Of the three HDR formats available on 4K UHD Blu-ray, I’d give the advantage to Dolby Vision. While it can be argued that it and HDR10+ trade blows, the reality is that Dolby Vision is more supported, so it’s easier to suggest buying a TV for Dolby Vision than it is for HDR10+. Of course, many TVs have support for both, so it’s nice to cover your bases where you can.
Dolby Vision has been around for a little while, and as the format continued to mature, there were people no doubt asking questions about what the future of the format holds. Those questions have now been answered, and Dolby Vision 2 is here. Dolby Vision 2, as you might’ve surmised by its name, is the successor to Dolby Vision. It’s always exciting to see new technology released, and Dolby Vision 2 just looks to improve everything we know and love about the original format. The only problem is that 4K Blu-ray fans aren’t going to get to experience it.
From the looks of things, it doesn’t seem like 4K Blu-ray players are getting software updates to add support for the new format. It’s speculation for some manufacturers, but Sony came right out and confirmed it. This is obviously bad news for the people who can benefit from the new format the most, but it’s also something I sort of saw coming.
There haven’t been new players in years
Manufacturers need to step up
Dolby says that Dolby Vision 2 technology works on existing hardware, so your current 4K Blu-ray should be enough for it. Sadly, it comes down to software support, and with one of the major players saying they aren’t going to do anything, it doesn’t exactly make me hopeful. Firmware updates aren’t common for 4K Blu-ray players, and it’s been years since mine’s had one. Because of that, there’s little to no reason to have your Blu-ray player connected to the Internet. With no updates or new players on the horizon, we’re pretty much stuck with what we have.
That’s definitely a shame since we’re seeing new technology released right before our eyes with nothing to take advantage of it. Dolby Vision 2 will still work on streaming services, but the gains there are far less than what you’d get from a disc. I won’t be upset about the streaming audience getting tech like this, however, because I watch my fair share of streaming services. Picture quality still matters there, and although Dolby Vision isn’t as transformative there as it is on a disc or in a theater, it’s not like it’s completely nonexistent.
I would still like to see companies roll out an update for their 4K players, because it feels like a slap in the face for anybody who has heavily invested in the 4K Blu-ray format. On the bright side, my discs will still look great with Dolby Vision 1, and they still look great with regular HDR10. I would like to hold out some hope for an update, but I don’t know if anything’s in the cards.
4K Blu-ray players are being left behind
Better hope nothing happens
Perhaps the biggest realization of manufacturers not updating their players is the fact that we’re pretty much stuck with what we have. There hasn’t been a new 4K Blu-ray aside from a refresh in years, and I’m not sure when we’re getting our next one. As a result, many people use their Xbox or PlayStation as a 4K player. Those have their limitations, such as not even getting regular Dolby Vision, and the next generation of those consoles may not even have disc drives.
This puts us in an interesting position where the future of 4K Blu-ray might rest on aging players being able to play these discs. The good news here is that a 4K Blu-ray player doesn’t typically undergo a lot of wear and tear, and my nearly decade-old player is still working as good as new. While it’d be nice not to have to gamble with aging technology like that, it doesn’t look like there are many other options. Disc readers don’t last forever, and neither do discs themselves, for that matter, so we’re dealing with a ticking time bomb of sorts.
If the 4K disc movie is going to continue thriving, it’ll need to get some support from manufacturers. I don’t see why we can’t get support for Dolby Vision 2, especially since it’s not going to be the last new HDR format that comes out. This is a big deal for physical media, and to see large companies just shun a large chunk of people like that is a bit strange. All of this I’m writing could end up being a moot point with a firmware update, but that means Sony has to reverse course. I’m not sure that’s going to happen considering how the company is moving away from physical media in the video game market. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
