung is expected to adopt its...HDR10+ Advanced Image Standard.
Peacock takes the lead: the first streaming platform to support the full Dolby suite.
On the content side, Dolby announced a partnership with Peacock, the streaming service of NBCUniversal, making Peacock the world's first streaming video service to support Dolby's "full suite of technologies," meaning that Peacock will be the first to adopt Dolby Vision 2 video technology and Dolby AC-4 next-generation audio encoding technology.
In addition, the two parties will expand the application of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos in live sports broadcasts. Over the next year, popular events including NFL Sunday Night Football, NBA, and MLB will be broadcast using Dolby technology, allowing sports fans to enjoy a truly immersive audiovisual experience from the comfort of their homes.
LG Sound Suite: Modular Audio Systems and FlexConnect Technology
In the home audio sector, Dolby collaborated with LG to launch the LG Sound Suite, becoming the world's first modular audio system equipped with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect technology. The core H7 Soundbar can be freely paired with wireless speakers, offering up to 27 configuration combinations. Through FlexConnect technology, the system can automatically optimize the sound effect according to the spatial layout, so that the "sweet spot" for the sound experience is no longer limited to the center of the sofa.
Car Use and Creation: From Modified Car Infotainment Systems to TikTok Short Videos
Dolby's influence extends into mobile scenarios, with its integration with Mercedes-Benz in the automotive field, showcasing a Spatial Audio experience based on Apple CarPlay. Meanwhile, Pioneer's SPHERA is the world's first aftermarket receiver to support Dolby Atmos, allowing owners of older vehicles to upgrade to immersive audio.
Finally, regarding the creator economy, Dolby recently announced a partnership with Douyin. Starting today, iPhone users can directly shoot, edit, and upload short videos in Dolby Vision format within the Douyin app, allowing amateur creators to share their lives with cinematic quality. This feature will also be rolled out to the Android platform in the future.
