MGM and Universal commit to Dolby's HDR imaging tech
Dolby's slowly but surely getting the movie industry on its side.
Over the past year, Dolby's worked hard to convince many of the major movie studios and streaming services that its HDR imaging technology is the one worth backing. Netflix, Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures are already on board, but today they've been joined by MGM Studios and Universal Pictures, after the studios confirmed they'll deliver "new release and catalog titles" that have been mastered in Dolby Vision.
High dynamic range (HDR), if you're not already aware, transforms the way you see HD and 4K media. The technology doesn't change the number of pixels your TV works with, it just makes them do more. Dolby Vision, for example, delivers increased brightness, better light-to-dark contrast and colors that the company says have never been seen before on a TV.
As with many new digital technologies, the uptake of HDR could be impacted by a battle over competing standards. The UHD Alliance is tackling the issue, though, and has issued specifications for what it considers to be a 'premium' 4K TV. Any set that meets the required resolution, color depth and brightness and black levels will be issued with a sticker that proves it can deliver the best possible experience from your Ultra HD Blu-rays or 4K streams from Netflix and Amazon.
Dolby is also working to get TV makers on board, recently announcing that it will feature on Vizio's latest range of 4K TVs. The company is also working with Roku to incorporate the technology into future 4K Roku TVs, regardless of who they're made by.