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Dolby has confirmed important news for people who still use 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. The new Dolby Vision 2 standard does not require, from a technical point of view, a new player. Existing devices could support this technology with an appropriate firmware update. That means that in theory owners of current UHD Blu-ray players would not need to buy new hardware to take advantage of the new HDR format. The problem is that technical capability alone is not enough. Player manufacturers would have to decide to prepare and provide updates, and some of the major companies have already left the disc player market. Moreover, there would also need to be interest from film studios, which would have to prepare appropriate releases.
Dolby Vision 2 doesn't need new hardware, but manufacturers must update players
Dolby Vision 2 uses additional metadata that can be transmitted over existing HDMI connections. According to Dolby, there is therefore no technical limitation that would force the creation of entirely new hardware dedicated solely to supporting the standard. Current UHD Blu-ray players could theoretically receive an appropriate firmware update and be configured to work with Dolby Vision 2. That's good news mainly because the 4K Blu-ray player market has been in a difficult situation for some time. Oppo, LG and Samsung have already withdrawn from producing such devices, and Reavon has also announced it is exiting the segment. This means the number of manufacturers that could actually prepare updates for existing devices is shrinking.
The situation is particularly interesting for Sony, as the company remains one of the key makers of hardware with UHD Blu-ray drives. However, Sony has confirmed that it currently does not plan to work with Dolby to make Dolby Vision 2 available on existing players. That also applies to the PlayStation 5, which has a UHD Blu-ray drive. In practice, that means that even if everything is possible from a hardware perspective, users won't necessarily get the feature.
Dolby Vision 2 may remain primarily a streaming technology
Besides the player manufacturers, film studios would also need to be involved. For Dolby Vision 2 to actually appear on UHD Blu-ray discs, studios would have to prepare the appropriate materials and bear the additional costs of producing them. It's hard to expect they'd want to invest in a new standard if only a small share of available players support it. That's why Dolby Vision 2 may have a much better chance of developing in streaming. Streaming platforms have greater control over the software on their devices and can more easily roll out new solutions via updates. The question remains whether makers of devices such as players and streaming boxes from Amazon, Apple or Google will also decide to issue updates that allow them to take advantage of Dolby Vision 2's capabilities.
Interestingly, even people who won't have access to Dolby Vision 2 on their discs may still benefit from some of its advantages. Dolby says TVs that support the new standard will be able to enhance the appearance of standard Dolby Vision content as well. That means films from current UHD Blu-ray discs could look better on new TVs equipped with Dolby Vision 2, even if the player itself isn't updated.
Dolby Vision 2 can technically work on current UHD Blu-ray players, as it does not require new hardware or new HDMI connections, only an appropriate firmware update. The problem is a lack of interest from manufacturers, many of whom have already pulled out of the disc-player market, and Sony currently does not plan to update its devices. Add to that the need to involve film studios, and the new standard has a significantly greater chance of developing in streaming than on 4K Blu-ray discs.
source: flatpanelshd
