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Television manufacturers are increasingly boasting support for Dolby Vision 2, which aims to improve picture quality and prepare equipment for the future. In practice, the new standard will not be available from the first day after purchasing the device. Companies such as TCL, Philips, and Hisense have confirmed that the activation of Dolby Vision 2 will only occur through a system update. Moreover, users will initially not have too much content to watch. The first wave of deployment is set to be gradual and spread out over many months. This means that we will only discover the full capabilities of the technology in the coming years.
Televisions will receive Dolby Vision 2 only after an update
The quickest to implement the new feature is Hisense, which mentions an update by the end of the second or in the third quarter of 2026. TCL and Philips are more cautious, pointing towards the end of the year. Dolby also indicates that a wider rollout of the technology is planned only for the last months of 2026. Importantly, Dolby Vision 2 will not reach older televisions. The technology requires new hardware, including the MediaTek Pentonic 800 chip or newer. This means that even some relatively new models will not be able to be upgraded.
Content is missing that utilises the new standard
An even bigger issue is the current availability of materials prepared for Dolby Vision 2. At this moment, the project's partners are only the Peacock and Canal+ platforms. No major movie studio has yet announced productions created specifically for the new format. The first stage of implementation will involve converting existing Dolby Vision materials to the newer version. Only later will filmmakers and series creators start preparing content designed from the ground up for Dolby Vision 2. Support from platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Max, or Prime Video will also be crucial.
Dolby Vision 2 is shaping up to be an important step in the development of image quality, but its debut will be much slower than expected. Even owners of new televisions will have to wait for updates and the first dedicated content. In practice, the full potential of the technology may not be realised until 2027 or even later.
source: FlatpanelsHD
