dolby
Latest
Dolby's wide color range technology comes to Amazon Video
Amazon has already dipped its toes into the waters of high dynamic range video, but it's now ready to get its feet wet. The internet giant has started integrating Dolby Vision HDR into its video subscription and purchase services. Watch the right shows (currently Amazon's Bosch and a handful of Sony movies, like Fury) and you'll get a wider color range as well as more details in highlights and shadows. The big catch? Right now, you'll need one of LG's HDR-capable 4K or OLED TVs to notice the difference -- until there's more content and hardware support, this is more of a technology showcase than anything else.
$500 Lenovo Phab2 Pro is the first Google Tango phone
The second generation of Lenovo's Phab phones are here already, headlined by the first-ever Project Tango-equipped smartphone with sensors and cameras that can map its surroundings. The Phab2 Pro (check out our hands-on impressions right here) is special because it fulfills the promise of demos that Google's Advanced Technologies and Products (ATAP) division has been showing us for a few years. The phone's dual cameras create an "eye" that sees its surroundings in 3D with depth perception, while additional sensors monitor location and nearby objects 250,000 times per second.
NBC will air the 2016 Rio Olympics in 4K, HDR and Atmos
NBC has announced that it will make content from this year's Olympic Games available to carriers in 4K and HDR, however there's one little catch. In a setup that will seem familiar for early HDTV adopters who still can't get Sony's "we brought chips... and salsa!" ad out of their heads 12 years later*, 4K UHD footage of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, swimming, track and field, basketball, the men's soccer final, and judo is coming home on 24 hour tape delay. NBC will provide a downconverted version of the 8K feed Olympic Broadcasting Services and Japan's NHK are experimenting with, to 4K, and present it in HDR with Dolby Atmos surround sound audio. According to NBC Sports president Gary Zenkel, "The Olympics have been a consistent driver of technological advancements, and Rio will be no different."
MWC Revisited: Virtual reality is here to stay
With Mobile World Congress done and dusted, it's time to take stock of what we've seen over the past week. Sure, we were treated to the usual menagerie of mobile devices, but for the second year running, virtual reality played a big part of the proceedings. Here's our official scorecard for the new, not-actually-that-mobile part of Mobile World Congress.
For VR to be truly immersive, it needs convincing sound to match
I'm staring at a large iron door in a dimly lit room. "Hey," a voice says, somewhere on my right. "Hey buddy, you there?" It's a heavily masked humanoid. He proceeds to tell me that my sensory equipment is down and will need to be fixed. Seconds later, the heavy door groans. A second humanoid leads the way into the spaceship where my suit will be repaired.
MGM and Universal commit to Dolby's HDR imaging tech
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.
Dolby Vision imaging technology comes to TCL's X1 4K UHD TV.
If you're looking for a TV with bright colors, an excellent backlight and a fantastic range of contrast, you're probably on the prowl for a set with Dolby Vision imaging technology baked in. Fortunately, the feature is becoming pretty pervasive -- showing up not only in sets from commonly known brands, but from up and coming manufacturers as well. Case in point? Chinese electronics company TCL just announced its first 4K UHD TV to include the technology: the 65-inch TCL X1.
LG's 2016 4K OLED TVs promise 'superior' HDR experience
LG's TV lineup for 2016 includes eight new 4K OLED TVs in addition to the new LCDs -- including an 8K model -- that it announced earlier. They come in various shapes -- some of them are flat, while others are curved -- sizes, designs and components. The 77- and 65-inch G6 series and the 65- and 55-inch E6 series flagship models, for instance, are extremely thin with a depth of a tenth of an inch behind the screen, translucent glass backs, barely-there bezels and forward-facing soundbar speakers.
UHD Alliance reveals its specs for 'premium' 4K TVs
Last year a number of TV manufacturers, Hollywood studios and other content companies got together so they could avoid ruining the home experience of 4K. A battle over competing standards and formats has made a mess of tech like Blu-ray/HD DVD and the rollout of 3D, but this industry consortium is committed to making sure that doesn't happen with Ultra HD. As Fox exec Mike Dunn put it during a panel discussion, "Unless you have a standards group that puts the glue for the industry together, it's not seamless for the consumer." Tonight the group showed off the logo and specs (above) that you should probably look for if you consider buying a high-end Ultra HD television. Update: Samsung says its entire line of 2016 SUHD TVs has been tagged with the UHD Premium certification.
Vudu movies take advantage of your Dolby Atmos and Vision gear
If you've been itching to put your Dolby Atmos- and Vision-capable home theater gear to work, you'll be glad to know that you now have one more streaming option besides Microsoft and Netflix. Vudu has started streaming Warner Bros. movies (such as Mad Max: Fury Road and The Lego Movie) with full Atmos and Vision support, so you'll get more immersive audio and a high dynamic visual range if you have the right TV and speakers. There's no mention of Vudu offering similarly upgraded titles from Sony or other studios, but don't be surprised if the catalog expands quickly.
Dolby Vision imaging tech swings to Sony movies
Slowly but surely Dolby Vision is making its way to more and more places. The cinema company recently announced that it's partnering with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to give Hirai and Co.'s flicks a brighter, more contrasty image, whether you're watching it via a physical or digital format. No specific titles were announced for the high dynamic range video feature, but the press release quotes mention that new releases as well as catalog titles will benefit from the relatively new 4K UHD tech. So! For those keeping track at home, this marks two major studios signed on, as Warner Bros. announced its partnership earlier this year. On the streaming side, Netflix and Xbox Video announced in 2014. Now we just need those Ultra Blu-rays and their players to hit and we'll really be in business.
Vizio's latest 4K TVs start at $600
Vizio has already developed a reputation for offering decent 4K TVs on the cheap, and it's cementing that image now that it's rolling out its 2015 line of Ultra HD screens. The company's new M-Series sets (above) tout full LED backlighting, speedy 802.11ac WiFi and a six-core processor starting at $600 for a 43-inch model -- not bad considering that even stripped-down TVs cost more just a couple of years ago. The M range scales up to an 80-inch set at $4,000, which is still a steal considering that many 4K panels that size will cost you a five-digit sum.
Dolby's all-encompassing Atmos sound comes to virtual reality
Virtual reality thrives on immersive sound, so it only makes sense that audio format makers should get involved, doesn't it? Dolby certainly thinks so. It's partnering with Jaunt to put its cinematic Atmos sound into VR content, starting with snippets from the horror-laden Black Mass, the giant monster short Kaiju Fury and a Sir Paul McCartney concert. While it's a modest start, the hope is that this ultra-precise positioning will both be more engaging and let VR movie producers rely more on audible cues to get your attention -- a snapping twig may be all it takes to have you look at the scary beast lurking in the bushes. You probably wouldn't want to buy an Atmos-capable system just for the sake of VR when there's hardly anything to watch right now, but it's something to consider if you take your virtual video experiences very seriously.
Dolby Vision imaging tech is coming to Warner Bros. movies
Dolby doesn't want to limit its Dolby Vision tech just to Netflix and other streaming services, so the outfits' partnering with film studios too. First up is Warner Bros., where flicks including Edge of Tomorrow, The Lego Movie and Into the Storm are getting the high-dynamic range treatment early this year -- just in time for the launch of TVs with the tech baked in, according to the company. Additional new release movies and catalog titles are en route this year, as well. For the tech to really take off, however, Dolby willl need to expand beyond one studio, but we'd imagine WB is a pretty decent place to start. If anything, the announcement means Edge of Tomorrow's bleak version of the future's going to get a little brighter sometime soon. [Image credit: Associated Press]
TV makers and Hollywood team up to save 4K from themselves
We've seen at past CES how overzealous money grabs by electronics manufacturers can turn the public off to new technology (hello 3D), but it appears the industry might be learning. A long list of big names just announced they're joining the "UHD Alliance" to "set the bar" for next-generation video. That list includes Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sony Visual Product, DirecTV, Netflix, Dolby, Disney and Fox, and they altogether claim it's put together with the consumer in mind first. We've already seen a slew of content agreements and services that only work with a particular manufacturer's devices (DirecTV and Samsung, Sony's UHD streaming box), but things are slowly getting better. The new team-up promises to work on 4K video, High Dynamic Range (which Netflix announced during LG's press conference earlier), Wide color Gamut and Immersive Audio -- we'll see if that's enough to keep the UHD goose laying golden eggs.
Dolby is launching its super-vivid IMAX theater competitor in the Netherlands
Dolby has just announced a huge new project, but it's not about audio as you'd expect -- it's about the upcoming launch of its IMAX competitor called Dolby Cinema. This giant screen format will be able to project movies using the "Dolby Vision" technology (something it's been working on for years), which combines high dynamic range videos with something else that the company's keeping a secret. High dynamic range or HDR videos, as you might know, can show shadows and light as you'd see them in real life (take this Disney Research video, for example). Dolby goes as far as to claim that its technology's "contrast ratio far exceeds that of any other image technology on the market today."
Denon unveils its first receivers with extra-immersive Dolby Atmos sound
If you're wondering just when you can envelop yourself in Dolby Atmos sound at home, Denon is more than happy to tell you. The home theater firm says it will launch two Atmos-equipped AV receivers, the X4100W and X5200W, in the US this October. Neither will be cheap, as the bleeding-edge tech implies. For $1,399, the X4100W delivers Dolby's all-encompassing audio in up to a 7.1.2-channel setup (seven regular speakers, one subwoofer, two overhead); splurge on the $1,999 X5200W and you can add two extra speakers to the mix, whether they're on the ground or the ceiling. Either will bring the media support you'd expect for that kind of outlay, including 4K video processing and media sharing over AirPlay or DLNA. That's a lot of cash to shell out to add an extra dimension to your surround sound, but Denon is undoubtedly targeting very high-end living room setups -- if you didn't flinch at buying an expensive 4K TV, these receivers are for you.
Dolby's immersive Atmos audio is coming to your living room
Dolby's Atmos technology, which bombards you with sound from all directions, was undoubtedly built with movie theaters in mind; few have the money or space for that many speakers. However, the company has at last devised a way to bring Atmos to your living room. While the solution will let you hang speakers from the ceiling if you're so inclined, it will primarily rely on audio systems that produce overhead sound through physics tricks. This could get expensive, as you might imagine. On top of an Atmos-capable receiver, you'll need either speakers with native Atmos support or modules that add to your existing setup. Thankfully, you probably won't have to toss out everything -- the Blu-ray spec can already handle Atmos, so most existing disc players should work.
Dolby's vision for the living room includes abundant audio options
Why should you have to listen to a sports commentator who's obviously pulling for the other team -- or one who's just plain boring? That's the question Dolby's out to answer with its personalized audio demo here at NAB. The company's showing attendees how they could enjoy a TV experience tailored to their preferences. Following through with the sports example mentioned above, this means different options for commentators during a hockey game. If you're a basketball fan watching the Spurs take on the Pacers while talking with friends on Skype, the system will recognize the VoIP service and mute other audio when they're speaking. Maybe you're more into The Voice; Dolby's tech could bring you audio from your favorite judge, excluding the opinions you don't want to hear.
Lenovo's latest budget Android tablets focus on high-quality audio
If Samsung's new Galaxy Tabs aren't your cup of tea, Lenovo may have the budget tablets you're looking for. It just unveiled four entry-level Android slates that expand on the sound quality focus we saw in last year's models. The Tab A7-30, A7-50, A8 and A10 all have Dolby audio that should improve your small-screen movie experience. They also have "responsive" (if unnamed) quad-core processors, too. You're mostly choosing devices based on screen sizes. The A7-30 has a basic 7-inch display and optional cellular support, while the A7-50 jumps to HD and throws in a 2-megapixel front camera; move to the A8 and you'll get an 8-inch panel, while the A10 includes (you guessed it) a 10-inch display. Lenovo plans to ship the new Tab A-series worldwide in the second quarter of the year, with UK prices ranging from a frugal £100 ($166) for an A7-30 to a still quite affordable £170 ($283) for an A10. There's no mention of a US launch for the new A-series so far, but we've reached out for more details. We'll let you know if these starter tablets reach American shores.
